For the next 4 years, Bill played in various working original and cover bands all around Sydney with every kind of lineup imaginable. Primarily a rock and blues orientated player at this stage, it wasn't long before Bill was confronted by the challenge of playing through Jazz standards at weddings and functions and as a consequence, soon felt out of his depth and in need of some "formal" training to assist him in covering the bases. Bill promptly auditioned to Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium of music and within a few months was saying goodbye to Sydney and relocating to Adelaide....
For the next 4 years, Bill worked hard on assimilating both the Jazz vocabulary and a strong sense of musicianship into his playing. He soon developed a reputation as both an exceptional teacher and a diverse player who could shift in and out of different styles at will. At this point, Bill was gigging anywhere from 3-4 nights a week doing everything from traditional "Dixieland" Jazz, corporate cover band work, modern "fusion" material and everything in between! He also taught up to 65 students a week and somehow found the time to write and self-publish his first book "Concepts of Jazz." At this stage, Bill's playing and musical taste had taken on a life of it's own and he was no longer just a run of the mill rock player but something a lot more interesting and unique. No longer afraid of dissonace, outside colour, chord alterations/extensions or wide leaps in harmony, Bill began incorporating these ingredients into both his writing and musical expression.
Within 6 months of completing his degree in Jazz performance, Bill and his family decided to move back to Sydney. Soon after re-locating, Bill again found himself in demand as both a teacher and a player and at one point, taught almost 100 students a week whist also gigging up to 4 times weekly. Bill also taught at prestigious private schools such as SCEGGS Mosman, Queenwood girls school and Waverley Boys College.It was during this time that Bill began writing and recording his debut album "Outlines."
The title 'Outlines' comes from the multi-faceted approach that Bill has always had: it's both an "outline" of Bill's playing at this point and expresses his musical ideal to step "outside the lines."
The album contains rich distorted textures, washes of chorus and delay, wah infected slide, jazzy-esque single note lines and stark yet memorable melodies. It ranges from melancholy and emotional tracks like "Falling Free" and "Urban Lullaby" to the hard hitting rock of "S.N.F" and "Trippin." Bill also incorporates his own take on "Coltrane changes" with the title track "Outlines" and the dreamy sounding "New rays from a distant sun."
Mixed and mastered by virtuoso guitarist and heavyweight producer TJ Helmerich in California USA, Outlines is hardly just another "guitar" album but rather an evolved musical statement from a creative, original and diverse artist. |
