Julien Wilson Trio
Julien Wilson – tenor saxophone
Stephen Magnusson –guitar
Stephen Grant – piano accordion
Listen to the Julien Wilson Trio at
www.julienwilson.com
With their contemporary yet timeless music,
this lyrical Melbourne trio creates a special,
intimate magic. Their gentle yet passionate
music has a broad emotional scope and is
full of haunting nostalgia.
The Julien Wilson Trio was formed in 2004, out of the embers of the assumptions trio. Wilson and
Magnusson have worked together for fifteen years with a variety of bands. Before assumptions
(with drummer Will Guthrie) they co-lead the multi-national Swiss based band, Snag, who
released two CD’s, and toured Australia and Europe twice. Other collaborations include
performances and recordings with Festa, Mike Nock, Jim Black, Andy Milne, Josh Roseman,
Hugh Masekela, Archie Roach, Paul Grabowsky, the Australian Art Orchestra and Barney McAll.
Known to live on the edge in other contexts, the trio with Stephen Grant allows them to embrace
their more lyrical inclinations. The combination of accordion and nylon string guitar, conjures
images of South American and European folk musics, but their original music, written specifically
for the trio, comes from the jazz tradition. They are featured on the albums while you were
sleeping (2006) and Trio-Live (2007) both available on Sound Vault Records, CDBaby & iTunes.
They have performed at the Sydney Opera House and Berlin Jazz Festival, as well as at festivals
in Jakarta, New Zealand, Wangaratta, York and Queenscliff. In 2006 they undertook a three-week
European tour supported by funds from Wilson’s 2006 Freedman Fellowship. Wilson has also
been awarded the 1994 National Jazz Award and the 2008 Bell Award for Australian Jazz Artist
of the Year. In 2008 he toured Australia as a featured soloist with the Kurt Elling Quartet and one
of the performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was recently shown on ABC TV.
There is a chapter dedicated to the Julien Wilson Trio in John Shand’s new book “Jazz: The
Australian Accent” and they were finalists for Best Australian Jazz Ensemble in 2008 and 2004.
TRIO PRESS QUOTES
“Ravishingly beautiful music...enchanting lyricism…the epitome of understatement. The Julien
Wilson Trio came together with such astonishing naturalness that the music seemed to be playing
itself, pouring out of the players' instruments like glittering lava and sending arrows of aching
lyricism straight to the heart.” The Age
“If the Julien Wilson Trio lasts for another decade it may well become inaudible. The band seems
to grow softer and more subtle every time it plays, and, as the volume decreases, so do the roles
of self and virtuosity”. Jazz: The Australian Accent - UNSW Press
“The trio seems to breathe and sigh through their instruments as one (even the guitarist,
especially when he employs discreet electronic effects to sustain his notes). Irresistibly gorgeous.
AllAboutJazz-New York
They play as if with one mind. Wilson is at his most lyrical and eloquent, while Grant and
Magnusson are equally brilliant. ABC Limelight
“Unforced poetry. In this configuration you could relish the exceptional warmth of Wilson's tenor
saxophone, amid lilting music in which beauty of line and subtleties of textural shading were preeminent; subdued music that never lost its passion or intensity” Sydney Morning Herald
“In fact, it was Wilson who provided what may have been the highlight of the Festival when he
performed with his Trio in the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The sheer majestic quality of this band’s
music is astounding, and, in the vast surroundings of the Cathedral, Wilson’s soaring tenor took
on a spiritual quality, reaching all the way back to Coltrane. With an unlikely instrumentation of
guitar, accordion and saxophone, the Trio gently added subtle textures to the mix, creating a
music that seemed to be full of air and light. Stephen Grant’s accordion floated dreamlike through
the space, while Stephen Magnusson’s guitar pierced the veil, intelligent and thoughtful. Solos
were few and far between, but when Wilson did set off, his tenor soared to the upper reaches of
the Cathedral, filling the church to overflowing. It was a remarkable performance, full of such
intimacy and telepathic communion” RHYTHMS - Review of 2007 Wangaratta Jazz Festival
“Nobody could not like this music! A couple of tunes sounded a little like both Stephen Foster and
Albert Ayler. It is a very emotional area… not only contemporary but quite timeless… this band
with its sound and subtle interactions has a special magic.” SIMA website
“Julien Wilson has been recognised as one of Australia’s outstanding voices on the tenor
saxophone for over a decade. Cushioned by the rich tones of the accordion, complemented by
Magnusson’s lyrical lines, Wilson produces a gorgeous tone and some beautifully melodic
playing” The Bulletin
“An eloquent exploration of the marriage between emotional breadth and technical
virtuosity…each performance elicits an introspective, searching quality reminiscent of the
legendary jazz players.” CDBaby Review
For more information or high resolution photos please CONTACT:
julienwilson@mac.com
Mob: +61 (0)413 595 985 Home: +61 (0)3 9499 7727