TWO veritable giants of jazz performed in Australia for the first time in 2008 without including Melbourne in their itinerary. Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman both gave unforgettable concerts, well worth an interstate trip (I saw Rollins in Sydney and Coleman in Adelaide), but it’s a pity Melbourne could not play host to these legendary figures.
Another outstanding American saxophonist, David Murray, also bypassed Melbourne in 2008, but at least jazz fans had to travel only to Wangaratta this time to see him and his magnificent Black Saint Quartet in action. Murray may be two decades younger than Coleman and Rollins but his on-stage presence was just as awe-inspiring, radiating an intensity that made his appearance one of the undoubted jazz highlights of 2008.
Fellow Americans Joe Lovano and John Scofield also shone at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival in November, as did Finland’s Ilmiliekki Quartet and a dazzling array of Australian artists, including Paul Grabowsky, Megan Washington, James Muller, Phil Stack and the Antripodean Collective.
In Melbourne, the jazz festival season began in April with Melbourne Jazz Fringe, which continues to grow each year (in stature, if not in budget) with an imaginatively curated series of events. The Commission Concert culminated in a bold new work by Erik Griswold, while Big Arse Sunday served as an inspiring showcase for emerging and established talent. This is a small but extremely valuable festival that will, I hope, eventually secure the funding it needs to match its creative intentions.
Read the full article on The Age website.
Photo: Julien Wilson
