Departure Lounge
About Departure Lounge from Christchurch
Departure Lounge Bio
Following in the tradition of the Otautahi Allstars, Oakely Grenell presents Departure Lounge. Departure Lounge have accrued a strong reputation throughout New Zealand for their soulful grooves, vibrant instrumentation and are renown for their dynamic inspired live performance. The sublime sonic stylings and moody melodies of the group are written by Oakley Grenell and are sometimes likened to the melodramatic Downbeat Jazz releases of such artists as The Cinematic Orchestra and The Herbaliser from the U.K. label Ninja Tunes.
Recent shows have been the Nelson Winter festival, Christchurch Arts Festival and sell out performances at the Christchurch Jazz and Blues Festival.
Oakley Grenell (guitar), Mark Vanilau (vocals), Darren Pickering (keys), Joe Baris (bass), Nick Gaffeney (drums), Sum Suraweera (percussion)
Their debut album: Oakley Grenell presents... Departure Lounge Live is in all good records stores. If not, demand they stock it.
For more info please check:
www.myspace.com/centralrecords
www.centralrecords.co.nz
Album Reviews
Waikato Times Review
Oakley Grenell presents…Departure Lounge – LIVE.
Departure, Lounge is the work of Oakley Grenell (son of country crooner John Grenell), who’s popped up before with Christchurch via UK Dancehall crew The Eskimo Squad. Departure Lounge – LIVE represents a fusion of styles which sees Grenell and his ensemble cast of players cross territory previously traversed by the likes of Pink Floyd (yep, really), Kraut – rock legends Can and even covering the legendary Congo Man by seminal roots-reggae act The Congos. It’s a peculiar mix and results in quite an intense listening experience. At times jazz is welded to prog-rock (Jungle Mania), at others it sounds like the lovechild of John Coltrane and Ronnie Jordan (Odd Times), and then later there’s a straight –up reggae rhythm of identifiable Kiwi nature (Mosquito). There are only eight tunes, but with each stretching beyond the seven-minute mark, there’s plenty of enjoyable listening to be had.
4 stars.
Jeff Neems
May 2006
NZ Musician
Vol.12 No.9 June/July 2006
Departure Lounge – Live
Another Oakley Grenell-led project, ‘Departure Lounge’ is an incredible instrumental ensemble featuring the crème de la crème of young NZ jazz talent. Grenell is an amazingly prolific composer and his guitar playing just keeps getting better. MVP on this live set must go to drummer Nick Gaffeney, one of the hardest working and most gifted players around. Chris Burke on sax, Johnny Lawrence on bass, Cameron Pearce on trumpet, Sum Suraweera on percussion and DJ Nativestyle on turntables add an exciting aural dimension to the tunes. They seem to be telepathic in terms of dynamic ensemble playing, interplay and groove. Their strengths are employed in a way that makes the music impossible to pigeon-hole: it’s electric jazz, it’s hip hop, it’s funk, it’s ska…it’s ‘Departure Lounge’ and it’s live! The album was recorded in April 2005 at the Harbourlight Theatre in Lyttelton, as part of the Christchurch International Jazz Festival and by the sounds of the rapturous appaluse after each tune; the group was very well received indeed. Out on Central Records.
- Peter Dent
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