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NATIONAL JAZZ CO-ORDINATION NEWSLETTER No 3, May 2, 1988 Writer & editor: Eric Myers, National Jazz Co-ordinator ________________________________________________________ Visit of the Australian Jazz Orchestra to the United States. In a two-weeks visit to the United States, from April 5-19, the AJO played to open-air audiences for three days at the Houston International Festival, in jazz clubs for one night in Chicago (The Jazz Showcase), San Francisco (Kimball's) and Los Angeles (Catalina Bar & Grill), in a New York jazz club (Carlos I) for three nights, and to a concert hall audience of over 400 at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. A shot of the Australian Jazz Orchestra, which appeared in The Australian newspaper on December 11, 1987. Four musicians at the back are L-R, James Morrison, Paul Grabowsky, Dale Barlow, Bernie McGann. Middle row, L-R, Gary Costello, Doug DeVries, Bob Venier, Bob Bertles, Alan Turnbull, Don Burrows, Warwick Alder. Front row, crouching, L-R, Peter Brendlé, Eric Myers. This does not include the trombonist Dave Panichi who joined the band for the US tour… PHOTO CREDIT BRANCO GAICA 1 The band included 12 musicians: Warwick Alder (trt & flugel), Bob Venier (trt & flugel), James Morrison (tromb, trt, tuba & euphonium), Dave Panichi (tromb & flugbn), Bob Bertles (alto, baritone & flute), Bernie McGann (alto), Dale Barlow (sop & tenor), Don Burrows (flutes & baritone), Paul Grabowsky (pno), Doug de Vries (gtr), Gary Costello (bass) and Alan Turnbull (drs). Trombonist Dave Panichi, who joined the AJO for the US tour… As I was able to hear every performance of the AJO in the US, I can vouch for the fact that the band played with absolute brilliance; the players generally played longer solos than they did with the AJO in Australia, and pushed themselves way beyond their normal limits. These performances, in my view, confirmed that the best of Australian jazz musicians are unquestionably of international standard and - significantly - this view was reinforced by critics in New York and Los Angeles, who wrote extremely positive reviews. New York critics John S Wilson of The New York Times and Lee Jeske of The New York Post, attended the opening night at Carlos I in New York on April 13. Wilson singled out Burrows, Morrison and Grabowsky for special mention, and said that "the orchestra rode on the pulse of a brilliant rhythm section - relaxed but swinging with provocative piano lines by Paul Grabowsky that gave ensemble passages an added dimension”.* _______________________________________________________ *The full review by John S Wilson of the “New York Times” appears on this website at this link https://ericmyersjazz.com/contributions-4 2 The orchestra rode on the pulse of a brilliant rhythm section, pianist Paul Grabowsky (above); bassist Gary Costello (below); and (far below) drummer Alan Turnbull… 3 Jeske said that "a number of soloists were extraordinary", and singled out Burrows, Morrison, McGann and Barlow. He also said that "the rhythm section - pianist Paul Grabowsky, bassist Gary Costello, and drummer Alan Turnbull - was tight and in- step throughout." It was interesting that both New York critics chose to praise the rhythm section. This was particularly gratifying, because one of the most common criticisms of Australian jazz is that we do not produce first-class rhythm sections in this country. In Los Angeles the critic Zan Stewart, writing in The Los Angeles Times, referred to "bravura soloists, who generated both substance and swing", and singled out McGann, Barlow, Burrows, Morrison and Grabowsky for special praise. Don Burrows (left) and James Morrison, pictured here in 1988: they were singled out for praise by critics Lee Jeske & John S Wilson in New York, and by Zan Stewart in Los Angeles…PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA Note also that the material played by the AJO was universally praised by the critics. Wilson said that the players had "coalesced into an unusually strong ensemble", and described "a repertory that comes primarily from within the band in arrangements that make imaginative use of the mainstream of contemporary big band tradition." He drew attention to "the ensembles through which an Ellington colour, a riding Basie phrase or even a Sauter-Finegan flourish would appear and dissolve." Jeske said that the AJO was "satisfying in that, unlike some all-star bands tossed together with players from different styles (bebop, avant-garde, swing, etc) this sounded like a band". "The post-bop writing," he went on to say, "by several band members and other leading Australian jazz composers, was memorable." Stewart said that the AJO "roared through a six-tune opening set of modern mainstream jazz that was always exciting and occasionally electrifying." He referred to "a pleasing fresh and powerful sound, due in part to a wealth of original material arranged with panache and verve..." 4 Two other players singled out for praise by critics Lee Jeske in New York and Zan Stewart in Los Angeles were Bernie McGann (above) and Dale Barlow (below)… McGANN PHOTO CREDIT EVGENY RASKOPOV, BARLOW PHOTO CREDIT PETER SINCLAIR 5 There was no reason why these critics should have praised the AJO, other than that the band performed at a very high standard. Had the players or the music been lame in any respect, then these critics - who have seen and heard everything, and who are very blasé - undoubtedly would have had no hesitation in saying so. Of course, for various reasons, the visit of the AJO was not a total triumph. Publicity, with the exception of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, and the possible exception of Catalina's in LA, was either absent or ineffective. The project relied on three agencies for publicity: the New York agent Edith Kiggen; the presenters themselves; and the Australian Information Service. None of them, with the exceptions noted above, were very effective. The AJO had some bad luck. Acts of God ruined chances of attracting large audiences in two venues: in Chicago, the band played on a Monday night - an off-night anyway, but it was also Academy Awards night, a night on which the whole of the country stays at home; and in Los Angeles, rain on the afternoon and evening of the performance effectively closed down the city, and over 20 tables were cancelled for the AJO's performance at Catalina's Bar & Grill. Still, the visit of the AJO was a pioneering venture which achieved a great deal; it was an invaluable experience and an education for everyone in the AJO party - the musicians, the sound technician Lana Lazareff, the tour manager Peter Brendlé, and myself [who administered the project on behalf of the Jazz Co-ordination Association of NSW]. It served to reinforce the fact - if it ever needed reinforcing - that Australia can produce bands which can legitimately perform in the same venues as do the legendary greats of the music, and be considered on equal terms as the great players. An invaluable experience and an education for everyone in the AJO party including tour manager Peter Brendlé, pictured here (centre) with US guitarist Kenny Burrell (left) and US blues singer B B King (right)… __________________________________________________________ An article by Eric Myers entitled “The Australian Jazz Orchestra in the United States” appears on this website at this link https://ericmyersjazz.com/essays. 6 News From Garry Lee in WA The WA Jazz Co-ordinator Garry Lee reports that the recent visit of the Sydney guitarists Steve McKenna and Jim Kelly to Perth was a great success. They performed at the Perth Jazz Society concert on March 14, in the company of two of Perth's leading guitarists Ray Walker and Freddie Grigson, and also were able to teach a number of Perth's up-and-coming guitarists. Sydney guitarist Jim Kelly: performing at the Perth Jazz Society concert on March 14… PHOTO CREDIT PETER SINCLAIR with (below) another Sydney guitarist Steve McKenna… 7 This came about through an application by the PJS to the Performing Arts Board under the 'Musicians-In-Residence' funding program. In his capacity as WA Jazz Co- ordinator Garry drew the attention of the PJS to the funding program in 1987, and assisted with the application. As the PJS normally receives Australia Council funds only under the 'Performance' program, Garry feels that this venture was a major step forward for WA. McKenna and Kelly were able to hear and perform with leading Perth guitarists, thus serving to build up the reputations of such local players. Garry Lee recommends this funding program for 1989 to the more remote states, as an excellent way of bringing across musicians from the more populous jazz centres, in order to teach, and perform with, leading local musicians. [The next closing date for the 'Musicians-In-Residence' program, by the way, is May 15, 1988.] Praise for Bill Munro by Niranjan Jhaveri Niranjan Jhaveri, producer of the Jazz Yatra festival in Bombay, India, witnessed the performance by the Dave Dallwitz's Southern Australian Jazz Group at the Chicago Jazz Festival (September 2-6, 1987) and is full of praise for the trumpeter Bill Munro, whom he regards as the spiritual heir to Bix Beiderbecke. Adelaide trumpeter Bill Munro, pictured here with clarinetist Bruce Gray: that illusive magical Bixian tone, according to Niranjan Jhaveri… PHOTO COURTESY LES HAINES, OXFORD COMPANION TO AUSTRALIAN JAZZ Writing in an article which he inserted in the souvenir program for the 1988 Jazz Yatra - and which, he suggests, should be published in the Australian Jazz Magazine, if the magazine is resurrected - he refers to a concert, in front of 80,000 people, which included Wynton Marsalis, the vocalist Sheila Jordan, and the Dallwitz group: 8 "Once again jazz from Australia gained glory in an international arena, in Chicago which has witnessed and been a very significant part of so much jazz history.

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