Thinking of moving to Austrailia

[Irish Double Bass player]

Hi,
I'm a double bass player who plays on the jazz scene in Dublin, Ireland.I play mostly standard jazz and some contempory stuff. Hopefully in the next year,I plan on relocating to Austrailia for a while. I just really wanted to suss out the jazz scene in Melbourne and/or Sydney. Is there a big scene there? Is there many double bass players(i.e. would I get much work!)? I would love to get in touch with some local musicians there so that when I eventually get the money to go over, I'll already know some musicians.
So it would be cool to hear from some Aussien jazzers!
Thanks

[Royboy]

Move to Melb, there is more gigs and less bass players. People in Melb drink like the Irish too, you'll love it.

[Adam]

Jeremy Sawkins, a great Aussie (Sydney) guitar player, has just moved to Dublin. You should speak to him - maybe you can exchange contacts and local info.
Email - [e-mail]

[Vicki HB]

I think more contemporary jazz gigs in Melbourne and the wider state of Victoria, but more better paying 'corporate' gigs probably in Sydney, but Sydney costs more to live in and of course it depends how good you are as to how much paid work you'd get.

I was based in London for a few decades and now back home, I think the standard of musicians based in Melbourne is higher than many London-based jazz musicians so that might be helpful if you know the scene there.

In the past six months I have heard two high profile jazz band leaders complain that there aren't enough strong bass players in Melbourne at the moment.

PS I used to play bass in the UK, but I was crap so I gave up and took up film making.

[Kenny]

Guest-Vicki said:

I used to play bass in the UK, but I was crap so I gave up and took up film making.

And how about d'you rate at that, crap-wise?

[aj]

If you're gonna be a bass player in melbourne, you need good organisational skills, so you can book yourself &/or a series of deps for anything up to 5 gigs per 24-hour period.

Seriously, there are some really good bass players in this town, but I'm sure there's room for one more !

[Vick keee]

Are you head hunting me Kenny or is this a wind up?

If you want to see one of my films you can buy one on DVD or VHS. Sorry, I don't give away free copies to Murdoch hacks unless they do a decent amount of pro-bono for Oxfam.

Crap wise? Who knows, sold a few of them to various broadcasters over the years so someone must like them. I know I have certainly enjoyed making them but anyone who thinks they are going to make a living from documentaries should take up bass playing for a living.

I have clips of reviews I could send to you, including from your own newspaper, if you want to know what the 'critics' think! LOL!

Ooh Media Watch is on - c ya!

[not Neil Diamond]

Why is Denton interviewing Neil Diamond gee whiz. Morrison and now this?

AJ is right IDBP, there are some really great bass players in this town but yep we can use one more.

[bod]

interested in your comments re london town, vicki. who did you see / play with to form this opinion?

[Ms Vicki to you]

I was there for a long time, far too long, and went to heaps of clubs over the years from Ronny Scotts which was great cos as a member of the MU you could get in for two quid, Monday to Thursday. Mind you they never paid the local artists MU rates!

I got to see Dave Holland there many times, and Elvin Jones and so many amazing musicians from all over the world. But for more local gigs I guess the 606 club, Vortex, Oxford Street , Pizza Express, Jazz Café, Tenor Clef. I used to run a few gigs myself in South London …do you really want a list?

Off the top of my head within the local scene I remember:

Annie Whitehead
Ian Shaw
Julian Joseph
Jonathan Gee
'Dank' Dankworth
Roger Beaujolais
Simon Purcell
Ian Carr
Jan Ponsford
Phillip Bent
Delips Apo
Bryan Campbell
Courtney Pine
Anita Wardell (Aussie sheila mate)
Mark Taylor
Mondesir Bros
Mornington Lockett
Ray Samuels
Claude Deppa
Ronny Scott (was still alive then too and the jokes were always the same racist, sexist and boring)
Tony Remy
Iain Ballamy
Wayne Batchelor
Lol Coxhill
Etc. etc. etc.

anyway why are you asking me this, and why am I telling you?

"What is this thing called insomnia?
This funny little thing called insomnia.
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why does it make me a fool of me?" (and make me post this stuff online) time to take a sleeping pill

[Sleep calling]

p.s. I have no idea if all these artists were from London or just based there as I never bothered to ask. Do you need any more details, cos I really want to go to bed now.

[bodski]

nice list but leaves out muchness, no?
stan sulzmann
john paricelli
phil robson
gene calderazzo
julien arguelles
alan barnes
malcom creese
tim garland
gwilym simcock
oh man this list could so go on.
point being: there's alot of talent in both melbourne and london, why compare?

[VHB]

Why compare? Hmm... let me think,

Oh that's right, cos YOU asked the question, Bod!

FYI: after being away for the best part of 20 years I was disappointed to come back to the loathe- some 'USA or Europe is better than local' brigade which is still evident, like a nasty weed spread through our arts scene. I am SO VERY tired of hearing or reading...'world standard' or 'one of AUSTRALIA's most'. And the broadcasters who play overseas musicians on their shows in the main.

As for my leaving out people on the list, gee shucks.

I must remember to list everyone who ever played jazz when I ever I am referring to a place I once lived in, cos that would great reading, wouldn’t it?

[aj]

I'll disagree with you on one point Vicki : calling smeone 'one of Australia's leading/most respected/accomplished/whatever' is NOT a putdown or a backhander. I don't see any reason why it should be seen as anything but a compliment.

[bod]

vicky, from your previous post:
I think the standard of musicians based in Melbourne is higher than many London-based jazz musicians

besides there's only one city any jazz musician needs to inhabit in order to fully realise their relationship to universal excellence. and it ain't melbourne or london.

enjoy.