MAGNIFY

MAGNIFY is a creative endeavour from Melbourne saxophonist Flora Carbo inspired by friendship, trust and the intersection between acoustic and electronic sound.

Flora Carbo – saxophone
Eitan Ritz – modular synthesis
Maddison Carter – drums
Isaac Gunnoo – bass

ARTHUR’s WALKS

Spending Melbourne’s COVID-19 isolation at home on Arthur St, ears filled with the recent discovery of the music of Arthur Russell, Flora Carbo found inspiration in recording music and walking.

Flora Carbo – alto saxophone, clarinet, guitar, violin, voice, recorder

Helen Svoboda – bass

Jacob Hiser – piano

Imogen Cygler – violin and voice

Ollie Cox – drums and percussion

Eva Sunny-Reyne – voice

Ollie Rolfe – piano

VOICE

VOICE came about through Flora’s Honours study at the University of Melbourne, obsessing over the sonic relationship between the alto saxophone and the human voice. Investigating the vocal expression of Malian musicians Oumou Sangaré and Mariam Bagayogo, Flora is developing her inspired improvisatory language. Alongside the unique voices of drummer Maddison Carter, bassist Isaac Gunnoo, vocalist Jenny Barnes and guitarist Adam Halliwell, guitarist Theo Carbo’s production shines with musicality.

AURA

‘Aura’ a quartet of 4 female jazz musicians, each an emerging name in Australian Jazz and Improvised Music present their debut recording as an ensemble.

The ensemble – consisting of Trumpeter Audrey Powne, alto saxophonist Flora Carbo, bassist Helen Svoboda and drummer Kyrie Anderson, met serendipitously in 2019 while attending the Banff Centre’s renowned Workshop in Jazz and Improvised music directed by masterful improvising musicians and composers Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey.

https://aurasaura.bandcamp.com/album/aura

FLORA CARBO TRIO

Melbourne based improvising musicians Flora Carbo, Maddison Carter and Isaac Gunnoo explore songs and originals composed by Flora, drawing inspiration from all aspects of her world. This ensemble has an uncanny musical rapport and unique style that is reflected through their joyous and wild music. ‘Erica’, the group’s debut album was released in August 2018.

AAALTO

THREE alto saxophonists generally don’t often get the chance to make music together.

Through improvisation, composition and interpretation AAALTO explores the sonic possibilities of this curiously organised yet highly musical group of individuals.

Flora Carbo – alto saxophone
Bernard Alexander – alto saxophone
Zac O’Connell – alto saxophone
Sam Anning – bass
Luke Andresen – drums

STRONG COTTON SOCKS

Strong Cotton Socks is a trio made up of James Macaulay on trombone, Flora Carbo on winds, and Merinda Dias-Jayasinha on vocals.

The band came together quite spontaneously and collaboratively. Inspired by Dias-Jayasinha’s performance at a late-night jam session at the Jazzlab following the Melbourne Jazz Festival, Macaulay sent her a sketch for a chorale. The following day Dias-Jayasinha responded with lyrics for it, prompting them to organise a jam and inviting mutual friend, Flora Carbo, along. It worked so well that Strong Cotton Socks was born, making their debut at the Jazzlab in early 2019.

Playing arrangements of original repertoire, Strong Cotton Socks collaborate to bring words and music together in a chamber-like setting with space to breathe, pause and to improvise. From through-composed arrangements of songs and shorter set pieces, to longer works featuring more improvisation, everyone contributed arrangements in a very natural, collaborative process.

https://strongcottonsocks.bandcamp.com/releases

THE REST IS SILENCE

Bringing together four of Melbourne’s most prodigious young jazz artists, The Rest is Silence’s debut album A Short Film, explores melodically driven compositions against a backdrop of indie-rock, country, and electronica. Featuring siblings Flora Carbo (alto saxophone) and Theo Carbo (guitar) alongside long-time friends Isaac Gunnoo (double bass) and Maddison Carter (drums), their music is a breath of fresh air, fearlessly moving between genres to create a soundtrack to the multiplicity of our modern lives.

The Rest is Silence is a collective, with all members contributing compositions and directing the ensemble sound. The two deeply connected halves of the quartet unite to create unique and trusting musical explorations. They are influenced by artists as diverse as Carlo Gesualdo, Bill Frisell, Leonard Cohen, Ornette Coleman, Elliott Carter and Igor Stravinsky, and studied at the VCA/University of Melbourne and the James Morrison Academy in jazz and composition.

Despite being relatively young, they have individually played with leading artists from a variety of genres including Andrea Keller, Maceo Parker, Harry Angus, Barney McAll, Christopher Hale, John Flanagan, Tamara Murphy, The Maes, Nat Bartsch and STAV. They also each lead their own ensembles, creating visionary art music in different combinations.

The result of this melting pot of experience and influence is an expansive, eclectic ensemble sound. The Rest is Silence explores the dark and the light, the gentle and heavy, the acoustic and the electronic. After numerous performances at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, the Jazzlab and the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, they are now celebrating the release of their debut album, A Short Film, in 2020.