TIM WILLIS & THE END: Night & Day
Following on from his two previous acclaimed releases comes Night & Day, a new album from Tim Willis and his ensemble, The End. The Music on this new album represents an exciting new chapter for Willis and his band. The End has expanded from five to eight members (with the addition of a second guitar, a piano and a trumpet) and the music itself embodies an exploration of new musical possibilities, successfully blending the genres of jazz, post-rock and minimalism.
The first six pieces form the Night & Day Suite and were written for the PBS106.7 Young Elder of Jazz Commission which was premiered at the 2013 Melbourne International Jazz Festival to a sold out audience. This suite explores different emotional stages in overcoming grief and adversity, opening with the nightmarish piece Night and closing with the more optimistic piece Day. All the pieces on the album present themselves as excellent vehicles for both solo and group improvisation. The group improvisations draw on influences from John Adams, Phillip Glass, Steve Reich and Australia’s own, The Necks to create unique minimalist musical explorations.
This band has performed shows all over Australia, has toured Europe and over the past six years it has become a major creative force in the Melbourne jazz scene. A major highlight for the band was supporting the Grammy nominated group Kneebody in 2013. More recently, a personal highlight for Willis was the birth of his first child Lucie, whom Willis cites as being a source of infinite inspiration.
Night & Day is available now.