[Dixielandjazz] Bruce Elder

[Stephen G Barbone]

Dear Bill Haesler, Jack Mitchell & Marek Boym:

Here are a couple of Bruce Elder reviews. and a reference to his  
critic gig with gthe Sydney Morning Herald. Mates, you need to get out  
more. <grin> Marek, never rest your case when you are talking to a  
lawyer.<grin>

Cheers,

Steve Barbone


The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) also offers high profile, serious arts  
coverage. Its arts section occurs nearer the front of the paper than  
other papers, like The Australian. The SMH has an 'Arts &  
entertainment' section and, in the weekend edition, a 'Spectrum'  
section that deals with popular entertainment and lifestyle topics.  
Music critics are Peter McCallum (classical), Bernard Zuel (popular),  
Bruce Elder (popular), John Shand (jazz), and for many previous years  
Roger Covell (classical). After a brief stint in Melbourne's The  
Herald, Neville Cardus was the SMH's main music critic through most of  
the 1940s. Currently Richard Jinman is the arts editor.

BFUCE ELDER'S review of Pugsley Bjuzzard in Sidney Morning Herald,
" If there is a sure - fire formula for musical success, leading to  
lots of regular work and critical acclaim, it has to be New Orleans  
style piano playing mixed in with boogie and blues, that is both hot  
and cool, sensuous and intimate, raw and loads of fun.
Think only of Fats Domino, Fats Waller, Dr. John, Jon Cleary, Tom  
Waits and our own home grown performer with the unforgettable name,  
Pugsley Buzzard.
His technique is simple: a voice with all the smoothness of a  
corrugated dirt road leads to effortless, raw honesty; an  
exceptionally good and rich backing band; a bunch of songs that range  
from " Aces and Eights" , lazy, piano based blues with a dash of soul,  
through " Chained", powerhouse New Orleans- style blues that wouldn`t  
be out of place in the repertoire of the late Howlin` Wolf to the  
dark, smoky menace of " Black Dog", with some wailing, fat baritone  
saxophone from Adam Simmons. The result is an album that is deeply  
rooted in African - American musical traditions and still sounds fresh  
and original.
The most impressive aspect of this very impressive album is that not  
for a moment do you feel that Buzzard is an imitator or an imposter.  
This is so authentic and persuasive that if you were told he arrived  
in the country last week after a residency in some steamy New Orleans  
club, you`d believe it. He is that good."Bruce Elder`s review in SMH,  
June 12


Bruce Mathiske  Gig Preview from, theage.com.au
By BRUCE ELDER

Jazz, classical, flamenco and rock. Is there anything the Newcastle  
guitar slinger can't play?

Genre Folk/World, Jazz/Blues

Preview
It's hard to make a decent living as a guitarist in this
country. We certainly have no lack of talent, with guitar
giants of the order of Gareth Koch, Tommy Emmanuel
and Bruce Mathiske. It is probably no accident that
Mathiske, who hails from Newcastle, has titled his most
recent album Live in Ireland. What's that line about a
prophet without honour in his own land?
Mathiske is an authentic guitar virtuoso who is as
comfortable playing rock and jazz as he is nodding
towards flamenco and classical. Be amazed that he is
not a household name.



As part of the 2008 Sydney Festival, Riverside Theatres will present  
three of Sydney’s most sensational jazz singers in three unforgettable  
concerts in the Riverside Theatres courtyard – Tina Harrod, Virna  
Sanzone and Lily Dior.

Lily Dior is one of Australia’s most captivating singers, possessing a  
warm, lyrical vocal that lends itself smoothly to the cool, subtleties  
and nuance of jazz. "Deep, full, heart-stopping and sultry" is how  
BRUCE ELDER described it in the Sydney Morning Herald. Of her  
performance, Jim McLeod wrote: "She can belt out a song, dramatize a  
lyric, swing hard and earthy, flirt, sing a tender song - Lily can  
tell a story'."