MJJ Oct 11, 2011

Friday Night at the Leinster

Lots of people but no pianist. Fortunately, Tom, a first time visitor to the jam, brought along his guitar and played. Hes in the middle of the picture below. When I turned up about 8pm, Col had been anxiously phoning around to get a pianist. He told me it would be ok there was a good one coming in half an hour and I could play till then. Thanks Col! Anyway I played a lot of the night and with Richard on guitar doing bass, rhythm and lead guitar (no bass player) and Tims friend on drums the rhythm section had a lot of fun. Friday 14 Oct is the last Jam on a Friday for this year Sundays as usual

The front of the band types (you know sax players, singers and the like) were out in profusion. Apart from the Tim, Peter, Keith, Ali and Col saxaphone party, there was Jack boning (does that mean something else these days?), and later Louis melodying and a whole choir of talented people some of whom were Studiogypsy, Melt, Arthur, Jobarama and dozens more (I got some email addresses but forgot most of the names?). In fact a rather wonderful singing teacher had brought along her students who later sang Hit the Road Jack as an ensemble and later individuals sang a variety of other numbers. When I left at 10.30pm Richard was on piano Col was back on sax and with several others they were all doing their thing. Altogether quite a busy jamming night! RM

Pinoak Crescent
I had a visit a while ago from some English backpackers whose visit to Melbourne was purely in the hope of catching a glimpse of Pinoak Crescent. As if this great metropolis had nothing more exciting to offer. Imagine the disappointment the poor darlings must have felt when they realised that Pinoak Crescent, is smaller than they had thought, and altogether more drearily suburban. Ramsey Street will never hold the same magic that it had when they first joined the Newcastle University Neighbours Appreciation Society. They left two days later for South America, with a deeper understanding of the difference between real and ersatz. Look, I couldn't make this up, it is, for a change, true; and I am not sure what relevance this has to jazz jam sessions, but I just thought I'd mention it. I attended the first Dizzy's Tribute to Bill Evans Jam Session on Saturday. It was smaller than I had thought, and one of a series to come. Get along if you can, some of the music making was of a high order, although not all of it by any means. Much conversation on the nature of jamming, with the view put forward that musicians shouldn't jam until they had reached at least post graduate jazz improvisation level. Which is one explanation for Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy G and even Bill Evans not being in attendance, as I don't believe any of them got that far in formal jazz studies. It was a relief to get away from the imagined Ramsay Street, and the manicured lawns of Pinoak Crescent, figuratively speaking, and plunge into a chaotic afternoon of peasant ballad mangling, bopping and boogeying along with four saxophones, two bass players, a couple of drummers, Alan the Jazz, Fred on percussion, a couple of guitarists, Peter and Jacin, (and I bet I've spelt that wrong), meself, Noriya and Inky Fingers McCue on keyboards (and Richard later on). There were occasions when this all started to sound quite good, but we managed to contain it, and mostly it was sixteen happy souls having a great time, in front of a large and appreciative audience, who clearly didn't know any better and stayed well beyond stumps. Only people missing were Frank, who tripped whilst mowing the lawn in stilettos, and broke a fingernail or something, and Miss Smiff who has left for a fortnight's business in Barbados or somewhere, and won't be coming back if the barman at the Bridgetown Beach Bar and Lambada Lounge is all he is cracked up to be. Hope you got it all sewn up Smiff. Improver of the week was Peter Cole who produced a chart for Black Coffee which looked a bit ambitious but he got it. Couldn't do that a coupla months ago. Chaos of the Week: The Captain distinguished himself by calling for a rhythm drop out, several times,, with hand gesticulation, wild cries and urgent instructions, but, inevitably, without all of us in the rhythm section understanding what he was on about, or, indeed, that we were the rhythm section. Top tune, by audience acclamation, was Route 66, which after last week;'s debacle, really rocked for a change, with a young bass player who described himself as a beginner. Not.

