DIANE PETERS: Archaeopteryx
This highly original group recorded a session, for Jim McLeod’s Jazztrack program on ABC Radio for national airplay, which evolved into the CD, Diane Peters’ Archaeopteryx. The CD consists predominately of compositions by harpist Diane Peters and was recorded at ABC & Newmarket Studios in Melbourne.
Diane Peters, Australian jazz harpist and composer, inspired by early non-classical harpists such as Dorothy Ashby, Alice Coltrane and Andreas Vollenweider, diverted her classical studies, to the world of Jazz and Composition. She is the first harpist in Australia to complete the Victorian College of the Arts JAZZ and IMPROVISATION performance degree. The group Archaeopteryx all came out of the VCA, played in Melbourne for several years and toured in Europe. Diane studied with Huw Jones, Marshall Mc Guire, Ben Robinson, Tim Stevens, and Johanna Selleck to name a few. Influenced by Australian musicians Mark Simmonds, Chris Abrahams (The Nex), Paul Grabowsky (AAO). Studied in New York with Park Stickney, happy to also meet the mythical Daphney Hellman, and sad not to have ever met Alice Coltrane, one of her greatest influences.
Diane is now playing and recording with musicians in Italy where she lives, Australia + Europe. Groups include the duos: cafeAmaro with apo (tech) (Andrea Ponzoni), Stefano Benini, Maria Vicentini. Diane has recorded for Nicola Conte (blue note). With her project Harp and bass on tour has played with Yuri Goloubev, Antonella Mazza, Bruno Rousselet, and in Australia will appear with Lydon Gray, and Nick Haywood. The Archaeopteryx CD, represents a bold opening statement for the harp in jazz, which Diane continues to explore in the same vein with her compositions and harp and bass project.
Archaeopteryx Features:
Diane Peters // Harpist
Mark Shepherd // Double Bass
Rajiv Jayaweera // Drums
James Wilkinson // Trombone
Ben Carr // Saxophone
Archaeopteryx is available now.
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