Music
Press
Artist: Ilan
Venue: Wine Banq
Date: 17/06/05
The Wine Banq was indeed one packed house on the evening of ilan’s third gig in a month long residency at the inner city club. ilan, known to many as lead singer of Glass, has now turned his musical talents to performing his original work.
Backed by a band comprised of some of the hottest musicians on the Australian scene, for the first set, he brought his multi-linguistic ability, charisma and passionate approach to some of the bossa, gypsy, pop and world tunes that first inspired him to take up music as a full-time profession. Ilan glides through his repertoire with a kind of sophisticated ease. He has a way of demanding the attention of his listeners, whether they are up and dancing to an irresistibly rhythmic Cuban tune or sitting back and absorbing a soulful jazz standard.
The second set was dedicated to his original material. ilan’s tunes are striking for the diversity of influences that have obviously gone into shaping them. He launched into the second half of the night with a melancholic and Jeff Buckley-ish tune, based on an arresting rhythmic idea, powerfully delivered by drummer Hamish Stuart, percussionist Fabian Hevia and bassist Jonathan Zwartz. Then came an exotic gypsy / Euro-jazz influenced lilting ballad, based in some doleful minor harmonies, over which Ilan’s haunting tone captured that feeling of aching longing that characterises the gypsy feel. He took up his flute for the intro to the next piece, and was joined on stage by guest saxophonist Edouard Bronson, with whom, he announced, he co-wrote the tune. Then there was the infectious Latin piece, In the Evening Time, with which ilan managed to get the whole club dancing, followed by some laidback funky grooves, and a hard swinging, jazzy tune about a cadillac. The crowd noisily demanded an encore and were calmed down by a gentle samba, which Ilan sang in Spanish.
Ilan has a natural and engaging stage presence and an interesting, eclectic approach to song writing. He interprets his repertoire with subtlety and musicality and delivers his tunes with a directness and honesty of emotion. There are moments in which one feels he could let go a little more, but this is something that will certainly come with time.
*Ilan supports Gauche at The Basement, Friday July 8th with special guests Felix Bloxsom and Jackson Harrison - J.Crittenden-Drum Media
Discography
Glass, ilan's euro-gypsy-jazz band released "The Fool of Hearts" in 2004. It has had a lot of airplay on FBI, 2MBS, 2SER, and other independant Australian radio stations. It is an independant release.
ilan is going to release his originals album later this year.
Listen to some tracks to get a tasty hint of what 's coming.....
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
A good song has to have groove. It's got to move the listener emotionally and physically. ilan Kidron's music and voice has that power.
ilan has been writing songs since he was fourteen. He's been immersed in music since he was five and became a songster through high school and uni. His parents fed him anything from Deep Purple to Nat King Cole to traditional music from France and Brazil.
ilan has won awards with bands and as a composer for film. One of the short films he worked on (Inja) was nominated for an Oscar in 2003.
In 2001 he became obsessed with learning songs - Spanish, Portugese songs, French chanson, jazz... With his creative and innovative approach, vast range and ability to sing in four languages, ilan formed Euro-gypsy-jazz group Glass, through which he had the opportunity to meet many amazing players.
Now, ilan's main focus is the creation and performance of his original material. "There are many ways that I write songs" he explains "but the method is simple, either with my own faithful dictaphone or straight onto paper at the piano or guitar. There is so much to write about, I look directly into a story or into myself for a simple honest feeling, a gesture".
The last three years have seen ilan working at least a couple of nights a week, earning a strong, loyal fan base, selling out venues such as Wine Banq, The Vanguard, The Basement, Empire, Plan B, Gertrude and Alice Bookshop, Grand Pacific Blue Room, Industrie and more.
What sets ilan Kidron apart from other singer songwriters is the conscious blending of music from other cultures and good rock/pop. The sound hides somewhere deep within the dark sensual streets of Paris and Rio and the golden rocking beaches of Sydney.
You can contact ilan at ikid@bigpond.net.au or phone (61+2) 0400 987 001
Links
