By Belinda Nolan
A LOCAL jazz band is setting out to prove that when it comes to music, West is best.
Hot on the heels of a recent tour that took in Canada, Italy and Japan, the group, Way Out West, has gained international recognition for its new album, Old Grooves For New Streets, which reached top of the jazz charts in Montreal.
Speaking from his Seddon studio, group member Peter Knight said that in forming the band he had drawn inspiration from the music scene in the West.
“There’s a most amazing amount of talent in the West,” he said. “Around me here there’s such an amazing blend of cultures, it’s really a melting pot and it just seems to make sense to explore those sounds and try to work it into what we do.”
The result is best described as world jazz, incorporating Vietnamese and African influences.
“It’s really about experimentation and trying to find ways of making music exciting and interesting.”
The 43-year-old trumpeter said despite more than 10 years’ experience in the music industry, he often got the jitters when performing live.
“It can be quite intimidating sometimes,” he said.
Mr Knight said that although the band had been playing as a group for seven years, all six members were artists in their own right.
“We’re all established professionals. We range in age from 28 to 50. Although we come together really well, we all have our own separate careers and I think that’s important.”
A Seddon resident of more than 10 years, Mr Knight described the recent tour as an amazing and unforgettable experience.
“It was incredible. We played some of the biggest festivals in those countries but we do really well in Australia, too,” he said.
“I think the release of our second album has really kicked the band into the next level and that’s led to a lot of interest. We’ve been getting five-star album reviews. It’s really been quite an amazing year.”
The journey is set to continue with two Australian tours booked over the next 12 months, after which the band will return to Japan.
Mr Knight said the next stop for the group was Europe, where he hoped to tour in the near future.
New Grooves For Old Streets is available at Village Idiom in Yarraville.
