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Eugene Ball (trumpet), Ben Hanlon (double bass), and Anthony Schulz (piano accordion) are the imaginatively titled Ball Hanlon Schulz. This Australian trio refer to their music as existing somewhere between folk, early jazz, and classical music, which is tied together with elements of improvisation, though also composition. They have just released their second album Flourish, following their 2021 release Land of If. As you can hear on the piece above, ‘A Courtly Wonderland’, the unique combination of instruments makes this sound like nothing else, the absence of percussion affording the players the opportunity to create space and adjust the tempo at will. It feels both free, yet also immersed in its own world.
This is what they have to say about it:
“We’re super proud of the album and feel that it reflects the development of the ensemble over the last few years. There are elements of jazz and free improvisation for sure, but the music is highly composed, and sits in the contemporary chamber music world just as happily.”
Flourish is out now. You can find it here. They’re launching the album on Monday October 11 at Izakaya by Tamura (343 Smith St, Fitzroy). You can find more details here.
