Tag Archives: Phillip Rex

OUR BEST BIDS TO HELP BERNIE

Bernie McGann

Bernie McGann

GIG: Benefit concert for Bernie McGann, 6.30pm to 9.30pm, Sunday, September 1, 2013, Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, organised by Melbourne Jazz Co-operative

This post is intended to help pass on details already being publicised by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, about a benefit concert for revered saxophonist Bernie McGann, who is recovering from illness in Sydney and needs our support. The gig is being held at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club on September 1 in conjunction with a silent auction. The word is that a similar benefit concert in Sydney recently raised about $11,000, so Melbourne has a job ahead if we are to hold out heads high.

BIDDING FOR THE SILENT AUCTION IS NOW LIVE

Bidding is now open for Prizes donated for the Silent Auction in the Bernie McGann Benefit.

Bidding in the silent auction being held in conunction with the Bernie McGann Benefit Concert in Melbourne is now open. To make an online bid, send an email to the MJC at melbournejazzcooperative@gmail.com with the subject “McGann Silent Auction” and your full name, the item number and your bid in the body of the email. Live bids can also be made at the event on Sunday night until 9:30pm. Winners will be notified at the close of the event (if at the venue) and via email on the evening of September 2nd.

ITEM 1:
Melbourne Jazz Festival’s Golden Pass (value $1,000),
– 2 tickets to the Gala Opening
– 2 tickets to a Modern Masters of Jazz
– 2 tickers to a Explorations in Jazz show
– 2 tickets to a Club Session
– Priority entry into The Cave (MIJF late night program)
– Reserved seating at the MIJF Masterclass Series
– Reserved seating at the MIJF In Conversation Series

The value of this Golden Pass is worth over $1,000 in tickets and services.
The shows chosen in the above pass will be up to the discretion of MIJF

ITEM 2:
Day’s Recording Session at Pughouse Studios, Northcote (value $600)

ITEM 3:
Gold Pass for this year’s Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues (value $350)
The Gold Pass provides entry to all venues from Friday to Monday night PLUS: VIP seating at all WPAC shows, the Festival Launch Cocktail Party at the Gateway on Friday evening and the Cup Eve Concert on the Monday night.

ITEM 4:
Bundle of 10 McGann albums on Rufus Records, including Ugly Beauty, McGann McGann, Bundeena, Live at Side On, Playground, Kindred Spirits, Wending, Double Dutch, Solar, Blues for Pablo Too (value $250)

ITEM 5:
5 CD albums on JazzHead, including Andrea Keller Quartet and Sam Keever Nonet albums featuring McGann (value $130)

ITEM 6:
5 CD albums by Julian Wilson’s groups: Assumptions2, Departures by Assumptions, Festa, Trio-Live,
Kaleidoscopic (value $125)

ITEM 7:
Australian Jazz Real Book, edited by Dr. Tim Nikolsky (value $100)

ITEM 8:
Three framed photographs of Bernie McGann by Roger Mitchell (value $150 each)

ITEM 9:
Gold Pass for the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative’s 2014 season (value $75)

ITEM 10:
3 CD albums by Niko Schauble: Tibetan Dixie, Night Music, Red Earth/White Snow (value $75)

ITEM 11:
2 Victorian Jazz Archive albums of the JazzArt recordings: The Progressives 2 & 3 (value $50)

ITEM 12:
Stephen Magnusson’s Bell-winning “Magnet” LP (value $30)

Both Rufus Records (Bernie’s main label) and JazzHead will be selling stock on the night, with a good percentage of profits going to Bernie.

Copies of all 10 McGann albums on Rufus Records (including Ugly Beauty, McGann McGann, Bundeena, Live at Side On, Playground, Kindred Spirits, Wending, Double Dutch, Solar, Blues for Pablo Too) will be on sale at the special price of $20 each at the Benefit.

Additional copies of the Australian Jazz Real Book will also be sold for $100 each), as well as some other CDs and LPs by local artists.

BERNIE MCGANN BENEFIT LINE-UP

 The line-up  for the Jazz Lab gig ($20 & $15 concession) now includes Paul Grabowsky (solo piano), Italian saxophonist Mirko Guerrini, and Wilbur Wilde.

They will join an impressive line-up of leading Melbourne jazz artists (plus Perth’s Jamie Oehlers) with the confirmed artists including Julien Wilson, Allan Browne, Ian Chaplin, David Rex, Ken Schroder, Jex Saarelaht Trio, Bopstretch, Phil Noy, Philip Rex, Niko Schauble, and Sam Bates, among others.

Allan Browne (drums), Phil Rex (bass) and Phil Noy (alto sax) will open the concert by playing some of Bernie’s tunes (as will Julien Wilson and Boplicity).

