VJAZZ 50 May 2011 Distribution 650 Proactively Collecting, Archiving and Disseminating Australian Jazz
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VJAZZ 50 May 2011 Distribution 650 Proactively Collecting, Archiving and Disseminating Australian Jazz Ray Marginson Interview B ill Ar Tony Standish- ms tro ng Aw Early Melbourne Jazzard Our New Gates QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE VICTORIAN JAZZ ARCHIVE INC. PATRON: WILLIAM H. MILLER M.A., B.C.L. (Oxon.) (All correspondence to: PO Box 6007 Wantirna Mall, Vic. 3152) Registered No: A0033964L ABN 53 531 132 426 Ph (03) 9800 5535 email:15 [email protected]. Mountain Highway, Wantirna Web Melway page: www.vicjazzarchive.org.au Ref. 63 C8 VJAZZ 50 Page 2 These records represented a unique Contents Letters to the Editor library of jazz music largely unobtain- able in Australia at the time, and Bill made his collection available to enthusi- Letters to the Editor 2 27/1/11 asts through a long-running weekly pro- Did you Know? 2 The Editor, Victorian Jazz Archive gram broadcast over 3UZ commencing Ray Marginson by Ken Simpson-Bull 3 in 1939. ‘Reed’ all about it by Bill Brown 5 IT was particularly unfortunate that be- Initially called “Jazz Night” the pro- A Staunch Supporter of Jazz 5 fore the information-pack was designed gram soon became known as “Swing When 12-inch LPs were fifty-two there was not a little research. In several Night”. Although Bill wrote all of the andsixpencebyTonyStandish 6 places there appears a picture of a pur- scripts, the broadcasts were presented The Rhythmakers by Bill Brown 8 ported record label called Jelly Roll.A by announcer Rowley Barley. “Swing Deep in the Archive 9 simple check of Jack Mitchell’s book of Night” continued up to the end of 1941. The Latest VJAZZ CD 9 Australian jazz recordings would have Bill Miller is also remembered for his The Multi-Talented Peter Sheils found no mention of Jelly Roll. In fact, recording ventures. In 1943 he com- byLoisStephenson 10 there have never been any records is- menced recording, onto acetate discs, Jazzart Collection Vol 2 10 sued labeled Jelly Roll. many Australian jazz bands. In 1945 he Groovin’ High by Ken Simpson-Bull 11 For a couple of years at the end of began a series of commercial releases Congratulations Bill Armstrong 11 the war and just after C. Ian Turner or- on his own “Ampersand” label which VJA Fundraiser 11 ganized several recording sessions by featured the first Graeme Bell re- groups led by Ade Monsbourgh from cordings. Other activities included the Images which he intended to release some un- creation of the magazine “Jazz Notes” in Tom Lucas der his own label, to be called Jelly Roll. 1941, and contributions to other publica- Geoff King However in 1946 he decided to give up tions. He later took up the washboard Dr Pam Clements this project, perhaps because his work and can be heard on several Australian Ken Simpson-Bull in architecture was becoming increas- jazz recordings. ingly busy, so he handed over to me the Stonnington Jazz 2011 right to deal with the project. He gave The Archive appreciates Stonnington’s me a number of the recordings, and his continued financial support for the full list of them containing all details of mailout of this issue. personnel etc. This is set out in Mitchell’s book un- der Ade Monsbourgh’s name. The Jelly Roll recordings are identifiable because all their matrix numbers start with JR. I subsequently issued a few of the sides under my Ampersand label. I assume that the label depicted in the information pack was found amongst Ian The label in question Front Cover Turner’s effects which I believe were Image of the new electronically-powered donated to the Archive by his widow a Did You Know? cantilevered gate, operated by remote while ago. Probably Ian had some such control, installed at the VJA. labels printed in anticipation of issuing Photo taken by Jeff Blades some discs before he had decided to UNDER this title in Vjazz No. 49 we give up the idea. You will note that there claimed that American trumpeter and Magazine Editorial Committee is no centre hole in the label depicted, bandleader Wingy Manone changed the John Thrum Chairman so it could never have been taken from spelling of his name because so many Dr Pam Clements an actual record or pressing. people incorrectly spelt it that way. Dr Mel Forbes I do not suggest that the information Well, so it was claimed in the biographi- Terry Norman pack should be scrapped or replaced. cal data we accessed. Ken Simpson-Bull All these facts would not be known to or However, back in January, 1941, Bill Miller had information to the con- Board of Management of any interest to any prospective mem- Bill Ford President bers considering subscribing to the Ar- trary. In Jazz Notes No. 