The Last Days Of Chez Nous

Thirty Two years ago acclaimed Australian filmmaker Gillian Armstrong commissioned composer Paul Grabowsky to score the music for the feature film The Last Days Of Chez Nous.

The film was based on the book of the same name by Helen Garner and the cast included Kerry Fox, Lisa Harrow, Bruno Ganz and Miranda Otto.

For the score Paul enlisted a stella group of musicians including saxophonists Günther Klatt & Ian Chaplin, guitarist Doug deVries, drummers Niko Schuable & Andrew Gander, Bobby Venier on flugelhorn, bassist Gary Costello, renown classical musician Michael Harvey on harpsichord and the strings of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

This magnificent original score is now (re) released globally after many years being unavailable.
“When I was asked to compose the score for ‘Chez Nous’ I saw an opportunity to combine two worlds of sound which have particular appeal to me” says Paul Grabowsky.
“The richness of a string section set against the personal statements of some of my favourite jazz musicians. When the score was completed I knew we had a potential album on our hands but I didn’t want it to be a collection of ‘bits’ lacking the cohesion of a musical experience. I therefore linked the shorter fragments together with improvisations of some of the scores theme’s played by the trio.” (Paul, Niko and Gary)
“The result is a kind of suite in which the original score forms the core material, a springboard for the kind of lyrical trio playing that I love the most. It is always a pleasure to make music and with musicians such as those on this album it is a privilege.”

The result is, indeed, a great album of evocative music that stands on its own.