Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Supplied

Melbourne African Traditional Ensemble (MATE) are headed to Creswick later this month to bring their irresistible sound to Odessa at Leavers Hotel.

Set for 7pm, Saturday June 28 this gig promises to be lively and rhythm-rich.

The Melbourne African Traditional Ensemble is a Pan African music project that brings together a range of traditional instruments from different parts of Africa to create new musical concepts based on the principles of Ujamaa.

The idea of Ujamaa emerged from the writing and speeches of Tanzania’s first president, Julius K Nyerere, from the late 1950s and into the 1960s.

Usually translated as “familyhood,” it was a form of African socialism that blended broadly conceived socialist principles with a distinctly “communitarian” understanding of African societies, and a strong commitment to egalitarian societies.

More details are available through the venue’s website with booking online via Humanitix.

Celebrated musicians Dave Graney and Clare Moore play Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel in Creswick this Saturday, evening, May 24.

Dave Graney and Clare Moore released two albums in 2024. The first was ‘(strangely)(emotional)’, an exotic, lyrical album that involved interior journeys of memory of family and time and place.

Journeying through inner and outer worlds with jazz voicings, vibes, keys, guitars and harp. A very much Covid influenced work, including the affectionate blues Poor Covid.

The second was the hot and sprawling ‘I Passed Through Minor Chord In A Morning’ which was an auto harped, cut and pasted, improvised, deep fried, distorted hip hop beaten affair that came with a t-shirt.

When they play, they bring a vast songbook and bring it to life with vibes, keys, guitars, voices and rhythm machines.

More details are available through the venue’s website.

Jazz lovers are in for a treat as Creswick venue Odessa at Leavers Hotel hosts Ilaria Crociani with Mirko Guerrini and Aussie jazz legend Paul Grabowski in performance this Saturday evening April 26.

Currently touring in Australia with the support of Creative Australia to present her latest work for the ABC JAZZ, Ilaria Crociani is an award winning lyricist and composer who migrated to Australia in 2013.

In her first appearance at Odessa At Leaver’s Hotel, Ilaria will perform pieces from her latest recording “Connecting The Dots”, a concept album of original vocal jazz songs inspired by significant women of Australian history and beyond.

“Connecting The Dots” is not just a simple collection of songs. It is also an inspirational anthology of nine stories, all with a unique female character at their centre.

The album weaves together narratives of hardship, vulnerability, resoluteness and redemption to paint an uplifting picture of resilience and hope.

With all lyrics by Ilaria Crociani, this intensely coloured repertoire derives from the juxtaposition of Ilaria’s compositional style to the pens of her longtime collaborators Mirko Guerrini (sax, duduk) and Niko Schäuble (drums) and the inimitable and sophisticated voice of legendary pianist Paul Grabowsky – all of whom will be with her on stage.

Ilaria has worked with artists such as Tony Gould A.M, John Griffith A.O, Geoff Hughes, Ben Robertson and managed her jazz quintet Radiosuccessi.

Since 2018, she has been the soloist singer of Exstasy Morricone, a septet showcasing a monographic collection of psychedelic compositions authored in the ‘70s by Ennio Morricone.

A semi-finalist with her original compositions in the 2020 and 2023 International Songwriting Competition (USA), Ilaria is a recipient of the “2021 ABC Classic and Jazz Composer Commissioning Fund and a 2021 Arts Grant from the City of Melbourne.

In 2022 on commission by the ABC Kids Listen she produced “Evergreen” a small collection of children’s songs with bilingual lyrics in Italian and English.

More details can be found on the venues website or at https://events.humanitix.com/ilaria-crociani-4lfa9737.

With Darren Lowe

Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission, the hard-working band led by ARIA award winning singer songwriter and former Weddings Parties Anything main man Mick Thomas, is headed our way as part of their All you Christmases tour.

In the tradition of ‘Weddings, Parties, Anything’, Mick will play a series of festive shows, this time on an extensive tour, including two shows in the region.

