Bentley - Lazybones (2022)

It's late 2019. Covid is yet to hit. Gigs are pumping, dance floors are heaving. Blissfully unaware of the pending doom set to cause destruction to the music scene in Sydney.

I get the call up to do a gig at Lazybones. First step is to assemble the crew. This was a great opportunity to re-unite with long lost jazz brother, Matthew Thomson - Thommo.

Thommo and I were in a Jazz Quartet together in High School, playing standards at Estedford's, 50th's & Weddings. After High School finished up in 2012, Matt fled the world's largest island (Oz) to study Jazz at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Upon returning to Sydney in 2019, Matt has now gone on to win the prestigious Wangaratta National Jazz Awards for piano and the ASCAP Herb Alpert Jazz composers Award.

To pair with Thommo I looked no further than Daniel Pliner. Pliner is one of Sydney's most in demand pianists. I first saw him playing various gigs around the place in 2018 - Latin, Jazz, Broken Beat, House, Funk, Reggae - you name it. His sound selection is second to none and I knew I had to play with him. Dan joined me for our first gig together at Parlour Cucina around a month before Lazybones. I thought his Synth prowess and heavy MS10 Sub would compliment Matt's Jazz Fingers nicely.

Put the fellas in a group chat and they were good to go.

We hadn't ever played together as a unit. I'd played with Dan once before, hadn't seen Thommo since high school. Dan hadn't met Thommo before.
When you join forces with two power rangers for the first time, you know it's going to be special.

Luckily enough I took my gear to the gig and the legend soundie at Lazybones, Tim Laptev, could plug me in to record.

Plug in and see where we went.

Fully improvised.