1994 – 2001
Tree took root in 1994, and is a trio of Kevin Hunt (keyboards), Steve Hunter (bass) and me on kit. I first played with Steve in a band called Playdiem which released a self-titled album. Steve is an extraordinary electric bass player who plays with an intense and unrelenting spirit – a true master of the instrument. Kevin and I have also played in many musical situations and I just love his infectious enthusiasm and passion for layers, textures and surprising sounds. Kev brings deep emotion, joy and beauty to anything he plays. Steve and Kevin are old buddies who have been playing together for many years. Tree is a very dynamic band that covers a wide spectrum of music from classically influenced composition, right through different cultures and textures to Latin, jazz and even rock-fusion. Performances are always an intense experience. The band started as the Steve Hunter Trio in 1995, and soon became a three-way co-operative in 1996. It’s the best way to run a band of 3 leaders!
We play original material and we all compose for the group. Improvisation plays a huge part in our music. As you can see, improvisation is a feature of most of the groups that I play with – improvising with structures and “group composition in real time” is my favourite way of playing!!!
Note: Improvisation doesn’t have to mean jazz – it can happen in any style/genre of music.
We independently released our first self-titled album Tree in 1996 and in 1999, ABC Records released our second album Love and Logic with guest artists James Muller (guitar) and Andrew Robson (sax). In the Green Guide Melbourne Age review of 1999’s best music releases worldwide, Tree’s album was listed as one of the best jazz albums of the year.
We have toured Australia extensively.