Bernie McGann Quartet

Quintessential alto saxophonist Bernie McGann has led his acclaimed Trio and Quartet, with some changes in line-up, throughout his prolific 40-year career to the present day.

McGann launched SIMA’s residency at the Sound Lounge in 2005 and he has performed here with a variety of artists ever since, including Paul Grabowsky, Roger Manins, Bobby Gebert, Chuck Yates and others.

He makes a welcome return tonight with the powerful trumpet playing of Warwick Alder and the Waples brothers’ rhythm section adding to the relentless dynamism of McGann’s long established quartet.

Critic John Clare has called McGann’s quartet “one of the glories of Australian music” and seeing him perform live at The Sound Lounge is confirmation of the fact.

McGann’s sound is all his own, full with a fractured polyphonic quality his effortless mastery fully evident. — Adrian Cullen, Scotland.