The band’s leader, the saxophonist Paul Cutlan, is a more-than-competent composer, but an outstanding selector of other people’s songs, generally choosing works from outside the standard repertoire which deserve to be aired at least as much as many more hackneyed numbers. …This piece also showed just how sophisticated, inventive and melodic the leader could be…” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, August 12, 1996 Active Ingredients Strawberry Hills Hotel …he unleashed some gloriously low, dirty, growling tenor; clearly the mark of a man at home improvising over strange time signatures and stranger stringed instruments
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The band’s leader, the saxophonist Paul Cutlan, is a more-than-competent composer, but an outstanding selector of other people’s songs, generally choosing works from outside the standard repertoire which deserve to be aired at least as much as many more hackneyed numbers. …This piece also showed just how sophisticated, inventive and melodic the leader could be…” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, August 12, 1996 Active Ingredients Strawberry Hills Hotel …he unleashed some gloriously low, dirty, growling tenor; clearly the mark of a man at home improvising over strange time signatures and stranger stringed instruments. John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, April 4 1997 Mara! Strawberry Hills Hotel …This was played by Cutlan on tenor with a guileless tenderness added to the warmth he exhibited elsewhere. John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, July 28 1998 Paul Cutlan’s Coltrane Project, Harbourside Brasserie “soprano saxophone…played by Paul Cutlan, who attains one of the most softly burnished sounds on it you will hear.: “This time on tenor, he swooped through the range of the horn, the low notes pulsing with a warm vibrato and the high ones wailing with echoes of both despair and hilarity.” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 23 May Side On Cafe “Paul Cutlan’s typically stunning melodic invention on bass clarinet ran from shrill trills to evil growls…” “Cutlan’s soprano interludes a frenzy of colour and light” John Shand, Sydney morning Herald, Feb 22, 2001 Harbourside Brasserie “Cutlan’s soprano sax is a dervish frenzy of melody on Llew’s thrilling Eyes Like Berries. Then his clarinet, an especially evocative texture in this music, slinks to the fore on Robson’s silken Alessandria…” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 21-22 April, 2001 Mara! Live in Europe CD review “….Cutlan’s tenor producing narrative of thrilling twists and turns….” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 17-3-2001 Canticle, Paddington Uniting Church “Having seen the initial gig of this outfit I can safely say they provided one of my most vivid and memorable musical experiences. The sound Paul'’ band generated was overwhelming in both its emotional intensity and physical power... You should definitely see this outfit at least once in your life.” Craig Pearce, Drum Media, May 2001 Coltrane Project publicity “…Paul Cutlan’s ‘Grassboy’ was ripe with wit,…….Cutlan was flashing with mercurial ideas…..his bass clarinet mischievous….. John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 5-8-2002 “Cutlan's bass clarinet showed off its kaleidoscope of tonal colours on Por Ali Paso Un Cavallero, with its lugubrious bottom, sleek, dark middle and sprightly top. Above that was a register of heartbreak, and when he slid back down the horn it was not so much a release as an affirmation of the intensity.” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald, 21-11-03 “…a jazzier rampage, celebrated by Cutlan’s piping and absurdly happy Eb sopranino clarinet…” John Shand, SIMA website review, 2-8-06 http://www.sima.org.au/2006/08/02/gest-8-at-the-sound-lounge-july-21 Another highlight was a Middle Eastern-flavoured piece that glistened with the glorious tone of Greening's pocket trumpet; was shaded by Daley's accordion and featured one of the night's best solos, by Paul Cutlan on bass clarinet. Despite the fire-in-the-hearth glow of Cutlan's tone, the solo bristled with surprise and visceral barbs, while deftly interacting with the slippery team of Brett Hirst (bass), Hamish Stuart (drums) and Fabian Hevia (percussion). GREENING FROM EAR TO EAR
Sound Lounge, May 12
Reviewed by John Shand Blisteringly good, Cutlan held the improvisations together with deep, smooth melody lines against Brien’s guitar. Swapping mainly between alto saxophone and bass clarinet, both were heroes. Though for mine, the evening proved what a star the clarinet can be. In Cutlan’s hands its rich, haunting movements, smooth melodies, winter colour and spring time sunsets ran smooth. Arne Sjostedt http://australianjazz.net/2011/09/review-sydney-jazz-trio-6- september-2011/ “...an important concert for our time.” “Unhurried drama and juxtaposition of tone colours were effective and genuine in this work.” “This was a unique event with music played by accomplished and versatile musicians. It was a progressive and successful collaboration. Paul Cutlan’s very contemporary compositions and creative concepts brought broad minded hope for the future of Australian music – scored or otherwise.” Cutloose meets The NOISE By Paul Nolan artsHub | Monday, August 13, 2012 “... Times Past ... was immediately engaging, double bass-propelled (including some ravishing glides), the baritonal bass clarinet soaring over string quartet moodiness.” “A very satisfying concert, above all in its assaying of semi-structured improvisation by virtuosic musicians working as a confident ensemble.” freedom & structure keith gallasch: cutloose meets the noise RealTime issue #111 Oct-Nov 2012 pg. 49 “A highlight was Cutlan's bass clarinet on Daley's Bungarribee Road: a welter of cries and moans that sounded like all the hounds of hell had scented blood.” SMH 13 April 2014, John Shand Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/bungarribee-versatile- players-cover-the-bases-20140413-36l2i.html#ixzz2ylhhbUd0 In marked contrast, Paul Cutlan’s Merge/Emerge uses a compendium of tonal/chromatic harmonic and melodic ideas and standard melody/accompaniment textures of the classical string quartet repertoire. Cutlan’s background as a jazz musician shines through in some sections of the work. He organises his improvisational elements within strict metrical frameworks, using limited tone sets to maintain tonal coherence. [The Noise String Quartet (Veronique Serret, Mirabai Peart, James Eccles, Oliver Miller) Comprovisation, Improvisation, New Music Vexations 840-1301 Reviewed by Michael Hannan, July 1st, 2014] Multi-instrumentalist Paul Cutlan has always had a spiritual halo around his music. Whether playing 17/8 Balkan skirls with MARA!, Dolphy bop with Ten Part Invention or in simpatico duet with fellow saxophonist Andrew Robson, Cutlan’s approach to playing has always surprised, elevated and talked in tongues. There is much magic to Across the Top, and much depth. Paul Cutlan has produced a work that is entirely of its own world, taking much that is good from a range of genres and influences – and, like any worthwhile artwork, life itself – and filtering it through his own unique vision. John Hardaker http://australianjazz.net/2015/06/paul-cutlan/ Ah, Paul Cutlan, that national treasure; he never lets any of us down. His bass clarinet feature over the top of the humid colours of the Mayhem band’s ‘Bess, You is My Woman Now’ is a thing of wonder – aching, arching, questioning, almost-answering, laughing, sobbing. John Hardaker http://australianjazz.net/2016/04/review-sonic-mayhem-orchestra- live-mayhem/
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