The band are fresh from recording a new album in Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios in Auckland with award-winning producer Steve Schram.

To help make the record, which will follow their 2023 ARIA Top 40 Coolin’ By Sounds record’s release Where Only Memory Can Find You, the band has announced a number of pre-order crowd funding packages.

Mick explained the decision to cross the Ditch: “It’s a really important thing for us to keep going forward each year and actually make new music and even though there’s been plenty out in the past few years, the origins of this album go way back to pre-Covid lockdown days when we had planned to go to America to make another album.”

Expect a selection of Mick’s recent solo material with the band featuring stalwarts Jen Anderson (fiddle), ‘Squeezebox Wally’ ( Mark Wallace on accordion), Brooke Taylor (vocals/guitar), Mark Foley (drums) and Ben Franz from The Waifs (bass).

They’ll be playing at the Bridge Hotel in Castlemaine on November 29 and Leavers in Creswick on December 1.

Leavers, Creswick live gigs coming up include:

Isobel Knight – Friday, November 23

Emily Lubitz and Tom Woodward – Friday, November 39

Mick Thomas – Sunday, December 1

Elly Mack and the Unbelievers – Friday, December 6

The Royal Highjinx – Saturday, December 7

Ben lee – Sunday, December 8

Known to quite a few as the ‘ukulele queen of the Bellarine, Sarah Carroll and her fabulous band The Big Fuss are headed to Creswick to launch her new album NQR&B next month. 

Already receiving heaps of critical acclaim, radio play and sales of the gorgeous fairy floss vinyl, the album features Carroll’s strongest songs to date with stellar performances from Fenn and George on drums and bass, and ace guitarists Shannon Bourne and Leigh Ivin.

Carroll and The Big Fuss, with special guest on the night, Stef Duzel, play Odessa At Leavers Hotel from 7pm on Saturday September 14.

with Darren Lowe

Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn
Saturday, April 1 – Ukulele Death Squad
The Ukulele Death Squad has grown bigger and better since its 2017 inception,
bringing a frenetic energy to the uke with their own flamenco, R&B and folk style.
Saturday, April 2 – Fanny Lumsden
ARIA Award, eight times Golden Guitar, AIR award winning Australian
artist Fanny Lumsden released her third studio album, Fallow, on Cooking Vinyl
Australia/Red Dirt Road Records, which took out Best Country Album at the 2020
ARIA Awards, and swept the field taking home five CMAA Golden Guitar Awards
including Album of the year, Female artist of the year, Single of the year Fierce, Video
clip of the year and Alt Country Album of the year.
Friday, April 7 – Reg Cole Quartet
The Reg Cole Quartet is an original jazz/soul/Latin outfit which formed in
the mid 90s while its members Zac, Sergio, George and Justin were all studying at
Melbourne University. They were regulars at venues like The Uptop, the Nightcat and
released a number of recordings. After a long hiatus the guys have recently re-formed
and are recording an album of new tunes which they’ll be performing alongside some
of their more popular pieces from the 90s.
Saturday, April 8 – The Rechords
A dynamic trio on stage, The Rechords demonstrate a passion for all things
Americana when it comes to the music they deliver, whether it be celebrating the
songs of artists who have influenced their journey or putting their all into the songs
they’ve created with the flavours of early country, rhythm & blues, rockabilly and alt
country.
Sunday, April 9, 2pm – CloudWine Music
CloudWine Music is an Australian acoustic duo consisting of Pri and Troy, two
musicians who have combined their talents to create a unique and soulful sound.
Their music is a blend of classics and modern hits, stripped back to their acoustic
roots and infused with their own unique style.

Odessa at Leavers Hotel, Creswick
Sunday, April 2 – Sunday Sesh – The Cartwheels (Dave & Wendy pictured)
Thursday, April 6 – Ernest Aines and Simon Phillips
Saturday, April 22 – Piano Wizard and owner birthday bash
Farmers Arms Hotel, Creswick
Sunday, April 2, 3pm – Lake Mist
Got a gig? Email news@tlnews.com.au