Jonathan Zwartz

Jonathan Peter Zwartz is an award-winning New Zealand-born, Australian-based jazz musician. In the 2018 ARIA Music Awards, he won the Best Jazz Album category for his third album, Animarum, released in 2018.

Jonathan Zwartz
Birth nameJonathan Peter Zwartz
BornNew Zealand
OriginAuckland, New Zealand
Genres
  • Pop
  • jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instruments
Years active1981–present
Labels
  • Independent/The Planet Company
  • independent/MGM
Associated actsThe Crocodiles
Websitejonathanzwartz.com

Early life

Zwartz was born in New Zealand.[1]

Career

1980s

Jonathan Zwartz joined New Zealand pop band, the Crocodiles, on bass guitar, alongside Tony Backhouse on piano, Jenny Morris on lead vocals, Rick Morris (her brother) on guitar, and Barton Price on drums.[2][3][4] The group were based in Auckland and performed at Sweetwaters 1981 in January before they relocated to Sydney in the following month.[2][4] In July of that year Morris left to start her solo career,[2][3][4] the remaining members had recorded a single, "Hello Girl", with vocals by Rick but they disbanded soon after.[4]

Late in 1981 Zwartz and Backhouse formed the Vulgar Beatmen with Peter Boyd and Mike Gubb (both ex-Rough Justice). He became a session musician. Zwartz and Backhouse also joined ex-the Crocodiles member, Fane Flaws' project I Am Joe's Music, which issued a self-titled album in 1983.[5] Other former members of the Crocodiles with contributions were Jenny Morris, Arthur Baysting and Peter Dasent.[5] A single, "Life in Asia", was issued by the group in August, which Woroni's reviewer described, "Life on Coota beach perhaps. Complete with self styled poseuring, hip singing and New Zealand brand of paranoia. Basic and forgettable shit."[6]

1990s

In 1991 Zwartz, on bass guitar, joined the Bernie McGann Trio, a Sydney-based jazz group, with McGann on saxophone and John Pochee on drums.[7] McGann eschewed piano and explained, "You tend to think that because there's no piano in the group, you're restricted to just playing some songs. But I think you can play anything at all, and it's a very open sort of group which when it works, works extremely well indeed."[7]

In 1992, Zwartz was a member of Bobby Gebert's trio, alongside Gebert on piano and Andrew Dickson on drums, which backed visiting English saxophonist, Ronnie Scott, in a performance in Canberra.[8] Michael Foster of The Canberra Times wrote, "Wherever Scott went [the trio] were right with him, seemingly not needing the charts which Scott supplied. Their confidence was impressive, and justified."[8]

Zwartz played double bass as a member of the Umbrellas, a Sydney jazz ensemble, with Dasent on piano, organ and accordion, Mark Bruwel on oboe, James Greening on trombone, Toby Hall on drums and Tim Hopkins on tenor saxophone.[9] The Umbrellas recorded an album, Soundtrack to the Passing Parade (August 1993).[9]

Zwartz worked in Vince Jones' backing band in November 1993, with Jones on trumpet and vocals, Hopkins on tenor saxophone, Peter Jones (no relation) on drums, Barney McAll on piano, and Ray Pereira on percussion.[10] Once more the performance was well-received by Foster.[10]

2000s

In 2000 he co-produced a ten-episode jazz music series, Pulse, for ABC-TV.[11]

In 2009 Zwartz issued his debut solo album, The Sea.[12]

2010s

His next album, four years later, The Remembering & Forgetting of the Air (July 2013), was described by John Shand of The Sydney Morning Herald, as "...ambient in intent (although it could be used that way). But it has a deep peacefulness and a simple beauty carrying an implicit hint of ineffable sadness... [with] carefully layered production creates three-dimensional sound images...".[13]

Zwartz third solo album, Animarum (February 2018), was feature album of the week on ABC Jazz, with their reviewer opining, "yet another smörgåsbord of intricate compositions, woven together... Each piece is unique, drawing on a plethora of musical influences from all over – yet they are also sequenced together to create a truly engrossing musical experience."[14] It peaked at No. 15 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums chart,[15]

