Released 21 March 2025, on digital and CD

Sydney based double bassist and composer Max Alduca presents his debut album Monastery drawing inspiration from a personal journey through music and spirituality, reflecting themes of interconnectedness, trust, and hope, while also paying homage to his teachers and collaborators.

Bringing together some of Sydney’s leading jazz musicians—Hilary Geddes (guitar), Michael Avgenicos (tenor sax), Luke Sweeting (piano), and James Waples (drums), the album draws on contemporary jazz, free improvisation and cinematic soundscapes.

The album is a meditative exploration of sound, space, and emotion. Each track evokes a different layer of Alduca’s evolving artistry, from introspective ballads to expansive, free-flowing improvisations. The title track, “Monastery,” delves into the concept of sanctuary—both literal and metaphorical—where Alduca reflects on the quietude and solitude often needed for creative expression. Meanwhile, “Unknown Flow” and “Scando” bring out the band's dynamic interplay, where moments of stillness transform into bursts of rhythmic intensity. With the quintet’s nuanced phrasing and textural depth, the album invites listeners into a sound world that is as contemplative as it is spontaneous.

Monastery is a culmination of Alduca’s experiences, particularly after returning from an intensive study period in NYC in 2022. “This project represents a deep reflection of my musical past and a more spiritual approach to music,” Alduca explains. Tracks like “Monastery” and “Unknown Flow” weave in elements of Scandinavian jazz, influenced by the ECM sound, while incorporating modern jazz improvisation. Saxophonist Michael Avgenicos notes the album’s balance of composed material and freedom: “Max’s compositions leave us room to really dig into the music but allow us to express ourselves fully.”

The musicianship on the album is defined by a close rapport, as highlighted by guitarist Hilary Geddes: “There’s a real sense of trust in the group. We know each other’s playing so well, and it comes through in the music.” Listeners can expect tracks like “Sympathetic Resonance” and “Sam’s Bass” to reveal both structured and open-ended musical forms, with contributions from producer Lloyd Swanton, legendary bassist of The Necks, who helped guide the recording process.

Alduca reflects, “The whole session felt magical to me, I was surprised at the ease I felt in the studio and was totally in awe of how everyone played. Lloyd was a big part of helping me not only in the studio as a wise and experienced set of ears, but his thorough involvement through the whole production process. Having Lloyd as producer on the album was also the best decision I could have made- to have his ears in the control room gently guiding us made me be able to just relax and play and took a lot of stress out of it! He also went above and beyond in his help post session with editing, mixing and mastering.”

Max Alduca is one of Australia’s most in-demand bassists, regularly touring nationally and internationally with Hamed Sadeghi’s Eishan Ensemble, Hilary Geddes Quartet, The Pocket Trio, Microfiche and many others. He has also worked with prominent artists including Mike Nock, Paul Grabowsky and Dale Barlow. The quintet, formed in 2022, reflects Alduca’s long-standing musical relationships with Geddes, Avgenicos, Sweeting, and Waples. Their collective sound, shaped by years of collaboration, is at the core of Monastery.

1. Unknown Flow
This track is inspired by the attempt to tap into the natural flow of life that is happening all around us, sometimes it seems that you’re just in it naturally and other times it seems to evade us… it’s always there even if it feels like an unknown flow. This track also draws influence from Barney Mcall’s tune Nectar Spur off Mooroolbark.
2. Monastery
This track grew from a melody that came to me whilst in a 1200 yr old monastery in the north of Portugal. I was playing there with the Eishan ensemble and it was an incredibly inspiring place. When we finished the gig they moved the chairs and put out a long table. They brought a feast of lamb and homemade vinho verde and when the feast was over they started playing their traditional fado music and we all joined in. Special experience!
3. Homage
This track is loosely inspired by studying with Matt Penman in NYC, and a track off his album Catch of the Day called Frosted. I was also attempting to capture the feeling of being grateful to those who have inspired me and taught me along the way.
4. Scando
As the name suggests this track is inspired by my love for the Scandinavian (and ECM) approach to jazz and improvising. This track was written in Stockholm whilst I was there for a number of months a few years ago. Looking out from the studio I was renting, the white landscape conjured the melody and slow build of this tune.
5. Sam’s Bass
I wrote the bass line to this tune on Sam Anning’s bass that he generously let me borrow whilst on tour in Melbourne. Sam is a great inspiration to me so it was apt to name this tune after his bass! A largely improvised piece of two halves- the first half the bass line emerges from a frenetic improvisation before plunging into a kind of microscopic improvisation in the second half, drawing on the sound worlds of great Aussie improvisers like the Necks and the Splinter Orchestra.
6. Sympathetic Resonance
The idea for this tune was conceived whilst I was studying at the Sydney con and inspired by Ornette Coleman, particularly the track What Reason Could I Give from the album Science Fiction. Bowed Bass harmonics slowly build into a textural bed that the melody loosely sings on top of before plunging into a spacious ballad. The title of this track is hinting at the connections we make all around us, be it with people or nature or music or art, that resonates not only within but also without.
7. Falling
The ostinatos and shifting time signatures in this track are reminiscent of that shared experience of falling in a dream but waking up before you ever hit the ground. The more rhythmically driving parts of this track hint at a rocky/Radiohead-esque influence.