By John Shand
Swinging out from shore DARLING HARBOUR JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL
SOON it may surround you. Pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes, concert halls and parks will all have it. Wherever you turn, you'll hear a saxophone or a double bass. Jazz, you see, is in the ascendant again, thanks not only to the quality of the local players and the constant stream of internationals but also to a most unlikely friend.
Usually kicked, condemned and ridiculed, the NSW Government is this unlikely new pal of not just jazz but all live music, which for 20 years has been almost obliterated by the costly, red-tape-ridden need for a Place Of Public Entertainment (POPE) licence. Now the POPEs have been defrocked and if a venue wants music, it just needs to book a band.
The excellence of the local product was never in doubt. The Phil Slater Quartet, for instance, is surely one of the world's most exciting bands, with its mesmerically slow builds to lingering ecstasy rather than to climax - kind of like the musical version of tantric sex.
There's the dazzling genius of guitarist James Muller (Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills, June 16) and the heady mix of beauty, drive and playfulness that is pianist Mike Nock (with singer Kristin Berardi at the Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, June 13).
The Sound Lounge (Fridays and Saturdays) and the Excelsior (Tuesdays) have been jazz's key bastions, along with some underground venues, occasional Basement and Vanguard gigs and a few pubs such as the Huntsbury (Petersham), Unity (Balmain) and the Macquarie (city).
Although Sydney lacks a proper indoor international jazz festival which could so easily be tied to Melbourne's it does have the Manly and Darling Harbour events. These don't provide the best listening environment but they do expose jazz to large crowds. Among the bands at this year's Darling Harbour festival are those of saxophonist James Valentine and bassist Alex Hewetson.
Best known as a radio presenter and author, Valentine is resurrecting a music career that's lain dormant a dozen years. Last time round he ended up playing disposable solos with 1980s pop groups such as Models. "I got seduced by the money available in rock music," he admits, "and I regret that to this day." Now, he's back chasing a sound in his head incorporating modern dance grooves. He believes that to help the jazz scene expand "we need energetic young promoters", also pointing to the potential of countless currently "moribund" licensed clubs. "The musicians have to get imaginative, as well, and take music back to where people are."
Thinking outside of the square, Valentine suggests gigs in shopping centres and parks and Hewetson suggests the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Both believe the music mutates organically to suit outdoor gigs. "You're not going to have the intense listening quality of the Excelsior on a Tuesday night," Hewetson says of Darling Harbour, "so we'll definitely be playing all our funkier tunes."
His band, Gobotron, has the dual keyboard attack of Matt McMahon and Gerard Masters, plus the deep groove of drummer Hamish Stuart.
"There's going to be a certain amount of people who are just drifting by, thinking it's all very nice to have some music and a day out. But I think there will also be people who connect with the band and perhaps even buy a CD."
His other band, the hypnotic Climbing Tree, played recently at one of the underground venues, which he says attracts a young, open, enthusiastic audience.
Meanwhile, the scene can take heart from the experience of the Macquarie Hotel, which in fact makes more money from live music than pokies during the evenings. Now we just need 100 new venues to spring up and councils to change the asinine parking limits to three hours, so people can readily enjoy a night out with the wondrous jazz Sydney offers.
Darling Harbour's big innovation this year at its annual jazz and blues festival is indoor night-time music the Festival Jazz Club aboard the floating old Manly ferry South Steyne ($10 entry). Acts include the Kevin Hunt Trio (with such guests as singers Anita Wardell and Tina Harrod and violinist George Washingmachine), the Rick Robertson Trio and the John Morrison Quartet featuring Dale Barlow. Outdoors, look out for Harrod again on Saturday, 12.30pm. Sunday highlights are the Eddie Bronson Quartet, James Valentine Quartet, Dave Brewer Band, Old Spice Boys, Cafe Society Orchestra and the biting post-bop of the Bernie McGann Quartet. Monday includes Gobotron and a reformed Mighty Reapers.
Today from 7.30pm until Monday at 7pm , 48 bands across five stages, Darling Harbour , outdoors free. See darlingharbour.com.
© 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald
