The Monthly Jazz Rag

THE HERVEY BAY JAZZ RAG

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF

HERVEY BAY JAZZ CLUB INC.

P.O.Box 5236 Torquay, Hervey Bay, Qld. 4655

Website: www.herveybayjazzclub.org.au

Address all mail to the above postal address

THE PRESIDENT's COLUMN

Hi everybody!
For our July gig we had Sue Bond vocals backed by the Alan Burge Quartet. I have to say it was an unqualified success. This gig was marred by Evia Pickler and Stuart Wadham pulling out, initially, due to illness.

Dave Burrows on guitar was brilliant as always, plus newcomer Rod Christensen equally so on trumpet, reeds and vocals. Sue Bond was absolutely fabulous with her singing and stage craft – even had a few on the dance floor.

Rod Christensen has a jazz group called Trend so I’m sure we will be seeing them at various times next year, maybe sooner than you think!

This month we have Mal Wood’s Jazz All Stars. For lovers of jazz in the traditional style this is for you. Dig out your duffel coats and desert boots. They have one change in the line-up. Mike Ross, drums and vocals, has unfortunately retired due to severe back problems – a drummer’s nightmare. Steve Wright replaces him.

For September we were to have Jazzerati. Unfortunately they had to cancel due to losing their sax player. At short notice I was able to book Rod Christensen and Trend. Rod on reeds, trumpet, keyboard and vocals, Rod’s wife Keryn on electric bass, Mark Vinter guitar, and Max Sportelli drums.

They play Latin, jazz and swing, plus their own compositions and should be a very interesting group. For people at the last gig they would have seen and heard Rod playing and singing.

In October by popular demand we have a return visit from Paul Hendon’s Benny Goodman’s styled group. I missed the first gig being overseas at the time.

Val Brown the co-ordinator of the forthcoming jazz convention being held in Bundaberg gave us a short narration on what’s happening. She was kind enough to praise our club and wished they had the same in Bundy. For the August gig Val intends to bring along a crowd of jazz lovers.

Our numbers were down for the last gig. If we don’t get regular support, I cannot book bands with nothing in the kitty – twenty extra people make a big difference. We value your ongoing support so please keep coming.

All the best in jazz
Mike Knight
4125 2542

LAST MONTH’S GIG

As President Mike said it was a great night with Sue Bond and her sidemen. She sang well and everyone seemed to enjoy her renditions.

The crowd was down yet again which further erodes our reserves but we will push on.

Lucky member winners were June Stephenson, Mike Knight and Nancy Goddard.

FUTURE GIGS

September – We have Rod Christensen’s band with Rod on keyboard, trumpet, reeds and vocals, Mark Finter on guitar, Keryn Christensen on bass Guitar and Max Sportelli on drums.

They play a range of genres including the classics, Latino, groove and contemporary. So you can see they are quite versatile.

October - We have Paul Hendon’s Group who play in the Benny Goodman style and who went over very well in May. They replicate the Goodman style almost to the note.

We had many requests to bring them back – so here they are.

November – This will be our last for the year we have invited Mal Wood yet again but with his regular band that wowed us back in March.

So expect more of the same.

January – We though we should start the year with one of favourites “ The jazz Factory”

Traditional Jazz

Trad jazz is a derivative of title of this article and it means different styles from one person to another.

Some say it derived from Dixieland and ragtime that was popular at the turn of the 20th Century. It was to some people a backlash to the Chicago style of the 1930’s which is very close to swing.

In America the front runners of the trad style were King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and W.C Handy to name a few notables and their bands began including banjo and tuba. . Louis Armstrong was by far the most influential in USA.

There was a strong following in the UK where boogie woogie and stride piano were popular in the 1940’s. Humphrey Lyttleton pioneered a revival of the trad style after the Second World War and then along came Ken Colyer, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Chris Barber, Lonnie Donegan who introduced the banjo and skiffle and there were numerous others.

In the meantime Louis Armstrong was still very popular in this genre.

Skiffle was a derivative of trad but it was just a phase.

More recently, people like Wynton Marsalis played and recorded original trad style tunes and even produced some new compositions as well.

It is what I call happy music and if played well, it gets everyone going

…..Mal Wood and his AllStars should get us going this month. So if you like this style, come along on 26th.

You won’t be disappointed

Annual General Meeting.

As previously advised The AGM will be held at the Boat Club in the Marloo Room on 5th September commencing at 7.00 pm.

Nomination forms and also proxy forms have been forwarded to all members to allow you to nominate for the committee or allow someone to hold your proxy vote

BITS AND PIECE

Don’t forget The Noosa Jazz event is being held soon. It goes from 1st to 4th September and there is a great line-up. There are the evergreens like George Golla and the very new like Liam Burrows who did so well in The “Australia’s Got Talent” guest. He sings like frank Sinatra and is very good. Other performers include James Morrison, Bob Barnard, Allan Brown also George Washing machine and local group “The Jazz Factory”. There are various sites and venues and you need to go to a website to get more details. I went to www.noosa events.com au.

Kenny Powell died recently and he will be remembered for his dynamic piano playing as a soloist and with people like Sammy Davis Jnr, Shirley Bassey, Nancy Wilson Peggy Lee and of course Frank Sinatra
and was with Frank when he sang in London in 1969 after a 9 year absence.

Shoal Bay is having a Jazz Wine and Food festival on September 10th so if you are down that way around look out for it. They are featuring Sydney and local artists at a beachfront venue and wines from Brokenwood, Mount View and a beer tasting site as well.

Congratulations to Andy Brelsford, a member of our club, who received a Paul Harris Award at the recent changeover of his Rotary club, the Rotary Club Of Hervey Bay Sunrise. This is awarded to recognise outstanding service as a Rotarian.

THIS MONTHs GIG

This month we have a change of genre with some solid Trad Jazz with Mal Wood and his All Stars FEATURING Mal on trumpet and vocals with Jo Bloomfield on piano, Mike Hawthorn on trombone and vocals and locals Marsh Robinson on double bass and Steve Wright on drums.

It should be a great toe- tapping night, so don’t miss it.

We will have a quick general meeting before we start, as we must do from time to time.

All other details are as usual 7.30pm start in the Marloo Room at the Boat Club Buccaneer DrIve Urangan . Tickets available reception or ring 4128 9643