Pharoah

[alimcg]

Well pettman, you're also the first to ever stick up for the sound at Hamer Hall too. I've been to see the MSO there, and they of course sound great, but every concert I've been to there that's required, or been subjected to amplification has suffered from poor sound. It is an inappropriate venue for amplified music. Sure the seats are comfy, but I'd happily stand for 2 hours if the sound were up to scratch. I think you'll also find that the majority of jazz venues in Australia are already smoke free, and from mid next year we'll see even tougher restrictions in Victoria.

My enjoyment of the Scofield trio in '05 was severly reduced because of the sound. Scofield himself coped ok, but as soon as we heard bass or drums the sound went to the shitter. The Shorter Quartet was good, but that's because I was sitting close enough to the stage to essentially hear the stage sound of that band. You can read my thoughts on the Blind Boys of Alabama and Afro-Cuban All-Stars concert elsewhere at this board, but they too were let down by shocking sound. The Blind Boys suffered from being too loud and too muddy, and the ACAS were ok early on when they were really quiet, but they got louder, the front of house got louder, and the whole thing started to stink.

One final Hamer Hall moment. Some friends of mine went to see Dylan Moran's comedy show at Hamer this year, and they couldn't even get his fucking mic to work properly!

Hamer Hall is not the only inappropriate venue used this way in Australia. The Branford Marsalis Quartet suffered a similar fate in Sydney in '02 (State Theatre I think??). The Forum in Melbourne is better, but still far from ideal. We also had the embarassment of those BMW Edge workshops in '05. Surely there is a better room for that kind of stuff in Melbourne that has more appropriate acoustics. Maybe Federation Hall or something...

[pettman]

Ok, so obviously it's a waste of time to have the festival at all. The acts are too predictable, the venues sound crap, boy this is a positive place!
If this is the sort of negativity that pervades your being, it's a wonder you bother to go see anything at all. I think I'll take your lead and sit at home and watch the golf then, the sound on my telly is great.

[glean]

pettman said:

Ok, so obviously it's a waste of time to have the festival at all. The acts are too predictable, the venues sound crap, boy this is a positive place!
If this is the sort of negativity that pervades your being, it's a wonder you bother to go see anything at all. I think I'll take your lead and sit at home and watch the golf then, the sound on my telly is great.

Yes we are are SO freaking NEGATIVE! Here we are... praising local artists as equal to anything from overseas, that is really negative. I give up with you Pettman I think you out to change the last part or your name to 'ulant'.

[Gb]

i love watching golf on telly... no, really. i find it very relaxing. never seen it 'live' mind you. maybe i should try playing one day?

[gator]

Its absolutely essesntial to have great sound when you,re watching the golf - whack.............................................................................................................................thud.

[aj]

Relaxing ? Yeah, right !!!

[pettman]

Well Jazz is like Golf, it's all in the swing!!

[shaggaz]

Re: local artists in festivals

If I'm not mistaken, and in addition to our established audiences, festivals are a way of reaching out to the wider community to get them interested in the music. This happens by way of a promotional budget and why shouldn't local artists at least reap the benefit of that?
Also, I think it's great to have some of the big names coming over for similar reasons. People will go to those gigs and then one day they might go 'hey bob do you want to go see some more of that music, let's go see it at bennetts' or something...
However, I think it would be great if there were a mix of really old-school famous dudes and really rad new dudes.
I'd pay heaps to go see the Claudia Quintet, Dave Binney, Ben Monder, Josh Roseman etc

[alimcg]

pettman, your rebukes are having a whiff of ladylex about them.

[pettman]

Lex be a lady,, tonight.

[pettman]

Oooo, I just noticed on the Crown Melbourne 2007 Festival website that they are saying this will be Pharoah's first trip to Melbourne. Is this correct?

[trumpetguy]

pettman said:

Oooo, I just noticed on the Crown Melbourne 2007 Festival website that they are saying this will be Pharoah's first trip to Melbourne. Is this correct?

No

[Gb]

those melbourne jazz crown international umbria festival people are so removed from the scene, they wouldn't even know if pharoah had been here before. yes, he came in dec 2004 and played at the prince of wales. amazing gig with jonathan zwartz on bass and jo farnsworth on drums.

[glean]

got to say that I am disgusted at the state of Golf Clubs in Melbourne. And the International tournaments are a JOKE. Greg Norman / James Morrison same guy - I mean has anyone ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

all silliness aside it is ironic that Mr Dadon got a lot more big Jazz famous people than Mr Pagnotta got. But Pagnotta had so much to bring to Melbourne. Maybe he showed them how not to do it. Maybe Albert and Pettman are the same guy. HEY! Wasn't there a famous French cabaret artist around the turn of the 20th century whose whole act was farting tunes? I think his name was Pett something... serious.
Pettman mais non! you are winding us up., OUI Of siz I am most certain, monsieur.

[glean]

gb said:

those melbourne jazz crown international umbria festival people are so removed from the scene, they wouldn't even know if pharoah had been here before. yes, he came in dec 2004 and played at the prince of wales. amazing gig with jonathan zwartz on bass and jo farnsworth on drums.

hey GB you are right, and that was what... five minutes ago or am I just old?