Andy Gander 4tet is a virtuosic group of first-call Sydney players each of whom is a key member of the modern Australian jazz elite. 

The group works in largely odd-meter grooves based in jazz, Afro-Cuban and funk idioms, combining this with polymetric improvisational interplay and free-form improvisation as well as hard-grooving traditional approaches to the music. 

The selections are Andy Gander originals as well as original arrangements of standard repertoire tunes, all designed as vehicles for exploration of the group's rhythmic interactive processes featuring all four members as strong soloists and ensemble players.

This will be an exceptional night of music by one of Australia's finest drummers.

"In a Festival line-up luminescent with musical wonders, I can unreservedly say the Andrew Gander Band was the highlight for me – and I am sure many there would agree. His five-piece group hit their jaw-dropping stride from the first note and ascended from there. I had already seen each of Gander’s sidemen in other Festival groups but playing with Gander seemed to push each of them into the deeper reaches of their own musical universe. Tenor player Richard Maegraith seemed particularly inspired, blowing hard into the white-hot areas of his horn’s capabilties. (My friend, CC – who knows about such things – said after one of Maegraith’s solos ‘I could see his aura and light flashing off him!’) Bassist Brett Hirst twinned with Gander through all of the music’s twists and turns almost preternaturally. Steve Barry would smartly sit out during guitarist Carl Morgan’s solos, allowing the drum-bass-guitar trio to stretch the harmonies and rhythms into new fluid shapes. The Gander originals such as ‘Retrograde’ (with one of those sizzling rock feels that Billy Cobham does so well) and the 5/4 roller coaster ride of ‘Prism’ were just eaten alive by the band, who also managed great takes on radically reshaped standards such as ‘Star Eyes’ and Dizzy’s ‘Con Alma’."

Listen to Andy Gander play here:

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