In June 2018 he led a performance of Animarum at the Sydney Con International Jazz Festival, which was well reviewed by 'The South Sydney Herald.[16]

Awards

In 2010, Zwartz won two categories at the Australian Jazz Bell Awards: Best Australian Jazz Ensemble and Best Australian Jazz Song, for the title track of his debut solo album, The Sea.[12]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2013, Zwartz was nominated for an ARIA in the Best Jazz Album category for his second solo album, The Remembering & Forgetting of the Air (July 2013).[17][18][19]

In the 2018 ARIA Awards, he won the Best Jazz Album for Animarum (released February 2018), his third album.[20][21]

Zwarts won the Best Independent Jazz Album category for Animarum in the 2019 AIR Independent Music Awards.[22]

Discography
  • The Sea (2009) – Independent
  • The Remembering & Forgetting of the Air (29 July 2013) – Independent/The Planet Company (PDS 713757419727)
  • Animarum (February 2018) – Independent/MGM Distribution[23][24] (JZ003) AUS Jazz & Blues: No. 15[15]
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References
  1. "'Animarum' Jonathan Zwartz", ABC Jazz, 16 February 2018
  2. Sergent, Bruce. "Crocodiles". Bruce Sergent. Retrieved 27 December 2018. Note: name given as Jonathon Swartz
  3. McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Jenny Morris'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 9 August 2004. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  4. Bollinger, Nick (1 November 2013). "The Crocodiles – Person". AudioCulture. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. I Am Joe's Music (liner notes). I Am Joe's Music (musical group). Mushroom Records. 1983. L 38037.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. "Under Current: I Am Joe's Music 'Life in Asia' Mushroom". Woroni. 35 (9). 8 August 1983. p. 12. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. Lamberton, Hugh (14 November 1991). "Good Times: Electrifying Sounds from Master McGann". The Canberra Times. 66 (20, 669). p. 19. Retrieved 26 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. Foster, Michael (30 January 1992). "Youthful vigour from sax 'great'". The Canberra Times. 66 (20, 745). p. 14. Retrieved 26 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Red Onions are back with distinctive flair". The Canberra Times. 67 (21, 313). 29 August 1993. p. 29. Retrieved 26 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. Foster, Michael (18 November 1993). "All That Jazz: Asmara's PNG sounds". The Canberra Times. 68 (21, 401). p. 2. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Jonathan Zwartz : Represented Artist Profile". Australian Music Centre. May 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  12. "The Australian Jazz Bell Awards 2010". The Australian Jazz Bell Awards Limited. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  13. Shand, John (1 June 2013). "Three-dimensional sound a breath of fresh air". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  14. "'Animarum' Jonathan Zwartz – Feature Albums – Jazz". ABC Jazz (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 16 February 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  15. Wallace, Ian (19 February 2018). "Week Commencing ~ 19th February 2018 ~ Issue #1460" (PDF). The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) (1460): 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  16. Robinson, Heather (5 July 2018). "Music – Animarum". The South Sydney Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  17. Paget, Clive (3 October 2013), "Dickson, Hansen, Sheldon and Whitwell to slug it out at ARIAS", Limelight Magazine
  18. "ARIA Noms + Fine Arts & Artisan Winners". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 14 October 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  19. "2013 ARIA Awards Winners By Year". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  20. Harmon, Steph (10 October 2018). "Aria awards 2018: Amy Shark and Courtney Barnett lead nominations". the Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  21. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) (11 October 2018). "2018 ARIA Award Nominees Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  22. "AIR Awards:2019 AIR Awards Winners Announced!". AIM. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  23. Shand, John (10 April 2018), "Music reviews: Gurrumul, Hop Along, Jonathan Zwartz, City Calm Down", The Sydney Morning Herald
  24. "Review: Zwartz, Calexico, Segall, Emmanuel, Joyce, White", The Australian, 3 February 2018
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