EDITORIAL:

The Melbourne Women's International Jazz Festival commences this Sunday night, and runs for 8 consecutive nights at The Jazzlab (plus a Composers' Symposium at the University of Melbourne, Southbank). This Festival presents one of the strongest programs in the event's 24 year history, with very appealing performances on almost every night. The roster also includes a genuine first-rank international guest artist (courtesy of the MJC) in Japanese pianist and composer Sumire Kuribayashi, who has just completed a European tour. It is a great testament to the work of the indefatigable organiser Sonja Horbelt (aided by financial support from Monash University, as well as the MJC, and University of Melbourne).

Having founded the Melbourne Women's Jazz Festival back in December 1997, I managed it on a purely voluntary basis (with an advisory board of all women artists) until the 2004 Festival. As I was overseas in December, I handed over full control and management of the Festival to this Board (which included Horbelt) in late 2004.
Within a few years, Horbelt was left with the role (also on a purely voluntary basis).
As a musician herself, and wanting to avoid any hint of self-promotion or nepotism in the programming, she enlisted Brisbane-based Lynette Irwin as Artistic Director.
So, for most of the past 17 Festivals, Lynette has contributed to the programming.
Highlights have included Japan's Satoko Fujii Trio combining with the Bennetts Lane Big Band in 2007, while other international artists have included Norwegian saxophonist Froy Agaare and Canadian pianist Emie R Roussel with her Trio.
As a former Queensland Jazz Co-ordinator and long-time jazz promoter (and philanthropist), Irwin facilitated the participation of many Brisbane-based artists over the years (through State funding, or her own financial support).
Through her Pinnacles Music label, she released around a dozen albums by Brisbane artists, including Kristin Berardi, James Sherlock, Rafael Karlen, Elly Hoyt and West End Composers.
She also enabled or assisted tours to Brisbane by numerous international artists over the the past three decades.
Lynette has been dealing with serious health issues in recent years, and was not been able to attend the 2021 Festival. Earlier this year a Tribute concert for her was staged in Brisbane, in a tangible demonstration of the appreciation and affection with which she is regarded by Brisbane's jazz community. This year's impressive program is another worthy tribute to Lynette's contribution to both the Festival, and the broader Australian jazz scene.

The announcement of Aaron Choulai as the new Artistic Director of the AAO has been widely received as a very positive and exciting prospect. He will certainly have quite a different direction to Peter Knight. Congratulations to Aaron.

I was fortunate to attend the Wake in Sydney for drummer and bandleader John Pochee, which saw a wonderful turnout from Sydney's jazz community (with a great Obituary by John Shand published in The Sydney Morning Herald on that day, following an earlier one by Eric Myers in The Australian (links below).
A family commitment meant that I was unable to attend the Bob Barnard Memorial Concert at Paddington RSL on November 26, but that also drew a great turnout too.

The Sydney jazz community has been rocked by the tragic death of expatriate Andrew Speight, 58, in a train accident in the USA. He is not particularly well-known outside of Sydney because he never appeared at the Wangaratta Festival, and only appeared in Melbourne once (for the MJC in the late 90s). Always enthusiastic, energetic and positive, I met Andrew when I booked him to perform with Nat Adderley, whom I was touring in 1990. As a Cannonball Adderley devotee, he already knew all of the parts. At the 1990 Manly Jazz Festival I had the late Jimmy Witherspoon performing, and saw both Bernie McGann and Andrew there too in the afternoon, but Bernie had experienced a "domestic" conflict, and was not in a good state (drinking from a well-stocked kit bag).
Returning from the city that night to my accommodation, I walked past the Boatshed venue, and popped in to see Bernie and Andrew together on the dance floor! Andrew later explained that he had been trying to get Bernie home safely, but Bernie insisted that they get up and dance togethr (In addition to their dance moves, the further amusing aspect was that in his weekly column, John Clare had been trying to create some sort of "alto sax rivalry" between these two players). Those were the days before phone cameras, so this moment was not captured on film!
Vale, Andrew, a real "jazz" person, gone far too soon.

