Australian-born guitarist and composer Peter O'Mara has lived in Munich for decades, unlike many other European and non-European musicians in Berlin, which has developed into a hotspot of the contemporary jazz scene in recent years. Peter O'Mara is known for his performances and recordings with renowned musicians such as Dave Holland, Joe Lovano, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Wheeler, Randy Brecker, Charlie Mariano, Adam Nussbaum, the NDR Big Band and the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble. He was a member of Klaus Doldinger's Passport for three decades. On the occasion of his 65th birthday , the Munich jazz club Unterfahrt fulfilled the guitarist's dream of presenting his compositions with his big band project. This happened on December 9, 2022. The live recordings of this concert are now available as an album.

The sound that could be heard in the Unterfahrt was tremendous. It is all the more surprising that the bandleader could be heard on his guitar in several solos. Wonderful! The opening tune "Scufflin," is very upbeat, if not downright swinging. And O'Mara is, so to speak, the musical "opener" for those who have mastered the steps of swing and Lindy Hop. O'Mara knows how to introduce his instrument in the spirit of the greats of jazz guitar. No electronic magic box with knobs and pedals is needed to make the instrument sound, or rather, swing. Meanwhile, the ensemble's combined brass section performs in the background. The focus is on the jazz guitar, especially in the nuances of the piece that O'Mara immerses the piece in. A rumbling baritone saxophone purrs along, rather rare in a big band. The soloist is Gregor Bürger but in the chorus and tutti the other brass and woodwind instruments join together, "spinning" the guitarist in his playing with their vocal power. Finally , one even seems to detect a hint of rock 'n' roll towards the end of the piece.

"Maratime" is the next title of the live recording. It's a play on words combining "maritime" and the bandleader's name. The band is initially heard in its entirety before a saxophonist emerges, a wonderfully strong alto sax. At the end O'Mara introduces this alto saxophonist as Florian Trübsbach. The playing is "daring" in its ups and downs. Above all, it is extremely fast and effervescent. Latin rhythms permeate the piece in a few moments. Indeed, anyone expecting O'Mara to appear as a soloist will not be disappointed. The guitarist truly unleashes a "lava flow of sound" on his instrument. Speed seems to be a key element and he spreads chiseled sounds across the soundscape of the entire ensemble.

O'Mara dedicated "Waltz for Vivien" to his daughter, as he explained to the audience. With a melody reminiscent of a children's song, O'Mara opens the piece to the rustling of drums and bass lines. As it progresses, one has the impression of listening to a ballad. The band's brass section plays sustainedly. The guitarist repeatedly sets his delicate and sensitive tonal accents. The sound of the combined wind instruments appears in a "sun-yellow hue." Finally, we experience a trombone solo, full-bodied and full of vibrancy: Cuban-born Denis Cuni Rodriguez. Finally, the soloist on his brass section rejoins the ensemble's chorus.

No, the band doesn't play the standard "Autumn Leaves," but instead "When the Autumn Comes," introduced by guitar playing that suggests spring rather than autumn. Or should the slow tempo remind us of the falling autumn leaves? The individual string sounds could be interpreted as scattered rays of sunlight breaking through the gray autumn sky, right? As in other pieces on the album, the guitarist is present, not immersed in the tutti of the wind instruments and thus absorbed by them. No, O'Mara has a voice of his own, and that's a good thing. And the wind instruments have their own voices, which they raise at the beginning of autumn. There’s a touch of melancholy in it, isn't there?

One piece is dedicated to the Canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, according to O'Mara, namely "A Quiet Man." Because that was Wheeler. The piece begins with a flugelhorn intro, or so the sound impression goes. The sounds glide along, floating, with a certain lightness. But a certain heaviness is also concentrated in the tutti of thewind instruments. The clarinet solo by Uli Wangenheim is well worth listening to. Other soloists in the piece are Matthieu Bordenave on tenor saxophone and Andi Unterreiner on flugelhorn.

"The Remedy" was also on the evening's program, characterized by strong interventions from the percussionist and the assembled wind instruments. In addition, the electric bass plays a key role, constantly producing “sounds in earth tones” and also accompanies O'Mara during his solo. Yes, there's bass slapping to be heard, also rather unusual for a big band. A new timbre is the Hammond organ, played by Matthias Bublath.

Christian Lettner is on drums for "Game of Tones". This piece was written for big band and not arranged like others, as O'Mara explained to the audience. A rare voice in a big band context is a Fender Rhodes, but in this piece, you can hear the instrument's sometimes crystalline keyboard sounds. The guitar in O'Mara's hands expresses itself with a slight whine. Mark Knopfler and other contemporary guitar bards also seem to be present in spirit, don't they? The trumpet solo, which we hear thanks to Gero Hensel, is very convincing.

One more word about "Cross Current": once again we experience the powerful sound of the wind instruments, as well as individual soloists. The trumpet, enhanced by delay and reverb, rises to a hymn. This is a feast for the ears!

The live concert at Munich's Unterfahrt concludes with "Wang Thang," a delight for those who appreciate instrumental and musical "risks" in big bands. Indeed, O'Mara departs from the beaten track of big band sound and creates a true sonic experience that will linger in the memory. © Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther 2025

Musicians: Peter O’Mara – guitar, compositon and arrangements; The Big Band: Trumpets: Andi Unterreiner, Florian Jechlinger, Vincent Eberle, Gero Hensel; Saxes: Uli Wangenheim, Florian Trübsbach, Alexander von Hagke, Matthieu Bordenave, Gregor Bürger; Trombones: Lukas Jochner, Eberhard Budziat, Christian Landsiedel, Denis Cuni Rodriguez; Piano: Christian Elsässer; Fender Rhodes and Hammond Organ: Matthias Bublath; Double Bass: Henning Sieverts; Electric Bass: Patrick Scales; Drums: Matthias Gmelin, Guido May and Christian Lettner;

WATCH THE LIVE CONCERT ON YouTube: Peter O'Mara Big Band Birthday Concert Live At The Unterfahrt