If you were Artistic Director,,,,

[bobbob]

...besides.. i can think of quite some musicians who choose live in Australia and are known, respected and even pretty influential in Europe and/or States. ....Abrahams, Ambachi, Pateras, Ng. Grabowski, Jon Rose, Denley, Tinkler, the Triosk boys,....
To describe these people as having "failed musically"...jeez!! Get with the program dude!

[bodgey]

AliMcG:

Correct as usual, but this time on two counts:

1. Who gives a fuck?
2. Tassie jazz is the best.

[vickibonet]

A healthy forum indeed, today.

Graham Lyall used to live in Melbourne, that's why he's so good. Anyone playing jazz in the world who doesn't spend a good part of their career based in Melbourne is missing out.

Melbourne is my favourite city. There's other good cities, but to be comfortable you usually need a lot of money or the weather is too cold. However, I don't make my living from music, or from hanging around trying (see oj's post) to make money from those who do, so what would I know?

Bobbob: Morrison and Chindamo do rather well overseas too. e.g. JC regularly tops the Japan jazz charts for example, but you knew that already, eh?

Bodgey: if there is great Jazz is Tassie where is it? Whenever I go there I can't find it . Please point me in the right direction.

[alimcg]

Bodgey: if there is great Jazz is Tassie where is it? Whenever I go there I can't find it . Please point me in the right direction.

Most of the good players moved to Melbourne or pretend not to be from Tassie (you all know who I'm talking about!).

[ironguts]

I toured os and came back with my tail between my legs. Everyone anywhere else plays better than me, I'm glad I can hide in Melbourne. Small fish in a small pond, yeah, safe n sound. Just a little no playing motherfucker am I. oj, you are so right, you can see it all for what it really is, good on ya mate. I have failed miserably but at least I know it now, I feel sad for the deluded few that still believe they are doing something. It's up to you oj, to lead them to the light as you did for me.

[captain]

In fact, any good musician in the country is originally from Tassie. The Jazz factory is next door to the Cascade factory. Which also explains the musicians relationship with beer.

[punter]

oj said:

Pettman,

There isn't much tolerance on this forum.

Ironic really, given the basic essence of jazz is freedom of expression, and speech.

Your assumption 'that most people on this forum are musicians or others closely linked with the 'scene'' is, unfortunately, correct. However, there are still some talented muso's, who either don't or no longer, contribute to the forum. They would prefer to chat about music and go elsewhere.

The intolerant, small minded musicians who still contribute here, once showed some talent. Some have toured the U.S. and/or Europe (often funded by arts grants, rather than by ticket or record sales) and have been remarkably unsuccessful. Why would a jazz musician tour overseas and decide to settle back in Melbourne or Sydney? Because they failed musically.

These intolerant individuals, and their supporters, are the ones who tell us that the Melbourne and Sydney scene's are brilliant and there have been several brilliant gigs and outstanding recordings released this year.

Well, it's all crap. It's only a few unsuccessful muso's who rave on about the local scene on this forum. And if it's not a muso raving on, it'll be one of their close friends or a hanger on who attempts to derive a profit from the scene.

Pettman, if you want some discussion about jazz don't look at this forum. As a vehicle to discuss jazz it's effectively dead.

oj you are depressing and boring beyond words

[bodgey]

Vicki - head to 'Lisbon' (the club, not the city - Elizabeth street, north Hobart) on a saturday night to hear a tasty hammond trio starting at around 11pm, and if you see Fred Bradshaw's name, he's always worth a listen! Forget the north of the state.

AliMcG -

Guts -

Cap - I think the relationship between the jazz muso factory and the brewery runs deeper - it's beer not blood in those veins.

[bodgey]

On a lighter note (?) I just realised I'm in the nervous 90's. Can someone bowl me out now please?

[alimcg]

96 - Isn't that Ricky Ponting's favourite score in the 90s to get out on? And where does the Australian captain come from - the north.

The jazz factory in Launceston is next to the Boags' brewery - we're more of you're hard-working, working-class jazz musos.

[bodgey]

"Way out west where the rain don't fall...got a job with a company drillin' for oil..."

...and Boonie was from Launceston.

(sob)

[alimcg]

Hobart had Errol Flynn... notice he left pretty quick though!

[vickibonet]

i make no apology for going off topic...

alimcg said:

Hobart had Errol Flynn... notice he left pretty quick though!

Yes but he went to Hollywood, so he couldn't have possibly been right in the head! (but they didn't have lithium yet).

"In like Flynn" is an expression some attribute to Erroll's ability to pick up just about any woman he fancied. He was a handsome man. I've also heard the expression was coined for John Flynn (check your twenty dollar note) who went "inland" on camel for the Uniting Church and set up the Flying Doctor service among other things. John Flynn set up the first jazz club (he loved Ragtime) in Alice Springs it was called White Fella Honkytonk (that last bit is a lie).

[Kenny]

pettman said:

I'm not sure why everyone is ganging up on me just for prefering American Jazz to Australian Jazz.

But that's just it - you didn't. At least a couple of times you didn't simply profess a liking one way or the other, but quite bluntly indicated you believe one superior to the other.

Back track a bit. It's right there in you own words.

To turn around now and ask why "everyone is ganging up on me just for prefering American Jazz to Australian Jazz" is kinda weaselly.

So what if this forum is mostly musos and other "insiders"? What do you expect? To waltz in here, lay down some choicely dumb words (even if the intention is careless rather than malicious) and expect everyone to cop it sweet? That's not the way internet boards work.

[Kenny]

bobbob said:

"Why would a jazz musician tour overseas and decide to settle back in Melbourne or Sydney? "....WTF!! Why should every musician automatically assume that you have to live in Europe or the US to be making meaningful music and developing as an artist. Besides oj, ever thought that some people might actually like living in Australia for reasons other than their 'career' and don't want to live Europe cause the food sucks and it rains all the time or in the States because...well..it's the States.. Ever thought people might miss Australia after a while.. have partners who have to be in Australia..maybe they feel it is a better place to bring up a family.. maybe some people might want to contribute to their communities and make shit happen at home.. there are so many reason.. talk about small minded!!

Yes yes yes to all this. TrollOJ and Pettman obviously share a profound cultural cringe.

In many ways the US is my spiritual home, music-wise at least. And for many years, many years ago, I sure did want to live there. For a while, anyways.

But those days are long, in part because I have a 5yo son. But there's all sorts of intangibles involved - ranging from the vacuous (coffee) to the scary (guns).

If I was a jazz musician, I would definitely do what many of them are doing - hit-and-run overseas tours while maintaining a base, family and otherwise, in Australia.

When the likes of Nock and Barlow were based in the US, that option wasn't as viable.