The MJC is delighted to finish our 40th Annual Program with a very special event - visiting Japanese pianist Sumire Kuribayashi in duo and quartet collaborations with Award-winning trumpeter Niran Dasika (to conclude her Australian tour).

As to next year, at this stage it seems highly likely that the MJC will have no State or Federal funding at all for our 2023 Program.
Considering the fact that independent jazz musicians in Melbourne were amongst those artists hardest hit by Lockdowns in this State, this is a truly disappointing result (especially when the MJC is a conduit to employing a large cross-section of jazz musicians).
As in past challenges, the MJC will continue with our Program, with bookings already well-progressed into mid-2023.
And I can promise that our 40th. Anniversary concert on Friday, May 26 (with wonderful support from the MRC) will be a memorable and unique event for genuine jazz followers. Keep the date aside now, and enjoy your holiday break. See you on January 8th.

Pictured: Lynette Irwin

LUCY CLIFFORD QUINTET (Sydney/Melb.) & MWIJF Little Big Band - Debuts (MJC Co-presentation in MWIJF)

Wednesday, December 7, 7.30 pm, at The Jazzlab, 27 Leslie Street, Brunswick. $25/$20 con.

Winner of the 2022 Jann Rutherford Memorial award, Sydney bassist and composer Lucy Clifford presents a set of her original music, giving listeners a glimpse into what’s in store for her upcoming 2023 debut album release. Lucy’s original music places value and care in encouraging space for exploration, via the way of raw grooves, lyrical arrangements and igniting spirit. Although rooted in Jazz expression, this band explores beyond the fringes of genre, building symbiotic rhythms and pulses that interlock with all things motion, stillness and freedom in between.
Originally from Sydney’s South Coast, Lucy relocated to Boston to attend Berklee College Of Music. Upon graduating, Lucy became immersed in New York City’s vibrant music community, working with internationally esteemed artists such as Grammy-winning Nella, Javier Limon, Mariza, Maher Beauroy, Alita Moses and Mighty Mystic among others. An invested member of the Australian music community, Lucy joined Kate Ceberano’s band in 2022 for her national ‘Sweet Inspiration’ Tour, and has worked alongside artists Urthboy and Emily Wurramara.
Lucy Clifford (electric bass), with Ashley Ballat (trumpet), Phil Noy (tenor saxophone), Andrea Keller (piano) and Darryn Farrugia (drums).

Opening Set will be from the MWIJF Little Big Band. Featuring Tertiary students from Monash university, Melbourne Polytechnic, and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music playing the music of Australian artists Vanessa Perica, Jenna Cave, Andrea Keller and Nadje Noordhuis. The band tonight will be directed by trombonist Ellie Lamb.

KIRI & NIRAN DASIKA'S SUZAKU Quartet (featuring Sumire Kuribayashi)

Sunday, December 18, 7.30 pm, at The Jazzlab, 27 Leslie Street, Brunswick. $30/$25 con.

Sumireʼs collaborations with Australian trumpeter Niran Dasika have resulted in the albums Suzaku (2018), recorded in Tokyo,
Joined by Tokyo-based pianist Sumire Kuribayashi along with the Melbourne rhythm section of Sam Anning (bass) and Kyrie Anderson (drums), Niran Dasika will perform music from his 2018 award-winning quartet album ‘Suzaku’ as well as from his new quartet release ‘Mizuchi’. Niran formed his Tokyo-based quartet while living in the city from 2016 to 2017 and toured extensively around Japan as well as to Australia, performing at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and Perth International Jazz Festival. The first set will see the first performance of Kiri, the duo project of Niran Dasika and Sumire Kuribayashi, since they recorded the Kiri (2020,on ABC Jazz), live at Wangaratta. 'Kiri' follows a suite of music inspired by the ‘nihonga’-style paintings of Kaii Higashiyama, which capture the ethereal beauty, drama and pathos of Japan’s natural landscapes and seasonal change. “Dasika appeared in a ravishing duo concert with pianist Sumire Kuribayashi”. - Jessica Nicholas, Review of Wangaratta Festival, The Age, November 5, 2018