ROGER MITCHELL

(using information provided by Melbourne Jazz Co-operative)

KEEP THIS NIGHT CLEAR FOR BERNIE

Bernie McGann

Bernie McGann

GIG: Benefit concert for Bernie McGann, Sunday 1 September, 2013, Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, organised by Melbourne Jazz Co-operative

This is one of my favourite pictures of Bernie McGann. I have plenty of others in which he is blowing up a storm, his brow covered in sweat, or gently transporting us with a ballad. But this picture shows Bernie seated, as is his habit, listening while other members of the band carry the piece forward. He is at ease, yet engrossed.

The picture was taken in June 2012 at a Bennetts Lane gig for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. On the night, and in the review, I got carried away with what Bernie gave us, along with Marc Hannaford, Phillip Rex and Dave Beck.

This post is intended to help pass on details already being publicised by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, about a benefit concert being held at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club on September 1, so that the word gets out to as many people as possible. Bernie is recovering from illness and needs our support.

The line-up  for the Jazz Lab gig ($20 & $15 concession) now includes Paul Grabowsky (solo piano), Italian saxophonist Mirko Guerrini, and Wilbur Wilde.

They are joining an already impressive line-up of leading Melbourne jazz artists (plus Perth’s Jamie Oehlers) with the confirmed artists including Julien Wilson, Allan Browne, Ian Chaplin, David Rex, Ken Schroder, Jex Saarelaht Trio, Bopstretch, Phil Noy, Philip Rex, Niko Schauble, and Sam Bates, among others.

Allan Browne (drums), Phil Rex (bass) and Phil Noy (alto sax) will open the concert by playing some of Bernie’s tunes (as will Julien Wilson and Boplicity).

More prizes for the raffle and auction include a collection of five CD albums by Julian Wilson’s groups (Festa, Trio, Assumptions), and five copies of Stephen Magnusson’s Bell-winning Magnet LP.

Prizes donated for the Silent Raffle now include a Melbourne Jazz Festival’s Golden Pass (value $1,000), four copies of the Australian Jazz Real Book donated by editor Dr Tim Nikolsky (value $100 each), and a JazzHead CD pack (in addition to the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues, which is donating a Gold Pass for this year’s festival to both benefit concerts in Melbourne and Sydney : value $350 each).

Both Rufus Records (Bernie’s main label) and JazzHead will be selling stock on the night, with a good percentage of profits going to Bernie.
We also hope to have some copies of the hard-to-find 1997 book Bernie McGann A life in Jazz by poet Geoff Page, as well as some photographs by Bruce Hart (who now resides in Canada).

Tax-deductible donations can be made via S.I.M.A. (just ask for details).

ROGER MITCHELL

(using material provided by Melbourne Jazz Co-operative)

WILL MEGAN HAVE AN OPINION?

CD LAUNCH: James Whiting Quartet launches Burbank at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne on Sunday, July 8

James Whiting

James Whiting (picture supplied)

With support from the Melbourne Jazz Cooperative, Brisbane vibraphonist James Whiting will make his Melbourne debut as leader on Sunday, launching his first album, Burbank.

The venue seems entirely appropriate, because one of the tracks on the album is entitled In Megan’s Opinion, which could easily apply to Megan Evans, who in her role as MC has often shown her distaste for mobile phones at Bennetts Lane. If Meggs is at the gig, will she have something to say about the album or the quartet?

On this occasion Whiting will be performing originals with James Sherlock on guitar, Philip Rex on bass and Darryn Farrugia on drums, rather than the original line-up for the album, which was recorded in New York in 2010.

The recording featured American drummer and percussionist Jon Wikan and three expatriates living in New York: German saxophonist Stefan Schmid and the Australian pair of pianist Steve Newcomb and bassist Sam Anning.

Whiting, who has a Masters in Music,  has toured Australia, New Zealand and the US extensively as a performer and educator, also receiving tuition from leading jazz vibraphonists such as Joe Locke, Ed Saindon, Dave Samuels and Stefon Harris.

Burbank, which has been described by Joe Locke as “creative, original, honest, and emotionally direct”, consists of eight original jazz-based songs from James, inspired also by fusion, classical, and rock genres. It was recorded in Bennett Studios in the US.

James will perform a selection of his originals as well as pieces selected from the repertoire of those who’ve inspired him.

Entry to Bennetts Lane Jazz Club for this launch costs $15 general admission and $10 concession.

Burbank  will be available at the show for merely $10, or can be purchased on iTunes or through James Whiting’s website.

ROGER MITCHELL (with help from James and MJC)