1 Bill wrote: Terry Norman Vice President chive. Wingy recently took up with an as- Ray Sutton General Manager trologer and numerologist. His simple Mel Blachford Collections Manager Yours faithfully, soul, inheriting some of the awe of mys- Gretel James Secretary William H. Miller ticism of the deep south, believes implic- Lee Treanor Treasurer itly in what this man tells him. As a re- Committee Members: sult he has changed his name to Jeff Blades BILL MILLER “Wingie Manone”, and wants everyone Margaret Harvey to use it thus, as his pal advises that this Dr.Ray Marginson A M WILLIAM H MILLER, known to most as Barry Mitchell Bill, is best remembered as Australia’s is a much more favourable combination Les Newman first jazz commentator and foremost of letters than the old version. Marina Pollard driving force in creating a forum for jazz We checked up in Wingy’s own auto- discussion and activity. biography written in 1948 and Bill Miller Location Born in Melbourne in 1914, Bill went is right! “But Wingie got changed back to VJA Inc. “Koomba Park” to England in 1933 to study law at Ox- Wingy somewhere along the line”, 15 Mountain Hwy. ford University. Being interested in jazz, Wingy said. Wantirna he amassed a large record collection Mel Ref 63 C8 which he brought back to Australia when Wingy Manone------Continued----- Open Tues & Fri. 10am-3pm he returned in 1938. Is there more?? VJAZZ 50 Page 3 washboard player, Bill Miller. Bill had left he was kind enough to answer. RAY MARGINSON Melbourne Grammar in 1932 to attend (Apparently Dave Tough, exhausted Oxford University where he became from his tour of the islands, just lay on His early days in jazz interested in jazz and amassed a huge the bed and said nothing.) “What I really collection of international jazz records would like,” Max said, “is to get a quart By Ken Simpson-Bull which he brought with him when he of gin since this hotel is dry.” Ray returned to Melbourne in the late offered to go out to buy one. Fortunately AT 87 years of age our former thirties. (This collection is now in the he happened to have some money (for Chairman, Ray Marginson AM, was vaults of the VJA.) Ray remembers an once) and, because he was wearing a recently interviewed for the Victorian occasion at Bill’s place with friends. trench coat with huge pockets, he was Jazz Archive. Ray’s involvement with Looking up at a Melbourne Grammar able to obtain the gin and return with it the formation and running of the Archive oar, mounted above the fireplace, which to the hotel undetected. Max instantly is already well known and documented. Bill had won in a “Head of the River” became a friend for life. It was Ray who However, some fascinating stories of his event, Ray said, “You’ve got the old oar phoned to inform Roger Bell who, with early activities related to Ray’s favourite up there, Bill.” “No,” he replied, “she’s in Bill Miller, arranged the now historically passion emerged which should be the kitchen making the coffee.” famous Ja Da session with Max. transcribed. Graeme Bell was in Brisbane Ray first became aware of anything A mud-brick house entertaining troops at the time and thus resembling jazz while he was still missed out on this session, but he later It was during 1943 that Graeme and roomed with Max Kaminsky and got to attending the East Kew Central School. Roger Bell and Peter Glass decided to He recalled seeing Hollywood films at know him well before he returned to the build a mud-brick house in Eltham. The United States. the Rialto Picture Theatre which two Rays occasionally went to the site featured watered-down swing like to help out. On one occasion Ade The Artie Shaw band Tuxedo Junction. The first jazz record Monsbourgh, who had a dry sense of he bought was Will Bradley’s Down the humour, was there when Gordon Ford Max arranged for the two Rays to be Road A-Piece, but it was in 1942 at the hit his foot with a mattock and let out a invited to the Melbourne Town Hall for University of Melbourne that, with his yell. Ade looked at Gordon and without an invited-servicemen-only concert by good friends Ray Bradley and John hesitation said, “Ford Mattocks the Artie Shaw band. Although the lads Campton, he discovered improvised Ford” (punning the author Ford Maddox were behind the stage, Ray said that jazz. The University had a large Ford). the performance was a memorable collection of imported jazz records that When the Artie Shaw band arrived in experience. The other occasion that had been donated by the American Melbourne in 1943 it was Ray Ray heard the Shaw band in Melbourne Carnegie Foundation, and thus Ray was Marginson and Ray Bradley who made was the day before, when it played at able to study the world of jazz, which first contact with the famous Chicago the Royal Melbourne Hospital.