AARON CHOULAI appointed as A.D. of the AUSTRALIAN ART ORCHESTRA

The Australian Art Orchestra announced on November 22 that Tokyo-based pianist, composer and producer Aaron Choulai has been appointed as Artistic Director of the AAO, succeeding Peter Knight.
He was recently interviewed here:
"In my role as Artistic Director of the AAO, after working in Japan for 15 years, and especially in Japanese hip-hop, I'll have a chance to ask myself the question, what does it all mean? Even if i'm not in Japan, I will never be far from the music here" - Aaron Choulai
Aaron sat down with Tokyo based media outlet Qetic to reflect on the last 15 years working in Japan and talk about his exciting plans as the newly appointed AAO Artistic Director.
Read the full interview here https://qetic.jp/interview/aaronchoulai-221118/442038/

Writer: Koichiro Funatsu
Photographer: Miki Yamasaki

JOHN POCHEE (1940-2022): Obituaries & Video

Alex Ohem and Peter Nelson provided a live video feed of John Pochée's funeral service and Wake, with an edited version available here.
John Shand's obituary appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 22, the day of the funeral and Wake. Read it here
Previously, Eric Myer's obituary was published in The Australian on Saturday, November 19. The same text with a selection of photos not possible in The Australian are on Eric's website at this link https://ericmyersjazz.com/theaustralian-2015-23

ABC Jazz did a magnificent job of quickly producing a great collection of video interview clips with Pochee and some of his collaborators, that can be viewed via this link

Watch Ten Part Invention perform Roger Frampton's "Three Mothers" here

2023 MJC PROGRAM

The MJC's Annual Program of weekly performances at The Jazzlab will commence on Sunday, January 8th with GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF INTERESTED PARTIES Guitarist Ren Walters with Jenny Ruth Barnes (voice), Dur-é Dara (percussion), Scott McConnachie (alto & soprano saxophones), and Berlin-based expatriate, Samual Hall (drums).

MJC's 40th. ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

Friday, May 26 at Elisabeth Mudoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
The MJC celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a spectacular concert featuring the premiere of four work for large ensembles, as well as smaller groups featuring some of Australia's most respected jazz artists.

MJC CONCERTS filmed on the OH!JAZZ Platform

Three of the MJC's concert presentations in 2022 have been filmed and are available on the relatively new OH!JAZZ streaming platform. They are Stephen Byth Octet; Shannon Barnett and Rajiv Jayaweera's "Pat to the Rafters"; and, the Antripodean Ensemble.
These concerts and many more from international jazz clubs can be viewed by a $20 AUD Monthly Pass, or $200 AUD Annual Pass. These subscriptions provide:
- Access to all our content, live and on-demand.
- Unlimited viewing
- Change or cancel anytime, no commitment.
- Where to watch: TV, Smartphones, tablets, PC.
Go to: https://signup.ohjazz.tv/

M.J.C. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP: SUPPORT THE CO-OP & LIVE MUSIC IN MELBOURNE in 2023

MJC Associate Membership for 2023 is available in three tiers: Gold level is $75; Silver level is $30 ($20 concessions), and Bronze level is $10 for musicians. Associate Membership of the MJC costs just $75 for Gold Membership. When you sign up for Gold Membership you receive a free pass to one MJC Club performance by a Victorian ensemble and concession rates to all gigs all year, equating to large savings for frequent MJC audience members.
Silver membership costs $30 (or $20 for concession holders, $5 for Tertiary students). Silver members also receive one free pass to an MJC Club performance by a Victorian ensemble, as well as standard member benefits.
Musicians are encouraged to join at the special Bronze rate of only $10 per year and support the continued operations of the MJC, an organisation that supports them!
All members receive enewsletters and hard-copy or emailed brochures, and occasional discounts to sister businesses, or opportunities to win a range of giveaways (CDs, tickets and more) throughout the year.
For more information, email [melbournejazzcooperative@gmail.com] or visit our website for the easy, revamped Membership page here.