Album Review: The TJ Collective - It's My Right To Be Wrong

Adelaide’s own Terry Jones carries on the tradition of many famous crooners on his latest release, It’s My Right To Be Wrong, under the moniker of The TJ Collective. The Collective is formed by a number of well-known and applied South Australian musicians, all supremely disciplined in the style of music that Jones produces. This is made even more enhanced by the fact that these songs are all written by Jones, yet are almost wholly played by the Collective, aside from Jones himself appearing on saxophone throughout the album.

The album itself is a trip through memory lane, covering styles that range from soul and funk to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. There is even time for some serious scatting work on Soul Provider, another sign of the smooth songwriting that makes this album a success. Possibly Jones’ greatest asset is his ability to cover such a wide range of genres without losing the sound of the collective altogether. April Berry’s vocal performance Once In A Lifetime is simply outstanding, and is something that needs to be heard to be completely appreciated. Two of the more interesting tracks come later in the album in Paris 1967 and Cleopatra. The latter combines slower, marimba rhythms with minimal instrumentation and backing atmospherics, while the former, probably the album’s greatest moment, is a real hark back to, well, 1967 Paris. The horns on this track are simply sublime, as a French narrative floats along effortlessly across a myriad of light rhythms that really encapsulate a classic jazz sound. To be completely honest, it is a track that would come along once in a lifetime, and outdoes many acts in a similar vein attempting these older styles of music in recent years.

If you want to hear jazz/swing/soul/funk/rock/everything played by professional musicians, be sure to grab a copy of It’s My Right To Be Wrong. It is ultimately the professionalism in the production and musicianship that makes this a fun, entertaining album to listen to. Terry is sure to be spruiking these new tracks at a venue near you in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep your eye out for a gig or two and get along to see these great musicians show their wares in the flesh.

• Check out Terry's website for more information.

Album Review: Fred Smith - Dust of Uruzgan

On most occasions, songs about the trials and tribulations of war can be particularly confronting, especially if you have some relation to a military serviceperson. However, our relationship with those in warzones can often become detached, as we hear little about the work that is done by our soldiers in certain areas of the world. Their stories need to be told, they need to be understood, and this is where Fred Smith comes in.

Fred Smith is no stranger to warzones, having been deployed to places like Bougainville, The Pacific Islands and South America, whilst also working and living in the United States, Iraq and Afghanistan at various stages over the past ten years. Dust of Uruzgan is Smith’s fifth full length album and largely follows on from his previous work in a stylistic sense. For those who are uninitiated, Smith’s lyrics and succinct poetic brilliance provide the real spark for each of his songs, often fronting musical compositions that bear a great resemblance to classic Australian songwriters like John Williamson and John Schumann. His lyricism is easily relatable, and like his songwriting counterparts, Smith provides many snapshots into the lives of those he’s seen or had some kind of relationship with, using his fragile and honest voice to communicate their tales across to the listener.

Dust of Uruzgan focuses largely on Smith’s experiences in the Uruzgan Province of Afghanistan, an area of the country heavily populated by Australian soldiers since the Afghan War begun. Australia’s presence in the region mainly focuses on the training of Afghan soldiers and armies with the overall outcome being the ability of these soldiers to fight independently against rebel Taliban soldiers without the influence of Western forces. Smith provides many accounts on Dust of Uruzgan which go a long way to summing up the feeling of those working in the harsh conditions of war. Sapper’s Lullaby is possibly the most well-written and outstanding song on the album; it depicts the death of Sappers Darren Smith and Jacob “Snowy” Moerland who were killed in landmine accidents in the line of battle. The more you listen to this song, the more you begin to appreciate the outstanding work that our soldiers do for country, and when Smith sings the line “all good things must die” a range of emotions are triggered, not the least pride, helplessness, and overwhelming resentment knowing these men passed away long before their time. It is a true representation of modern wartime and one that will surely stand the test of time through the ages.

On the flipside, Smith also provides more upbeat accounts of life in the firing line, with resounding sentiments of mateship and camaraderie evident on tracks like Niet Swaffelen Op De Dixie, Zeebrugge FOB and Taliban Fighting Man. All of these demonstrate, in differing ways, the friendships made between soldiers of Western countries, and the idea that anyone on your side is immediately your mate. Woman In A War shows another more heartfelt side to Smith’s songwriting, combining with songwriting partner Liz Frencham to display another side to war that juxtaposes its often tough elements we are generally familiar with.

Musically, this is another step-up from Smith’s previous work, with styles varying from traditional folk, bluegrass and Dixieland sounds to more acoustic, low-key compositions that clearly sum-up the differing emotions felt within a warzone. Dust of Uruzgan presents a contemporary Australian take on many traditional themes, inviting a new audience into the current wartime situation, whilst never forgetting the roots left by previous battles and successful Australian songwriters. Smith is destined to become one of Australia’s truly great folk songwriters, and amidst a time of great commercialism in music, it is pleasant to come across such a refreshingly honest record that perfectly portrays the stories of Australian soldiers presently doing us proud in various parts of the world.

• Fred Smith is in the middle of an Adelaide tour that takes in the SA Folk Centre at George St Thebarton this Saturday night, tickets are $20 at the door, with doors at 7.30pm.