By Barry O’Sullivan
Carl Dewhurst, who has been a stalwart of the Sydney jazz scene for over 30 years, is considered one of the country’s finest jazz and improvising guitarists. He has played with a Who’s Who of mainstream and contemporary Australian jazz artists and has released over a dozen albums of original music as a leader or collaborator. He is currently an Associate Lecturer in Jazz at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
What were your earliest musical experiences and how did they determine your move towards a professional musical career?
I started playing guitar at age nine and once I improved to the point where I could play a few songs I fell in love with the whole thing. I realised I could hear the music in my head and instinctively knew when to change chords, pick out melodies and play rhythm. It’s like the guitar opened the door to an inner and outer world of sound and feeling of expression I never knew existed. When I discovered it I was hooked. My next-door neighbour, an ex-pro musician, had an electric guitar. My family would have big sing-a-longs with his family; I’d get to play his electric guitar and thought it was the bee’s knees. When I got my first electric guitar at age 12 (for $20) doors seemed to open for me magically. On my first day at high school I wandered into the music department and discovered they had some cool guitar amps. The music teacher came up to me and asked if I played. I said I did and that I had just got an electric guitar. She said they needed a rhythm guitarist in the school orchestra and asked if I would be interested. Thankfully I could read well, so I ended up getting the position and never looked back. That one serendipitous moment changed my life forever.
What motivated you to further your career away from Australia?
Initially I wanted to head to New York City to immerse myself in the jazz scene and learn. Afterwards I went to the UK to work, save up and continue to travel around Europe. However, I ended up staying in London for several years. When I was in New York I realised I needed to do a lot of work on my playing and London was a great place to just hunker down and do some serious practice. I met and played with many brilliant musicians and was lucky enough to eventually get regular jazz gigs and play in Europe. I started my first group, writing my music and also taught at the tertiary level. It was a very transformative time for me and by the time I returned to Australia I was a very different musician.
What elements of the international music scene would you suggest we could benefit from introducing to the local scene?
The musicians! More bands from abroad visiting Australia. We’re isolated here, so more touring jazz artists playing here more regularly would have such a profound effect on our scene as a whole and particularly on the brilliant young students we have emerging at present.
What is your latest musical project, and how did you conceive it?
My trio, with Cameron Undy on bass and Alex Inman Hislop on drums, has been playing regularly in and around Sydney since 2022. In July 2024 we recorded an album entitled, Avicennia, which also features my old friend, NY-based alto saxophonist Lisa Parrott. The album was released in February this year. The tunes on Avicennia are an evolution of musical ideas initially developed on my previous albums, Old Man Rock and Drainpipe Blue. The defining characteristic of these albums is a focus on specific polyrhythmic concepts applied to blues-based jazz. This work forms the foundation of my current research at the Conservatorium.
You’re relaxing on a Sunday evening and would like to chill out listening to some of your favourite songs and music from musicians that you admire. What would be on your playlist?
Classic albums always on frequent rotation include:
Breezin: George Benson (I still listen to the vinyl I’ve had since high school)
Midnight Blue: Kenny Burrell
Common Touch: Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott
Virtuoso: Joe Pass
Easy Walker: Stanley Turrentine
Undercurrent: Jim Hall and Bill Evans
Bossa Antigua: Paul Desmond (feat Jim Hall)
King of the Blues Guitar: Albert King
I’m also listening to a lot of different music at present, so my current playlist looks something like this:
Owl Song: Ambrose Akinmusire:
Immersion Lure: Phil Slater
Ashes: Lage Lund
Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues
Speak To Me: Julian Lage
That’s My Story: John Lee Hooker
Closeness Duets: Charlie Haden