Author: Jan Preston

It will be a huge change to play a concert at the Thirroul Railway Institute Hall at 2.30 pm next Sunday 13th August!

After these past 4 months of recording in my studio, I’m in trepidation that I will still remember how to do that. i.e. play and sing songs one after the other in front of an audience (a strange activity it now seems to me).

The concert is presented by the Illawarra Folk Club, and the hall is on the Thirroul train station platform at 14 Railway Parade, Thirroul.  It’s a unique environment and better still, has it’s own acoustic grand piano, so I’m excited about that.

Bookings for this concert may be made here.

Note : Sydneysiders, you can even make it a day trip and take the train to and from the show.

Moving forward, in early September we travel to Melbourne for 2 shows, at the Lomond Hotel in Brunswick on 9th followed by Hanging Rock, Woodend on the 10th, then back to Sydney on Sep 16^th at the Leichhardt Bowling Club.
And btw I’ve become obsessed with Barrelhouse, it’s my new discovery, and I’ll be playing some material I’ve written.

See you soon!

When 101 Music approached me to compose and perform 12 piano tracks in the boogie, blues, ragtime and barrelhouse style, my creative journey was wide open.

My daily routine consisted of the gym, then breakfast, after which my musical brain went into overdrive as I worked away all day. Much coffee was drunk, and many grooves in the wooden floor of my studio were made as I took breaks, walking up and down thinking, thinking……

I was bursting with various ideas and, over time, focussed the 12 tracks down according to style, tempo and key. I wanted a variety of fast and slow grooves, keys, melodies and, most of all, atmospheres and moods. Some of these pieces are playful, fun, uplifting and even humorous. Others are contemplative edging towards sadness.

For me there were 2 separate processes: firstly composing a great tune, and secondly capturing a magical performance that had momentum, groove and expressiveness.  I hope I’ve achieved both! 

So I now reluctantly leave Pianoland, although I will continue some recording for my new album.

What next? It’s a very strange feeling!

We’ll be returning to the concert platform on Sun August 13^th at the Thirroul Heritage Railway Institute, as part of the Illawarra Folk Club concert series.In September we travel to Melbourne (finally!) playing at the Lomond Hotel Brunswick on Sep 9th, Hanging Rock on Sep 10th, then back to Sydney for one night on Sep 16th at the Leichhardt Bowling Club. My glorious trio will be joined by the super glorious George Washingmachine, after which we clamber onto a plane to NZ for a month long tour of the North Island. All details will be on my website soon in “Live Shows”.

Gotta rush, going on a holiday away from my grand piano (sob!) for a few days.

I’m coming off the road for the longest time in a while and moving seriously and with great intent into a space I call PIANOLAND.

This is my precious private time when my grand piano and I spend all day (and sometimes all night) together discovering each other again. It’s like a new and intense relationship, but with someone you’ve known all your life.

The end result is to produce 12 solo piano tracks for a prestigious film soundtrack company in Sydney, who are generously commissioning me to compose and record this body of piano music. I’m anticipating the project to take me from the concert stage for at least a few months, and I’m very ready for this next phase of prioritising and exercising my creative musical brain. (The motor, visual and auditory cortices all at once evidently!)

This is where I shall be through the winter months until, in spring, I will put on my boogie boots and bling again, a piano-playing chrysalis emerging into the stagelights.

I’ve never been chosen for such a large project before, and I’m rather in trepidation that I’ll be up to the job. 

Wish me luck friends!

What a wonderful time we had at the National Folk Festival over Easter! It really is a fabulous event, and huge thanks to Festival Director Graham MacDonald for giving us this opportunity and such a prominent billing amongst over 200 artists. 

Our Saturday concert to over 1000 people on the Budawang Stage will remain a highlight of my career. A wonderful audience, excellent sound and lights, and a band that boogied due to Craig Renneberg on acoustic bass and Mike Pullman on drums, plus our special guest Carolyn “Pine Cone” Packer joining me on the piano for a 4 hander. The roof came off at that point for sure!

Yet to have such a large crowd listening in silence to my composition for the soundtrack of my sister Gaylene Preston’s film “Home By Christmas” was also magical.

Thank you to all who came to our 3 shows and also voted us into the final of the Elton John Song Competition. Our version of Crocodile Rock did exactly that….it rocked! We were terribly disappointed to not be able to perform in the final due to a programming clash with my Piano Boogie Workshop.

Still, I did so love being Elton Jan for a moment!

Huge thanks to all who came along to our show at the Leichhardt Bowling Club last Saturday.

Such a large and buzzy audience really got us going!
Mike and I absolutely loved playing with Franz Batmilk on double bass (what a performer) and the hugely talented fiddle player George Washingmachine.
It went off, as they say.

People have also been asking me when we’re going back to NZ and the answer is very soon!
From February 23^rd, we’re playing 12 shows in the South Island.

We start in Mapua, then on to Granity and Christchurch, followed by Timaru, Akaroa, Darfield, Greymouth, Ashburton, Rangiora, Picton and finally Nelson.

Mike and I are excited to be joined by the fabulous singer and double bassist Dave Coleclough.

My Kiwi accent could do with some reinforcement!

After a long and blissful time at home in Sydney, Mike and I are looking forward to getting on the road to play 7 concerts in NZ; Auckland, Dargaville, Whangarei, Bay of Islands Jazz/Blues Festival, Takapuna and finally Wellington. 

These concerts will contain my favourite songs and instrumentals in a “Showcase” performance. 

Over the past 2 years with lockdowns and cancellations due to covid and border closures, I’ve had time to write new music, but also to reflect on my repertoire, rework some material, and bring out songs and instrumentals I haven’t performed in years. With the perspective of time and distance I have been able to hear my music anew, and I’m excited to be expanding my singing and playing!

I am working on a special collaborative show with actor/writer/comedian ALAN GLOVER called JUMP MUSIC and JIVE TALK. Alan is a master wordsmith, hilarious comedian, who also sings and blows a mean harmonica. We are feverously rehearsing, too many ideas springing forth, (it’s like that hanging out with Alan) discovering elements of piano music, poetry, blues, comedy and some film music.

Keep warm guys, c u soon!

Jan

On Sunday 5th June, we held a special event in Sydney – a Benefit Concert event for Ukraine.

We put on a show as a fund-raiser, with many local businesses making generous donations of their goods and services for auction.  Mic Conway did his exceptional best as Compere Extraordinaire, as well as performing his Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band 1974 hit “Wangaratta Wahine” with the band!

We raised $3700 which has gone to CARE Australia’s UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS APPEAL, so huge thanks to everyone who came along to the North Annandale Hotel on Sunday! There was an amazing buzz in the room, made special by the performance of 5 Ukrainian musicians, 2 of whom are recent refugees.

 

 

We are so looking forward to travelling down to Victoria at last, renewing my contact with the MBAS (Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society) and the wonderful Phil Manning.

Phil is not only one of my absolute favourite players and songwriters, but also a good mate. There’s a little known fact (as he keeps reminding me) that he studied classical piano in his youth in Tasmania, but of course he is better known as the founder member of Australia’s iconic blues band “Chain.” 

The MBAS has invited Phil and me to headline a day long festival on Sunday May 1^st and Phil and I are intending to play more concerts together this year, so watch this space.

Over that weekend we’re also playing 2 other shows and these are unique venues we haven’t visited before. The first is on an island believe it or not, and the 2^nd in the concert room of a gallery specialising in archival Indian architecture. 

Interesting…..!

We will stoke up the fires of boogie and blues down South once more : hope to see you there!

All the best,

Jan