Eugene Ball (born 12 October 1972) is an Australian jazz trumpeter. He won the Best Australian Jazz Composition Award for "Fool Poet's Portion" at the Australian Jazz Bell Awards in 2008.[1]
Eugene Ball | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 October 1972 |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument | Trumpet |
| Website | eugeneball |
Fool Poet's Portion is inspired by Norse mythology with three movements: The Death of Baldr, Trickster's Intent, and The Coming of Christianity. It is performed by the Bennetts Lane Big Band which was assembled by Ball, Andrea Keller, and Nick Haywood in 2001 as a large ensemble and as a vehicle for original new work.[2] The work was re-orchestrated and performed at a benefit concert for the Melbourne Jazz Co-op in January 2008.[3]
Ball was awarded second place in the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz Awards in 2003, and was a finalist in the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2003 and 2006.
In 2004 Ball and guitarist Stephen Magnusson started Lebowski's, a series of musician-run concerts in venues not associated with jazz.[4] The following year, 2005, Eugene Ball was an important initiator of the Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival.[5]
Ball was awarded a Melbourne Research Scholarship at the completion of his master's degree in Performance and Composition from Melbourne University.
He has performed with Paul Grabowsky, Mike Nock, Tony Gould, Graeme Lyall, Don Burrows, Jamie Cullum, and John Butler; and with groups The Hoodangers, the Andrea Keller Quartet, the Allan Browne Quintet, the Australian Art Orchestra, and the Ball/Magnusson/Talia trio.[5] He is involved in several musical projects including Kadoonka, ish ish, Aaron Choulai Quintet, and the Messiaen Project performing works by Olivier Messiaen.[6]
He teaches trumpet, improvisation, and composition and has directed ensembles at Eltham High School, Monash University, and Victorian College of the Arts. He is a lecturer in music for Melbourne Polytechnic's Bachelor Music program at the Fairfield campus.
Awards
editAustralian Jazz Bell Awards
editThe Australian Jazz Bell Awards, (also known as the Bell Awards or The Bells), are annual music awards for the jazz music genre in Australia. They commenced in 2003.[7]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "The Fool Poets Portion" – Eugene Ball | Australian Jazz Composition of the Year | Won |
| 2011 | "Song from the Highest Tower" – Eugene Ball | Best Australian Jazz Song | Won |
| 2017 | "4tet" – Eugene Ball | Best Australian Jazz Song | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Andra Jackson, Performer with sax appeal named top jazz artist, The Age, 30 April 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008
- ^ Jessica Nicholas, Band plays, stays, The Age, 6 February 2008, Retrieved 13 November 2008
- ^ Jessica Nicholas, Sweet music for jazz co-op, The Age, 29 January 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008
- ^ Jessica Nicholas, Lebowski's Opening Night, The Age, 11 November 2004. Retrieved 13 November 2008
- ^ a b NMIT Meet the staff - Eugene Ball Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE website. Retrieved 13 November 2008
- ^ Eugene Ball, Eugene Ball Projects Archived 16 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Eugene Ball website, Retrieved 13 November 2008
- ^ "Bell Award Winners". bellawards. Retrieved 7 November 2020.