Ball Hanlon Schulz - Land of If
The Land of If is the latest release from Ball Hanlon Schulz, a chamber-jazz trio featuring acclaimed Melbourne trumpeter Eugene Ball, bassist Ben Hanlon and piano accordionist Anthony Schultz. Taking impetus from Paul Auster’s book Invisible, The Land of If is a playful foray into the intimate moments of our everyday lives - a shadow of time going by, the smile of the one we love, small innocent mistakes and the local heroism of confronting them.
The group explores the sonic possibilities of their combined talents through a set of nine compositions. Taking nothing at face value, they often turn the roles of their instruments inside out, creating a sound unique to themselves. Drawing from their collective experiences in classical, jazz and folk music, Ball Hanlon Schulz have been honing an ensemble identity over five years. Anthony and Eugene have played together sporadically in a variety of groups over the years, and when they became colleagues, lecturing at the same institution, they decided to form a group. Ben Hanlon was an immediate choice to complete the ensemble, as well as being a former student of Eugene’s during the latter years of high school.
The combination of trumpet, accordion and bass is perhaps a little unusual, except that it does contain the typical melodic, harmonic, and bass voices. It is the traditional roles of these voices that Ball Hanlon Schulz question and reimagine. Piano accordionist Schulz cajoles and compels the piano accordion into romantic yet sweet banter. “The instrument charms us with its multitude of voices,” explains Ball, “It speaks many truths and fictions. Sometimes it forms an ocean-like foundation for a piece, other times, it eloquently explores the harmonies with certainty and precision.” The various appearances by Ball’s trumpet take numerous formations. As Schulz explains, Ball creates “declarations, murmurings, whispers, wonderings, exaltations and question marks.” What drew Schulz to Ball’s playing, in particular, is his unmistakable tone, and his curious and unpredictable style - a willingness to explore the path less followed. “His masterful trumpet takes us to places we didn’t expect to go,” says Schulz.
Eugene Ball has received national and international recognition, performing with some of the biggest names in music. A lover of musical diversity, he is as comfortable in the New Orleans jazz tradition (the Hoodangers) as he is with contemporary improvisation (Andrea Keller, the Australian Art Orchestra), popular music (Paul Kelly, Dan Sultan) and composition. Eugene has composed for the MSO, ACO2 and a variety of contemporary chamber ensembles.
'Ball's dazzling playing fitted between the mercurial and the wrenching…' John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald.
Double bassist Ben Hanlon is a rare breed of musician, whose virtuosity and musicality enable him to move fluidly between his permanent position with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and a multitude of high-profile jazz ensembles. He has performed at most of the major festivals in Australia, and was recently featured as guest principal bassist on the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s 2016-17 tour of China. Ben has recorded jazz releases with James Sherlock, Hetty Kate, Hue Blanes, Bopstretch, Fem Belling, Nathan Slater, and appears on recordings with Missy Higgins, Julia Stone and the Bamboos. To round out this gamut of musical activity, Ben performs regularly as a chamber soloist, including recent performances with the Brodski quartet and Katie Noonan at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
An individual voice in Australian improvised music, Anthony Schulz has developed and expanded a sound world that shatters all preconceptions of the piano accordion. At one point thrashing his accordion in the dissonant expressionism of Berg’s Wozzeck and to the next improvising freely with ECM icon Barre Phillips. He then re-appears in a contemporary jazz performance with the noted jazz vibraphonist Dave Samuels or renowned guitarist Doug DeVries. In 2007, Anthony was awarded an ARIA for his work with Zulya and the Children of the Underground (Best World Music Album - Three Nights).
‘Anthony Schulz stands out on accordion, with his sophisticated use of harmony and countermelody.’ Rootsworldlly and musically.
About the Music
1. Land of If (Schulz)
The notion of ‘what might have been’ is one that author Paul Auster navigates in a number of his books, possibly most deeply in his ambitious 4 3 2 1. Land of If is a fragment of nostalgic text from Auster’s book Invisible that acknowledges an almost gut-wrenching attachment to an idealised moment in time: “She was the impossible one, the unattainable one, the one who was never there-a spectre from the Land of If.”
2. Plod, Plod, Stumble, Plod (Ball)
Modern life is a series of cycles; little prisons, through which we repeatedly stumble and plod.
3. A White Haired Shadow (Schulz)
Inspired by Stephen Fry’s book Mythos, A White-Haired Shadow is a reference to the Lord Tennyson Poem 'Tithonus'
...After many a summer dies the swan.
Me only cruel immortality.
Consumes: I wither slowly in thine arms,
Here at the quiet limit of the world,
A white-hair'd shadow roaming like a dream...
4. (Super) Stars in Her Eyes (Ball)
For those who aspire to lofty heights. At all cost
5. Cast Over (Ball)
Menacing clouds, imminent storms, items tossed aside in the maelstrom….
6. A White Lie (Schulz)
When is it reasonable to lie? To hide a terrible truth? In fact, to willingly embrace the burden of an untruth to give solace in the final moment of another’s existence? A piece inspired by Elliot Perlman’s The Street Sweeper.
7. She Guards the Dream (Ball)
Is the keeper protecting the dream from harm, or blocking access to all?
8. A Black Ribbon (Schulz)
In his memoirs, Pablo Neruda tells the story of a black swan he saves and nurses as a young boy. As the swan finally dies in his arms he realises that swans don’t sing when they die.
9. Attest (Ball)
A while ago I stumbled on a new way of organising pitch; some new scales. Attest is 'proof of concept' of one of my new friends.
Launch details
Saturday June 26, 7:00pm
Christ Church, Brunswick (Glenlyon Rd, near corner of Sydney Rd)
Music in the church, 8 Glenlyon Rd
Refreshments and ticketing in the hall, 10 Glenlyon Rd
7:00, doors, 7:30 Helen Svoboda (solo double bass and voice)
8:30 Ball-Hanlon-Schulz
Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/BRHVZ
Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative
Artist: Ball Hanlon Schulz
Album: Land of If
Release: June 11, 2021
Label: Earshift Music distributed by MGM
Format: Streaming services
Catalogue Number: EAR051
Streaming/DL: https://ffm.to/landofif
Personnel: Eugene Ball, trumpet. Ben Hanlon, double bass. Anthony Schulz, accordion.