In 2014, Dave Douglas came to Australia, to perform at the Adelaide Festival with John Zorn. This created the opportunity for Dave to spend time in Melbourne, to rehearse, perform and record his extended suite ‘Fabiaux’. He describes this music as “music for 16 musicians, in four groups of four, based on 14th century ars nova musical thinking.”

The select few who witnessed the concert at Monash University agreed that the music was something very special.

The group performing with Dave was the Monash Art Ensemble, based at the Sir Zelman Cowan School of Music at Monash University, and under the direction of Paul Grabowsky.

In several respects, this ensemble emulates the Australian Art Orchestra (which of course was founded by Paul; Grabowsky). It is a group for improvising musicians, which plays a good deal of notated music. It is intent on developing and performing new music, without undue concern for labels or stylistic boundaries. And its personnel (in this case, featuring student musicians, faculty members and other professional musicians) can vary with the repertoire.

The band has worked with other notable guests, like Django Bates, George Lewis, Mary Finsterer and Mark Helias.

Personnel TBA

This concert will mark the international launch of the recording of ‘Fabiaux’, on Greenleaf Music