[Dixielandjazz] Great day in Harlem photo

[Jack Mitchell]

Dear Anton.

An interesting article, but I don't know the answers.

It's quite true that little interest is taken in Australia's jazz history, 
apart from one or two artists and then only a cursory interest.

In the early sixties Graham Spedding spent some time in Lithgow and we had 
some good record sessions.  I was a few years older, but as part of the 
Sydney scene I regarded him as more or less equivalent. However when I 
played the Roseville 78s featuring Errol Buddle and Les McGrath, Speddo said 
"I didn't realise people in Australia were playing saxophones like that so 
early in Australia". It was only ten or so years earlier!!

A year or so later I played some Jim Davidson and Frank Coughlan discs from 
the thirties to Ken Herron, who was impressed, but said, "of course the 
history of Australian jazz is only now beginning". What chance is there when 
the various Conservatorium jazz courses don't even talk about the jazz scene 
in America in the twenties, let alone the history of Australian jazz.

Best wishes
Jack