Ambon (2CD) by The catholics

A major project from The catholics' leader Lloyd Swanton, Ambon is a two-CD suite of compositions telling the story - in music, words and images - of his uncle Stuart's captivity on the island of Ambon in World War II.

The Ambon prison camp had the second-highest death rate of any prison camp in the Pacific war, and sadly, Stuart Swanton, a gifted musician by all reports, did not survive the brutal conditions. However, at great risk to his personal safety, he kept a secret diary in a coded shorthand, which was returned to his family after the war. Stuart Swanton's diary is an important historical document, being the only substantial surviving account from an Ambon prisoner.

Drawing on musical references from the diary, hymns composed by Stuart, and even featuring his viola in its first performances since the 1930s, Lloyd Swanton composed the Ambon suite as a tribute to the uncle he never knew, to tell the story of what Stuart and his mates went through, to find some glimmers of joy and hope in a grim saga, and to ensure that the many stories from a tragedy in Australia's history are not lost to time.

The physical release comes in a beautiful package containing a 32-page booklet with extensive liner notes and an essay by Lloyd Swanton, and your digital purchase includes a PDF of the entire contents.

PRESS:

"Part heartfelt tribute and part triumph of the imagination...Swanton's fascinating liner notes detail the history and the compositions, although the listener can choose simply to be swept up into an epic journey of beauty, drama and sadness. The enormous scope of this album is matched by the love, curiosity and reverence that underpins it, and the notes as they blow into your ears and touch the heart."
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

"By any standards, Ambon is an extraordinary work... unique… Lloyd Swanton's magnum opus... a deeply personal album"
RHYTHMS MAGAZINE

"A powerful, moving and musically innovative memorial"
CYCLIC DEFROST

"Soulful... This project is already groaning under the weight of praise heaped on its live performances"
THE MUSIC TRUST

"Ambon towered over this weekend's music...a musical colossus so full of impact and affect… Ambon will leave an indelible imprint on any who heard this performance"
AUSJAZZ BLOG

"The album is a masterstroke, transporting the listener back in time to that unique broken paradise"
BLUE MOUNTAINS GAZETTE

"Swanton is one of the most propulsive, resourceful bassists on the planet. As a composer, he draws on a diverse range of styles, unified by the strong, emotionally affecting programme, to make Ambon a listening experience that's hard to forget"
THE WIRE (UK)

"Remarkable double-CD set... deeply personal yet eminently approachable"
NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

"In the hands and mind of Lloyd Swanton, Ambon is a story of hope, love, resistance, survival, and remembrance… You need to hear this music.. to remind you of the futility of war”
RICHARD B. KAMINS, STEP TEMPEST (USA)

"Wonderful - well worth seeking out"
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

Formed in 1991, The catholics are one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary groups.

Throughout their beautifully crafted and instantly accessible pieces runs a strong, seductive dance strain found in the band's various African, Caribbean, Latin and Eastern influences.