In 2021 I received an ABC Jazz Composer Commission to write and record an original album of music. This five part suite follows the journey of a person's life, with each movement reflecting a different stage of life. This album has a unique instrumentation for each track so that it can grow and develop not only through the writing but also through the differing instrumentation.

The album features many of my favourite musicians and it was an honour to write for them, on this album you'll hear from:

Angela Davis - alto saxophone

Thien Pham - trumpet & flugelhorn

Jordan Murray - trombone

Miro Lauritz - piano & vibraphone

Sam Anning - bass

Ollie Shute - drums

Patrick Lefevre - tenor saxophone (IV)

Mick Fraser - trumpet (IV)

The suite is in five movements:

I. There Is Light: ‘I wanted this piece to reflect the journey of a newborn child. It was important to me that the piece was incredibly soft, warm and intimate, and featured a simple melody played on the alto saxophone by Angela Davis.’

II. Hide & Seek: This piece was written around the development of a child through their younger years, and their excitement as they journey through life. As the movement progresses, interaction between the horns mimics the idea of two children playing together, much like a game of hide and seek.

III. And So I Walk: This movement begins with a strong and commanding piano solo, its driving nature conveying the sense of being on a journey.

IV. Eye of the Hurricane: With five horns and a fast 3/4 feel, this movement has a momentum and energy that expresses the busyness of being an adult.

V. Fear Not: Alto sax and trombone play a delicate melody together before the music takes on a quasi Afro-Cuban feel. It has a real sense of peace and acceptance, so that the album ends in calm.

An ABC Jazz Composer Commission. Recorded in the ABC's Southbank Studios, Melbourne on 30 May 2022.
Produced by Mal Stanley and Minnie Hill.
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Mal Stanley.
Assisted by Jack Montgomery-Parkes.
Cover photography by Nicole Calabrese.
Inside photography by Patrick Lefevre.
Design by Minnie Hill
(P) 2022 Australian Broadcasting Corporation, licensed to Minnie Kaye Music.