Torque Tourismo

• 1 Torque 08:11
• 2 Avalon 10:09
• 3 Panorama 07:25
• 4 Movement (Feat. Jason Moran) 03:30
• 5 At a Loose End 06:36
• 6 Bobbin Head 05:35
• 7 At Dusk 00:59
• 8 After Dark 07:12
• Total Runtime 49:37

Info for Torque

"Tourismo" is an ARIA nominated modern jazz outfit co-led by recent national jazz award winners Matthew Thomson and Alex Hirlian. All five members hail from the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music and with each member having toured and studied internationally.

In their debut album (released under ABC Jazz), the band draws from influences such as Ben Wendell, Gerald Clayton, Robert Glasper and Kendrick Scott. All eight compositions are rhythmically and harmonically driven, incorporating memorable melodies, fused within complex odd-time signatures. A big thank you to Miguel Zenon for directing us during the compositional phase of the project.

Torque is the force that makes moving objects turn, and the opening track highlights the diverse musical scope of Thomson and Hirlian, as both artists and composers. The electric vibe of this track, especially the unapologetic use of synthesisers, harks back to the pair’s involvement in the ensembles Arcing Wires, Brekky Boy and the Josh Meader Trio, but the track quickly departs into something inherently their own.

Michael Avgenicos, tenor saxophone
Josh Meader, guitar
Matthew Thomson, piano, synthesizer (track 1)
Nick Henderson, double bass
Alex Hirlian, drums

Recording engineered by Henry Rasmussen, James Kennedy
Post-Production by Matthew Thomson, James Kennedy
Mastering by James Kennedy

Michael Avgenicos
Gadigal (Sydney) born Michael Avgenicos is a multi-award-winning Greek-Australian saxophonist and composer. Known for his versatile, flowing voice on the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, Avgenicos draws inspiration from air and breath as an expression of the human spirit.

Michael has been playing saxophone since he was 8 years old. Across a wide range of contexts, his instrument serves as an extension of his inner self, producing a deep, emotive and fluid style.

​Michael's current projects include Hamed Sadeghi's ARIA nominated groups Eishan Ensemble and Empty Voices, Matt Thomson/Alex Hirlian's Tourismo, Paul Derricott's COAST, Max Alduca's Monastery, Avgenicos Brothers' Reduction, and his new jazz quartet, Eudaemons.

Michael has performed with many notable names in Australia including Barney McAll, Jonathan Zwartz, Sandy Evans, Mike Nock, Lloyd Swanton, Jeremy Rose, Peter Koopman, Aaron Blakey, and more.

Some of Michael's recent performance highlights include performances for Rome Jazz Festival and London Jazz Festival, Auckland Arts Festival, Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival and Melbourne International Jazz Festival.​

Among his many accolades, Avgenicos has been nominated for ARIA Awards in both the Best World Music Album and Best Jazz Album categories. He has also been selected as a finalist for the APRA Art Music Awards.

Aside from his artistic projects, Michael works as a freelance musician, having performed and recorded on set for The Voice Australia and Triple J's Like a Version.

Josh Meader
is a 29-year-old Australian jazz/fusion guitarist, composer, and bandleader who has established a distinctive voice in contemporary guitar performance, and highly regarded in the international guitar community. Leading the Josh Meader Trio, featuring Australian National Jazz Award winners Matthew Thomson (keys) and Alex Hirlian (drums), he released his debut album 'Tides of Time' in February 2025. The record showcases 12 original compositions blending influences from jazz, fusion, and progressive rock.

​ Josh’s earliest training came from his father, Paul Meader, a jazz double bassist and guitarist, who was his teacher from the age of 7. Together, they later performed weekly for over a decade at Sydney’s historic Rocks Markets, an experience that shaped Josh’s deep improvisational sensibility and connection to live performance.

Josh graduated with First Class Honours in Jazz Performance from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2019 after completing a 4-year Bachelor of Jazz Guitar Degree, and in 2022 was named runner-up at the Australian National Jazz Awards. ​

Josh has become a leading voice in contemporary Australian jazz, and has appeared at major Australian festivals including the Perth International Jazz Festival (2023), Sydney Festival (2024), and Adelaide Guitar Festival (2024), and Sydney Con Jazz Fest (2026).

International highlights include a showcase at JazzAhead (Germany, 2023), performing alongside Antoine Boyer, performing at Montreux Jazz Festival with Brekky Boy (2022), and a 2025 UK/European tour featuring seven headline shows across the UK, Italy, Finland, and Germany, including a sold-out night at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. Josh has also served as faculty at the MFA Guitar Camp in Italy in both 2024 and 2025. ​

His artistic standing on the international stage was further solidified with a recent high-profile collaboration with the great Virgil Donati, of Allan Holdsworth's 'City Nights' (Gary Husband).

This album contains no booklet.