In 2014, Tom Schnabel, host of US station KCRW’s world music and jazz-focused rhythm planet, wrote about his two great loves: jazz improvisation and surfing: “Just like two jazz solos are alike, no two waves are ever identical, and good surfers or jazz musicians find renewal and inspiration in the spirit of improvisation, trying new things, sometimes succeeding brilliantly, sometimes not. Both great surfers and jazz artists require years of practice to hone their athleticism and artistry, each with their own brilliance and personal style. They ‘surf the changes’, creating their own unique way of riding the changing face of a wave or chord changes.”

Schnabel’s weaving of these two momentary artistry strikes an immediate chord with Australian keyboardist and recreational surfer Freyja Garbett.

“The physical feeling while surfing is like playing. They challenge you in the same way. You put yourself in that zone where you can just let things happen and adapt to what happens.”

“When you’re surfing, every wave is different, you can’t plan your reaction,” says Garbett To the limelight. “Music can be like that too.”

Garbett will be showcasing his musical talents (with his Surfing Soundwaves collaborators Max Alduca and Tully Ryan) in a triple bill presented as part of the Sydney Improvised Music Association’s (SIMA) Jazz: NOW festival. The evening also features pianist Mike Nock and the new electro-acoustic quartet Believe – alto saxophonist Peter Farrar, pianist Novak Manojlovic, bassist Clayton Thomas and drummer Laurence Pike.

“Then no pressure!” Garbett laughs. “Here I am playing in a show with two of my favorite piano players. But I know I can rise to the occasion.”

Like surfing, musical improvisation is a game of confidence, he adds. “Each one can be quite scary when you start out. It’s been a journey for me in both activities, finding the confidence to let go.”

“It depends on practice and experience. I know now that I can somewhat manipulate what’s happening in the moment. That was a barrier for me. Now it feels natural and exciting. Now I know I’m going to make something interesting happen, whatever it is.”

Garbett uses a different genres in their music, including jazz, neo-soul, funk, fusion and reggae. While working as a session musician, composer and producer, he is also completing a Masters of Music (Performance) degree as part of a new Property in jazz scholarship program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He lives (and surfs) on the NSW South Coast, about 20 minutes north of Wollongong.

Jazz and surfing also have some less appealing aspects, notes Garbett. Both have some sexism ingrained in the culture.

“About 10 years ago, women couldn’t surf the biggest waves or go out in the best conditions because things were reserved for guys. But that has completely changed now. Women are competing and getting stronger all the time.”

Women in jazz face the same problems, says Garbett. “But if you don’t get the chance to strengthen yourself in the best conditions, you don’t improve or you run away from really difficult things. It is changing to some extent, but we have a long way to go.”

Believe’s Laurence Pike: “We are an act of faith, a total commitment.” Attached is a photo

Looking for lost time

Unlike Garbett, drummer Laurence Pike does not surf. Not a bit. “Although I never say never,” he laughs. “I could save it for a mid-life crisis.”

Like Garbett’s trio, Pike’s latest musical venture, Believe is focused on improvisation. “This is one of our first shows as a band and it already feels like we could go in many directions,” says Pike.

The name of the four songs sums up the method of operation, he explains. “It’s the mission and the name of the band. At the same time, the best and the worst we can come up with. We are an act of faith, a total commitment. There is something about the idea of ​​a lifelong pursuit, something professional.”

Believe was born as part of its members’ determination to improvise outside of traditional musical structures. “It’s really about being in the moment, and the further I go as a musician, the more important it is that freedom comes to me,” Pike explains, adding that this feels like an opportune moment to explore and pursue musical freedom.

“It feels like the world is experiencing the death of listening. The Internet is corrupting people’s sense of time. We live in an era when the idea of ​​freedom is being commercialized. I think that’s why a lot of musicians are more interested in finding that sense of freedom that’s taken away from other areas.

“The Internet as a distribution mechanism is antithetical to music,” Pike continues. “It flattens and compresses. It takes time. But one thing improvised music can do is expand it for us. This is where we should be in jazz—reacting to the environment and fighting for a space where we can connect listeners with a sense of timelessness, with music that’s not so tightly packed.”

Mike Nock, Surfing Soundwaves and Believe play the Great Club, Marrickville, Sydney, February 18 as a part SIMA’s Jazz: NOW summer festival.