Western Australia’s arts world is saddened by the passing of David Blenkinsop AM. David was Artistic Director of the Festival of Perth from 1976 to 1999.
A larger than life cricket loving Yorkshireman, David took the annual Festival to great heights and included many jazz artists through a period where the development of jazz in WA was moving through a rapid period of change.
The Festival of Perth’s (FOP) presentation of the England Youth Jazz Orchestra was a major impetus and inspiration for the formation of the highly successful WA Youth Jazz Orchestra in 1983.
The Festival presented many of the international jazz artists who came to Australia in the early 1980s for the Jamey Aebersold clinics held in Sydney and Melbourne. These included Woody Shaw Quintet, Miroslav Vitous’s band, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Griffin Quartet and Mel Lewis Quartet. FOP also presented Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz, Danny Moss , Mike Nock, Stan Tracey and Don Weller.
The Festival Club provided ongoing opportunities for an increasing number of young jazz musicians still studying or recently graduated to perform.
In 1988 FOP organised the first tour by Wynton Marsalis and in addition to presenting his quintet in Perth, FOP presented the Wynton Marsalis Quintet at Sydney Opera House. That year also saw FOP present Australian Jazz Orchestra in conjunction with Australian Bicentennial Authority. Both concerts and many other FOP jazz concerts took place at the Perth Concert Hall.
Other FOP Perth Concert Hall jazz concerts in the 1990s featured Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra and Ray Brown Trio plus James Morrison. Young musicians also received excellent experience with Pete Jeavons [bass] and Ben Vanderwal [drums] accompanying Brits Andy Sheppard and Steve Lodder; Pete and Michael Pigneguy accompanying Michel Legrand.
