Struck by Jazz! An Eclectic Evening with Hannah Macklin
I was blown away by Hannah Macklin’s live performance. “Thank you for bringing this new experience to my ears!” I told her after the show. Meanjin (Brisbane)- based artist Hannah Macklin (vocals, bass and keys) was joined by her band members, Brandon Mamata (guitar) and Sam Mitchell (drums). These sensational, respected musicians performed at The Presynct in Nambour on Friday, May 30th. The Presynct is the perfect, atmospheric, regional venue for live jazz. As a committed live music fan on the Sunshine Coast, I’m accustomed to hearing the same indie, modern-coastal pop cover songs or, ‘balls-to-the-wall’ heavy punk/rock music saturating the coast scene in almost every venue, all the time. How refreshing to experience the combination of sophisticated jazz, R&B/Soul, electronic and world music from this incredible, cosmopolitan and yet, also earthy trio.
A graduate of the QLD Conservatorium of Music, Hannah Macklin amazed me with her improvised vocal runs and soaring high notes she would passionately sustain, in just the right way. Song tempos were often fast and invigorating. Unconventional rhythms, with changing time signatures gave me “roller-coaster” thrills. I heard some ‘Hiatus Kaiyote’ influence, but Hannah has forged her own eclectic style. If you listen to Haitus Kaiyote and love their song ‘Red Room’, I highly recommend Hannah Macklin.
Hannah’s songs have impacting themes. She sings of the darkness of war, and our destruction of nature, inviting a stronger personal connection to god/universe/nature. She expresses feelings of trepidation, rage, seeking tranquility, discovering joy. With coherent precision, funky bass lines, oceanic drum rolls, Hannah and band get an audience’s heart racing. Heads nod in rhythm, feet tapping in time. The intimate, listening audience at The Presynct was mesmerised. A true artist, Hannah stretches the comfort zone of the average listener, taking them into unknown soundscapes.
I shared a couple recording clips from the night with Sunshine Coast and Brisbane prodigy, 18 year old drummer, Tosh Kachad, who is currently deeply immersed in the Manhattan Jazz scene, living and performing in New York City. After watching the clips, Tosh described Hannah Macklin’s sound: “It’s like post-Weather Report, funk-jazz fusion. I hear some Herbie Hancock, with Lionel Loueke in there, too.”
“Kookaburras remind us to laugh at the start of every day”, Hannah told us, announcing her song, ‘Kookaburra’. Balancing her academic path with music, Hannah has also sat with indigenous Australian elders, deepening her connection to the land. Her song ‘Drink the Sun’ was inspired by a poem called ‘Fire is burning’, written by late poet and activist Alice Eather. The language words are “Yúya Karrabúra” which is Ndjebbana language from Maningrida in the NT.
Hannah does not fear political confrontation. Her intense, directly impacting song, ‘Hudna / Ceasefire’, was written about the killing and destruction in Gaza. She told the audience she was lost for words about the devastation and ongoing tragic killing. ‘Lets sing a song’, she said, and dove straight into the music. There is a pulsing reminder of togetherness in her singing for unity. A brooding sense of rage seemed to draw from a deep well of grief, emerging in the form of a song prayer.
Unexpectedly, there was a playful, ‘punky’ love song in the band’s set. Hannah’s peculiarity is intentional. Her personal, cosmic dive into the Buddhist tradition and meditation, inspired a song called ‘Samadhi’, in reverence to being in a state of ‘no mind’.
Contrasting the heavier, darker themes, the buoyant lightness of some of Hannah Macklin’s songs reminded me of Alice Phoebe Lou’s song ‘Something Holy’.
Hannah Macklin’s band kept everyone on the edge of their seat. Her song ‘Clariti’, gave me goosebumps. Throughout the show, I was in awe of the epic, complex, sonic oceans sailed. The intimate audience at The Presynct was immersed and felt connected throughout the performance.
“They explored different time signatures and rhythmic changes, but all in service of the groove and flow of the song. The dissonant melodies and harmonies move into “cool jazz” grooves. This music is intentionally challenging to the listener. It pushes your concept of what music is meant to sound like, closer to the edge, and encourages expansion.” – Sunshine Coast event organiser/musician, Jay Bishoff, on Hannah Macklin.
Her gift is rare; she is someone to be heard world-wide. Hannah Macklin will be performing at the Osaka World Expo in July. Live-music fans of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, make sure you catch her appearance at the Brisbane Festival in September – you won’t regret it!
Visit Hannah’s website: https://hannahmacklin.art/
To listen directly to her music: https://hannahmacklin.bandcamp.com/album/mu
