Michael Moore altsax/klarinet | Eric Boeren cornet | Wolter Wierbos trombone | Greg Moore tuba | Michael Vatcher drums
Available Jelly 1977-2017
Fri 3 March 2017
Available Jelly celebrates its 40th anniversary: time for a party with this international group from Amsterdam featuring founding tuba player Gregg Moore. ‘Beautifully quirky’ (Downtown Music Gallery).
Available Jelly emerged from the Great Salt Lake Mime Troupe when this American group of clowns, dancers, mimes and musicians visited Amsterdam to perform. The musicians stayed on, and 40 years later the music sounds as fresh and playful as ever: compelling dance music, attractive ballads and jazzistic compositions by the band members, with lots of room for improvisation.
Founder and tuba player Gregg Moore, who had left the Netherlands 15 years ago, will return to the band especially for this anniversary. Currently the group consists of his brother Michael Moore on clarinet and alto saxophone, Eric Boeren on cornet, Wolter Wierbos on trombone and Michael Vatcher on percussion.
‘Rampantly eclectic’ (Downbeat).
‘There is something beautifully quirky about this music’ (Downtown Music Gallery).
‘The music is direct, attractive and accessible. Available Jelly moves between blues numbers, Ellington tunes, folk melodies and Moore’s compositional interest in the centuries-old technique of counterpoint. It’s simply great jazz played with immaculate precision and no small amount of passion’ (The Georgia Straight).