Lots of new faces and the best Sunday Arvo session in ages. Can we do it all again? http://www.jazzidiot.blogspot.com More drivel than you can poke a stick at. TW from the editor The type of music most often played at the jams is American jazz of the 40s, 50s and 60s. This was when the style known as bebop was developing and maturing. Bill Evans was one of those who continued the development of the style in the late 50s and early 60s. It is a style that is still known as modern jazz. Bill was the feature artist at Dizzys recent jam and you can read more and listen to him at links below. Speaking of Dizzys there was some pretty damn fine piano work from Daniel Gassin and Rory Clark to get Dizzy's Saturday jams off to a good start. I have to say they were ably assisted by a cool version by Sam of You Don't Know What Love Is, not to mention John Curtis' version of Tenderly in the original 3/4 variety as Bill Evans played it. Future Saturdays feature more pianists namely Oscar, Thelonius and Bud! Should be fun. It is pleasing that visitors to Melbourne have no trouble finding our website. Recently we have had visitors from Germany, Spain, Colombia, Japan and Indonesia as well as local visitors. Music is truly the international language which is just as well because that is the only other language I speak. Which reminds me, Question: What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages? Answer: bilingual. Question: And what do you call someone who speaks 3 languages? Answer: trilingual. Question: and what do you call someone who speaks one language? Answer: An English speaker! Feedback or comments can be emailed to melbournejazzjammers@gmail.com Rob McCue 11 Oct 2011

to the editor From Noel: Zoot Sims I have always appreciated, but our Zoot seems to suffer a bit from tunnel vision . . . Jam sessions have changed a lot from the 1940s, where they were both the proving ground for many emerging jazz musicians and also major developments in the art form. That is not the Melbourne 2011 scene however, which seems more intended to provide a forum for a blow (structured or otherwise) with kindred spirits only some of whom may have aspirations to develop further. Zoot seems to be focussed on just the latter?

To use a golfing analogy, there are far many more players who have bought their gear and a club membership and are quite happy to knock a ball around at weekends for the various joys (and frustrations) it brings. However, those who have set their sights on becoming club champion, or even the PGA circuit, have to find themselves a good coach and put in a lot more serious work as an individual. The clubs however depend on the weekend players, and vice versa: the aspiring professionals have to set their own course. (I just hope that theres more money in golf than there is in music!!)

Bill Evans (16 Aug 1929 to 15 Sept 1980)

In 1959 Bill Evans played on the biggest selling jazz album ever and one of the most influential, Kind of Blue. Less than ten years earlier at his graduation recital he had played Beethovens third piano concerto. His mother was an amateur pianist with an interest in modern classical composers and he began classical piano lesson at age six. Throughout his career he developed a style of playing that utilised the whole tonal and dynamic range of the piano though he is often known for his lyrical singing style of melodic playing. It was a style that was intimate and ultimately owed much to his classical background. Through his playing he brought about an acceptance of the trio combination of piano, bass and drums as an appropriate and normal way of playing jazz. Most of the above can be seen in his Waltz for Debbie, written about his niece, with Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums which is at http://youtu.be/dH3GSrCmzC8 Filmed at a private home in Helsinki, Evans plays Nardis. A Miles Davis tune written for Cannonball Adderley Evans made it his own. No one else picked it up and played it so he did, making it a regular in his set, it is at http://youtu.be/7AXqe4RRIkE Bill Evans Montreux July 1978 WCC Some Day My Prince Will Come with Scott La Faro and Paul Motian on drums is at http://youtu.be/zYpKNM1Yi5o Thelonius Monks Round Midnight, with Eddy Gomez bass and Marty Morrell drums can be heard at http://youtu.be/3QwiTYBzU68

The Jam Sessions

The jams feature a blend of accomplished musicians and those beginning their jamming careers. A great opportunity to drop in, meet other musicians, blow your heart out on your favourite tune or kick back and listen in. The music may be good, bad or bebop, swing, blues, latin or lousy anything can happen and often does! All are welcome. Bring charts, instruments, voices.

The Leinster Arms Hotel

66 Gold Street, Collingwood For dinner bookings phone 9417 5720

www.leinsterarms.com.au

Jammers Newsletter
The Newsletter informs interested people of Jazz Jammers events, CD launches and jam sessions. It reviews past sessions, promotes events being put on by Jammers and encourages people to get involved in live performance. It also provides an informative and friendly network for musicians and followers of jazz.

Jam Sessions at the Leinster Arms Hotel Friday 7:00pm till late Sunday from 4pm

Have an enews item? Send by Monday night to

melbournejazzjammers@gmail.com

Jammers website
http://melbournejazzjammers.com/