Formed in Adelaide in 1945, The Southern Jazz Group, one of the most famous of the early Australian jazz bands, became known to the jazz world at the first Australian Jazz Convention held in Melbourne in December 1946.
The band’s distinctive style and two-beat feel led them to become one of the most influential outfits in the history of Australian jazz music.
The group is now remembered on a special new CD released by the National Film and Sound Archive, a Division of the Australian Film Commission.
Called Memphis Records, The Southern Jazz Group and Friends, the CD features all the historic recordings of the Group which were released on the Memphis record label as well as a selection of other recordings by the Group which were unreleased by Memphis or made for other labels. Included are two sides which were cut at the band’s sensational national debut at the first Australian Jazz Convention in 1946.
The CD is a collaboration of the Australian Jazz Archive and the National Film and Sound Archive and has been produced by jazz historians Bruce Johnson and Bill Haesler. Professor Johnson says that the legendary band became a cornerstone in the development of what is now recognised as a distinctive Australian sound of jazz.
While The Southern Jazz Group made nearly 100 recordings for several labels, many of these were never released. The performances featured on this CD were originally released on a series of acetate, shellac and vinyl discs which arrived at the Archive in various states of deterioration. The survival of these recordings is of unique historical significance and importance to Australian jazz scholarship.
Archive Director Paolo Cherchi Usai said that the Archive’s technical staff had shown great skill in significantly restoring the audio quality of these recordings. “The process involved the transfer of the recordings from disc to a digital medium using sophisticated editing processes and high resolution audio restoration,” he said. “In this way the typical noise associated with damaged discs has been largely eliminated. The compilation was then mastered and copied to a CD format, ensuring this valuable
material will be available to future generations of jazz enthusiasts.”
This is the third CD in a series produced by the Australian Jazz Archive and the National Film and Sound Archive. The previous CDs, Jazz Notes and The Sydney Jazz Concerts, have focused on rare recordings from the 1949 Jazz Convention in Melbourne and from the famous concerts held at the Sydney Town Hall from 1947 to 1951.
Memphis Records, The Southern Jazz Group and Friends, a double CD set, is available for $24.95 including GST from the ScreenSound Australia shop and selected outlets.
Freecall 1800 677 609 for mail orders.
