Music Events in Mittagong

Volant, meaning the ability to fly, are a contemporary jazz quartet inspired by the beauty and intricacy of birds – and the freedom they embody. Led by saxophonist Matthew Ottignon, and completed by pianist Lauren Tsamouras, bassist Hannah James, and drummer Hayley Chan, their music is velvet and granite; soft, subtle, hard and boisterous in equal measure. As the Sydney Morning Herald states, "the impression of flight is not observed, but is experienced and exhilarating." Central to Volant's identity is the musicians Ottignon has carefully assembled. Tsamouras brings chromatic hues, sparse but luminous, her playing lending the music much of its buoyancy. James grounds the ensemble with both her playing and overall confidence, with her arco work conjuring dark, textured mystery. And Chan, whose drumming gives the band a new, propulsive motion, keeps the ensemble alert to every shift in the music’s current. "Is there something about this music, flush with heightened beauty and transcendence, that speaks tellingly to our times? On the strength of Volant, one senses a resounding yes." — Dingo Jazz Magazine ★★★★½ In the time since the ensemble's debut release, they have continued to evolve as a creative force. The forthcoming second album promises to deepen their collective voice, from groove-driven guttural intensity to the most delicate and contemplative of moods.