[Dixielandjazz] news from downunder

[jazzfact]

Hi All,
Here's an article I am writing for the Noosa Heads Jazz Club Museletter 

Simon Stribling
Being a person from an era when Hip Hop meant different things to today,
it is time to reflect on the life of the music we love. For 50 years
what I will term here as “Classic Jazz” has been under threat. The
“culture and arts” police find the older music passé and yet the
majority of respondents at jazz festivals surveyed go to hear older
forms of jazz. The grant money seems to be received by contemporary and
experimental bands yet the older forms have a dedicated audience, so
coining the phrase “Ohh it looks after itself, It’s commercial” . In
reality, try selling any music to a venue unless you can give them a
good audience! 

This brings us to what the new generation is doing. Simon Stribling at
32 years is one of Australia’s most skilled jazz players, and yet his
reputation is not for his appeal to the modern but for his preservation
of the past. Simon grew up in a household alive to the sounds of jazz
and most Australians are familiar with the lifetime of work produced by
his late father Neville. Simon studied under the late Dick Tattam and
was influenced not just by his father but by the stellar Tom Baker. 

Just as Mozart, Brahms and Verdi are played by the symphony orchestras
around the world Simon and his contemporaries are keeping the classics
alive. Simon has found a new life in Canada where he now lives with his
Canadian wife Laurie. This allows Simon access to both his regular gigs
there and also to access the USA and for that matter Europe. 
Simon has become the visible part of a “push” that centered around
Melbourne and is a poorly recognized part of the history of music not
just in Australia but internationally.

There are other Melbourne prodigies Eugene Ball and Ashley Gaudion (both
second generation jazz musicians) Stephen Grant, Joe Stevenson, Mark
Elton and others who have adopted the classic style as their own. All of
these young players have huge confidence and have toured
internationally. With their immense collective talent it is in fact a
tribute to the classic jazz masters Louis Armstrong, and later
revivalists that these early influences are still valid today . There
are others now emerging in their early 20’s Don Stewart from Sydney and
another “Wunderkind” Michael McQuaid from Canberra.

Michael has emerged recently to claim his place in this elite forum as a
clarinet/saxophone player.  One Melbourne Trumpet player (getting on a
little) who arrived for Michael’s recent appearance at the Bob Barnard
Jazz Party in Melbourne when he heard Michael attack his first song at
the concert pronounced dismissively “Benny Goodman”. The next song blew
him away as Michael trotted out some blistering choruses straight from
the Ade Monsborough School. It transpired that Michael often travels
from his Canberra home to visit Ade (now retired) and like other fine
Australian musicians before him, finds great inspiration there.   

So, for one performance only The Noosa Heads Jazz Club will present a
red hot jazz night featuring Simon Stribling and Michael McQuaid on 19th
July. Included in the all Australian line up is Melbourne multi
instrumentalist Ian Smith, John Murray trombone, pianist Bernice
Haydock, drummer Bob Mair John Withers on banjo and Richard Stevens on
brass bass. Expect to hear sparks fly as the band play some Ade
Monsborough classics and inspire the crowd with some songs in the San
Francisco revival style.

regards,
Richard Stevens
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~jazzfact/

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Sam
Meerkin/Evelyne Perks
Sent: Thursday, 22 May 2003 12:41 AM
To: Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] news from downunder

Mike Edwards, the relatively new reed player with New Melbourne Jazz
Band has been filling in with Creole Bells 'til a replacement could be
found.  What a replacement the Creole Bells seem to have found !
Michael Mcquaid, one of the most exciting young players of OKOM in
Australia is moving to Melbourne from Canberra & will possibly join the
band soon.  This should give a whole new impetus to the Creole Bells and
I can't wait for the sparks to fly.  You heard it here first ! 
 

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