Challenge to PBS/ABC/Paula Langland etc

[Chic Singar]

As we are saying goodbye to Jim Macleod I wondered if it might be a good time to do something creative to honour the tradition of the jazz broadcaster. Perhaps we could call it the Macleod Award. Bell Awards take note. You left out the broadcasters! You meanies.

Here is my challenge for 2004 awards.

BACKGROUND

An Aussie musician (arranger, band leader, composer, primary instrument: voice) once remarked that he/she was frustrated because some people arranging a jazz festival in another state had refused a gig from the artist because their main instrument was voice. The festival artistic directors had decided to run a jazz festival "with no vocalists". Fair enough, their festival but the artist's response was "why don't they try something really artistic and arrange a jazz festival with no saxophonists, now that would be really interesting". I agreed that it would certainly be a challenge.

THE CHALLENGE

Broadcast for two hours without playing any sax.

CRITERIA

Broadcaster must present a Jazz program on a radio station regularly.

A minimum quota of one quarter Australian IMPROVISED music essential.

No live gigs to fill in the time either, folks.

No Ella/Peggy tributes please!

Maximum blathering on inbetween tunes a total of ten minutes of entire two hour programme.

All profits from the Macleod Award Challenge to a worthy public broadcaster or NGO of your own choice.

Bye bye Jim Macleod thanks for everything. Welcome Mal!

[Dan P]

No Way, can not be done, most of them wouldn't ever try.

[Kenny]

'Course it can be done. But, no, I wouldn't bother trying - although I have heaps of times in the past.

When it comes to the non-inclusion of vocalists, I am certainly a guilty party at this point in time. Just burned out on it all, I'm afraid, but these things tend to come around again.

On the other hand, at the moment I'm playing heaps of west coast jazz, which - as far as I'm aware - no one else is doing, and also gleefully revisit the '20s-'30s-'40s sounds of New Orleans/Chicago/New York a couple of times a year. I don't think anyone else on Peebs does that, although I'm sure Roger Bilby does so on his Saturday 3CR show - I can't tune into that 'coz I'm at work. And I play the Grateful Dead and the Allmans - they sing!

I think Steve Robertson, in terms of Peebs, would be the main place for vocals at the moment.

I think you'll find that most PBS presenters give considerable thought to such issues, but in the end I feel it's best that we all follow our own hearts and interests in order to put together really excellent shows.

In terms of Australian content - well, most of the stuff that's coming out on record is so good, it's easy to keep the oz-quotient up.

I know from experience that trying to adhere to somebody else's agenda makes me feel lousy.

Perhaps there may be scope in the Bells for a broadcasters' award, but I would think it would have to be given on the basis of a year's worth of shows rather than a single effort.

And if I did an all-vocal show, would I be allowed to have saxes as backing?

[Vick Quay]

Kenny the challenge was NOT to do an all anything show! The challenge was to do a show EXCLUDING one kind of instrument.

Burned out on vocalists, you must have been listening to some pretty dull ones, and let's face it there are a lot of them about. But there are also some amazing ones who are proper musicians and they unfortunately get tarred with the same brush as the dull ones.

As for an award for one show; other media awards are for one programme, or article, e.g. UN Media Peace Prize so why not a similar one a one off show for broadcasters?

If these proposed awards were based on a whole year of shows then to be fair: the judges would have how many hours of listening? EEK.

[Oh No]

Steve's show as the PEEBS main place for vocalists! Kenny, you better watch out for poison in your next beer at Bennetts Lane.

[Kenny]

Vicki - a show excluding saxes or any other instrument would be an easy thing to conjure up, but I still don't see the point.

As I've said before, the times when I've tried deliberately to swing my show one way or the other have usualy resulted in dull shows. OTH, when I just fly with what's turning me on, the phones start ringing with delighted listeners.

Which isn't to say that we should always just cater to our audience's tastes. I can be as perverse and challenging as the next bastard.

Fair comment on radio gong parameters, but I still think it would be better judging a radio show/person on the basis of their long-term efforts. Whatchu gonna do - give Bennetts Lane or the Side On an award for one night's music?

Steve R has his detractors, but I'm for sure enough of an old fogey to really enjoy the music he plays when I'm tooling around with Bennie on a Saturday morning before work. He plays some amazing, swinging, fabulous stuff, and I love it all the more for mostly hearing it for the first time.

Vicki, yep the burnout factor can be attributed to the fact that not only are there some many vocal albums being released but that so many of them are dull.

Oddly enough, having been invited to be a Bells judge this year, I am looking forward to this aspect of it a lot - just to see if I can get my vocals-fan juices flowing again.

[Chic Singa]

Speaking of awards and voice:

Michelle Nicolle got the best Jazz vocalist again but they still gpt her name wrong! She deserves to win the instrumental award too in imho.

Chindamo got Best Instrumentalist. He deserves it too - has anyone on this forum heard him lately? Shit. Last time I saw him at BL he was just incredible. He never ever stops working on his technique, he really does amaze me as a technician and an artist.

I believe that both award-winning jazz artists were unaware that they had won until someone (not from the awards) told them the next day. Do you think anyone from the Mo's will send them their statue, collect?

Kenny as a judge for the Bells ooooooh, anyone else from PBS? Should we start licking your toes now Kenny?