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 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. He’s 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 Tim’s friend on drums therhythm 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 wasJack 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 onpiano Col was back on sax and with

several others they were all doing their

thing. Altogether quite a busy jamming

night! RM  

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Pinoak CrescentI 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 soundquite 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.

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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 40’s, 50’s and

60’s. 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 50’s and early

60’s. It is a style that is still known as “modern jazz”. Bill was the feature artist at

Dizzy’s recent jam and you can read more and listen to him at links below.

Speaking of Dizzy’s 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 befun.

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 bitfrom 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?

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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 there’s 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 Beethoven’s 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 Monk’s Round Midnight, with Eddy Gomez bass and Marty Morrell drums

can be heard at http://youtu.be/3QwiTYBzU68  

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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 

Jam Sessionsat the Leinster Arms

Hotel

Friday7:00pm till late

Sunday from 4pm

The Newsletter informs interested people of Jazz

Jammers events, CD launches and jam sessions. It

reviews past sessions, promotes events being put on byJammers and encourages people to get involved in live

performance. It also provides an informative and friendly

network for musicians and followers of jazz.

Have an enews item?Send by Monday night to

melbournejazzjammers@gmail.com

Jammers websitehttp://melbournejazzjammers.com/