Perth Voice Interactive

THERE’S still time to catch the tail end of the Lyric Lane Jazz Festival in Maylands.

The three-day festival wraps up on Saturday with a great bill that has a little bit of everything.

Kicking off at 7pm is the Ray Walker Trio.

A veteran of countless sessions for TV and radio, Walker is a seasoned and versatile Perth guitarist who has enjoyed a 50 year career, playing with the WA Symphony Orchestra and guitar greats like Martin Taylor, Peter Leitch and John Pisano.

He’s also a fantastic educator and lectured in jazz guitar at WAAPA from 1984-2005, before moving into a part-time guest role.

Walker started playing guitar as a young boy in the late 1950s, trying to emulate the sound of Hank Marvin’s stratocaster in The Shadows, before diving into jazz via the popular book at the time – Mickey Baker’s Complete Course in Jazz Guitar.

Mostly self-taught with a great “ear”, there’s an originality and musicality to Walker’s phrasing and tone.

It’s probably a by-product of learning the old-school way, playing along to records and in bands, rather than going to a music college that sends you down a well-trodden path.

Some of his favourite albums include Django Reinhardt’s Djangology, Wes Montgomery’s Smokin’ at the Half Note and Pat Metheny’s Bright Size Life.

Following Walker on the bill is young Perth saxophonist Oliver Taylor, whose lyrical and breathy tone perfectly suits a small club.

He’s been a member of the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra since 2020 and last year was one of their “Composers in Residence”.

He’s been composing and arranging for jazz, contemporary and funk ensembles for the past seven years and is influenced by the Maria Schneider orchestra and impressionist pianists like Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. On the jazzer side of things he digs Jan Gabarak, Keith Jarrett and Ornette Coleman.

Taylor’s planning to do a master’s in music in Europe in the next few years, and is hoping to release his debut album soon.

A night out wouldn’t be complete without some fun dancing, so the folk at the Lyric Lane Jazz Festival have booked the Nueva Salsa Orchestra to close out the festival.

Combining high energy salsas, mambos, bombas and cha chas, the sprawling band has rollicking percussion, punchy brass, Latin piano and uplifting vocals.

Formed in 2011 by musical director and trumpet player Marty Pervan, they are one of the most entertaining Cuban and New York-style salsa bands in WA.

The last night of the Lyric Lane Jazz Festival is on today (Saturday August 24) at Lyric’s Underground, 22 Lyric Lane, Maylands from 7pm until late.

You can buy a night pass for all three bands or a ticket for an individual artist at lyricsunderground.oztix.com.au.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK