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About

"Eerie eyes, the bleating bell, cracked as a tal,

wake him, a standing start.

Sunrise. Pink grapefruit bleeds through gauze.

Up with starlings chin otto clouds spun from yashmak.

He breathe, the boy-man, colour, chroming, a sneaky cephalopod.

Steps are earthbound, says the rib-jutting Jain, better fly,

Eyrie ears..."

- Paul Grabowsky, Artistic Director

"I was commissioned by the Monash Art Ensemble to compose this piece during my residency at the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Composers' House in 2015. Whilst there, I had flashes of an image... half man, half bird, with one large wing on its right side, dressed in business attire.

Following the abstract advice of this image, I decided to fuse the Greek God Zephyr with the mythical Phoenix to create a new beast; the Zephyrix. It's a hybrid creature which, for me, symbolises the bridging of tensions that occur between our mundane struggles and the evils of life, and the liberating creative expression of our true selves.

Zephyrix is the musical embodiment of that tension, encapsulating both the strain and release of this dichotomy. It seeks to explore the dialectic between struggle and serenity and illuminate the myriad of unseen colours, tones and potentials that are half within a new and ever-emerging mind (Metanoia).

The five birds of Alchemy and transformation have been invoked to summon the Zephyrix: Black Crow, White Swan, Peacock, Pelican and Phoenix. They are the sign posts that guide us on our journey toward true serenity and real happiness.

This is an anthem to the vision, virtue and irony that is the eternal nature of change."

- Barney McAll, composer

Track listing

1. Black Crow
2. White Swan
3. Peacock
4. Pelican
5. Zephyrix
6. Phoenix

Musicians

Paul Grabowsky, director

Barney McAll, piano, chucky, electronics and voice

Paul Williamson, trumpet

Eugene Ball, trumpet

Jordan Murray, trombone

Josh Bennier, trombone

Robert Burke, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet

Jonathan Cooper, tenor saxophone

Lachlan Davidson, flute

Mirko Guerrini, alto saxophone, clarinet

Estelita Rae, violin

Hugh Stuckey, guitar

Philip Rex, double bass

Matthias Schack-Arnott, percussion, vibraphone

Ray Pereira, percussion

Kieran Rafferty, drum kit

Credits

Commissioned and performed by the Monash Art Ensemble

Composed by Barney McAll

Directed by Paul Grabowsky

Recorded by Ross Cockle

Recording assistance by Ben Grayson and Matthew Webb

Mixed and Mastered by Ross Cockle and Barney McAll

Produced by Barney McAll

Production assistance by Paul Grabowsky and Megan Burslem

Recorded at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music in May, 2016.

Mixed and Mastered at Sing Sing Studios.

For their assistance in the creation and production of Zephyrix, the Monash Art Ensemble would like to thank the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and the jazz team at Monash University: Robert Burke, Paul Williamson and Jordan Murray, the Monash Academy of Performing Arts, Karl Willebrant, Ben Grayson, the Peggy Glanville-Hicks House, Jeremy Rose, Novak Manojlovic, Rick Milovanovic, the Vizard Foundation and the Robert Salzer Foundation.