While Sydney and Melbourne remain Australia’s undisputed jazz capitals, other cities are producing proportionally high numbers of talented players and developing active scenes.
For some time, the jazz community has marvelled at the talent emerging from Perth and, more specifically, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Now Brisbane is stepping into the spotlight.
This week – 24-29 April – the Valley Jazz Festival will showcase many of the city’s leading musicians, along with a well-chosen selection of national and international artists.
Headline acts include the Vince Jones Band, Tinkler–Rex–Grabowsky–Edie, George Coleman Jr’s Rivivngton Project (USA), James Sherlock Quartet, Misinterprotato, Band of 5 Names, New Blood, Jim Kelly’s The Return of Crossfire, and Kristin Beradi.
James Sherlock, who chooses Brisbane as home primarily because of family reasons, says the city has always produced good musicians. “But most leave for Melbourne, Sydney or overseas where young players can immerse themselves in a larger, more diverse musical environment,” he says.
“There are so few opportunities for musicians to play their own music, and actually have an audience that events like this are vital. Perhaps it can also help audiences seek out live music on a more regular basis.”
The Festival’s director Andrew Shaw says even with the inevitable flow of musicians south, there are many talented players, including John Rodgers, Ken Edie, Sherlock, Graeme Norris, Toby Wren, Steve Newcomb, Jeff Usher and Elliott Dalgliesh.
“The Queensland Conservatorium is producing some fine musicians, as is Jazzworx! and QUT,” he says.
“There is also a culture of jazz musicians coming up from the “street” if you like. Young bands like Kafka have developed quite a following and they have learned to play jazz by listening to it and busking, and playing together a lot, rather than following a tertiary education path.”
However, Andrew says noise restriction laws pose a significant impediment to the development of the music scene.
“Urban renewal and the repopulation of the inner city have caused many problems for venues wanting to present live music. Fortitude Valley has been granted status as a live music precinct, which has minimised noise problems in the area, but venues such as the Brisbane Jazz Club (BJC) at Kangaroo Point are facing ridiculous restrictions due to the complaints of a few residents.
“The BJC has been established in its current premises for 30 years and is now only able to offer live music until 10pm on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. This problem extends through to the Southbank precinct, as well as surrounding suburbs and further out.”
Andrew says he wanted to create a festival atmosphere that allows musicians to hear each other perform and help create a sense of community for the scene.
He also selected existing jazz venues for many performances in order to use the publicity generated by the festival to bring attention to the venues’ ongoing programs.
“We have … had other venues asking to be part of the Valley Jazz Festival. They’ll be able to see, through the audience numbers, that there are benefits to presenting jazz music on a regular basis and this will create more work in general. Audience development is also a reason for the broad range of jazz styles that I’ve programmed.
“I want people to come along to hear something that they’re familiar with and perhaps accidentally hear something else and discover that they like it. The beauty of the Valley is that many people just go there, so we’ll be able to tap into an audience that may not even be there for the festival, but because of its sheer size they won’t be able to avoid being exposed to jazz or improvised music of some kind or another.”
Despite limited media support, Andrew says the ticketed events are selling very well and he expects to see near capacity crowds. (The bulk of the program is free.)
Not surprisingly, generating media interest for a jazz event has been a challenge, though The Courier Mail has done one feature article and the festival has received coverage in the street press.
An associated vocal award promoted and presented by ABC local radio has provided a means by which the festival is increasing its profile in wider community.
“The Valley Jazz Festival 612ABC Brisbane Vocal Award has certainly given the media a different and perhaps more accessible thing to grab on to. Many people seem to identify with the voice first and instrumental music second, so it’s a good way for the festival to reach a wider audience. It has also helped to galvanise the bond between VJF and ABC Radio.”
The focus on singing seems appropriate for other reasons, too. In Kristin Beradi, winner of the 2006 Montreux Jazz Voice Competition, and Megan Washington, a young vocalist with enormous potential, Brisbane has recently produced two singers with very bright futures.
Megan, who now divides her time between Melbourne and her home town, says she received a lot of encouragement early in her career.
“There is an amazing support network within the scene and a nurturing of younger musicians,” she says. “I was really nurtured by musicians here, including John Hoffman, Katie Noonan and James Sherlock.”
Like many musicians of her generation, Megan is interested in a range of musical forms, including some unlikely styles. “I grew up listening to Judy Garland and Billie Holiday. As a child in Papua New Guinea I used to watch an unhealthy number of MGM musicials. I learnt a lot of show tunes.”
But Megan finds many of the jazz standards alienating. “As a singer it has been hard. The reason we’re singers is because we feel attached to lyrical content and I can’t connect with Honeysuckle Rose,” she says. “That leaves a huge hole in the jazz repertoire for singers – there’s nothing in the Real Book that applies.
Jazz, however, does have its rewards. “There is “an element of escapism, of getting lost in the mathematics of the music.”
“I love the wide open freedom and to know that the rest of the band is going to go with you. I love the institution of it, the community of it. We all know the same songs.”
Megan is currently working with Paul Grabowsky on an album of material she describes as jazz-folk.
“This is the easiest creative project I have worked on. Paul has a musical idea, I have a lyrical idea. There’s a lot of email tennis.”
Visit Megan’s MySpace profile.
Photo: Megan Washington
