“We decided to record this performance because we felt it was a good time to document the work we’ve done so far, and also because the musicians are so good. We’ve been very lucky in Melbourne to have worked with great players; it’s a great privilege to have your music played by such fantastic musicians”.
“Best travelling music is still Pat Metheny. “The Precious Jewel” from “Beyond the Missouri Sky”, with Charlie Haden. Travelling through the Swiss Italian alps by train for the first time. Laughing and crying at the same time.”
Artists include jazz legends Vince Jones, Peter Gaudion and Bob Sedergreen in one-off shows with some leading names joining their line-ups.
One of the aspects I have always enjoyed in Wilson’s music is his impressionistic side – even though a player who resonates with the deep history of the art form, he never baulks at going where the music takes him, whether an un-jazz place or not.
” This year’s Festival program was put together smartly by Jazzgroove to get all the flavours of jazz rubbing up against each other and to pleasantly jolt by contrast.”
“These guys didn’t live to play music. They lived because they played music. Music literally kept them alive.”
The roster does real justice to the ‘international’ part of its title, as it features musicians from four continents: Europe, Africa, Asia and, of course, our own little corner of the world.
extempore and the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues have collaborated with National Jazz Award winners from every year of the festival since it began. The result is this eclectic set of souvenir postcards from some of our most creative musicians.
Over the 10 day duration of the festival I’d encountered orthodox jazz rhythms, experimental jazz and music that you could argue was not jazz at all. Had I selected a different schedule of artists, I may have had a totally different festival experience altogether, such was the variety of shows on offer.
