The Captain has left Hall’s Gap

Dairy of a Jazz Tragic

Friday  3.00 Noriyo and I arrived at Hall’s Gap. Would have been earlier except for the slight detour to a winery.

           3.30 Received a call from Kevin Blaze “do you want to come to …… and join a jam” Is the Pope Catholic” said I

           6.00 Played first set with Marion Lustig, Bill Tompson and Jaz Stutely (Full Bodied Reds)

           6.45 Invited to join the next group as their sax player was on another stage. They were top musco’s from Adelaide.         HIGHLIGHT

           6.45 Anne Hayers was doing her first set

           7.30 First set with The Jazz Drive including Noriyo Washuizu, Kevin Blaze and Anne Smith

           8.15 Listened to Kevin Blazes ‘ group   “Its a Vibe”  very tasty

           10.30 Anne Smith became Annabella Schmit in a group of polished muscos from the south east of Melbourne. Smooth as silk.

           11.15 Ran into Keith Hughes. He was yet to perform with the Baily Beat.

           12.15 Accompanied Noriyo to the drop in jam cafe. Listened to the 84 year old Nick Polites play some smooth New Orleans style Jazz

           12. 45 Noriyo started playing and singing on the piano. Nobody left until she finished at 1.15                                                 HIGHLIGHT

           1.20 Arrived back at the Youth Hostel to find Anne Smith frantically sorting charts in the kitchen. (Anne had already done a gig with Jack Morris’s Morris Ward Combo as well as the Drive)

 

Saturday 9.15 Noriyo and I went for a bush walk at the back of Halls Gap

            11.00 Anne and Noriyo joined in the Street March.

            12.45 Enjoyed listening to Ade Ish (came to several jams last year)

             2 .15 Second set with Marion Jaz and Bill whilst Anne Smith was elsewhere singing a set in the place of a singer who had taken ill

              2.30 Asked to organize a band to fill in for a group at their restaurant gig later in the evening whilst they were playing a festival set. Of course Noriyo was going to be on piano.

              4.30 First set with the Jazz Travellers lead by past Jammer Bill Leithhead and featuring Anne Smith

              5.15 Ran from one end of the main street with Saxophone and music stand to join Noriyo and Terry Costello for the first set with the West Coast Little Big Band.

              6.45 Started to set up the Restaurant gig. Kevin joined us on guitar and we had a hot young bass player. We were fortunate to include Fred on percussion               HIGHLIGHT

              8.30 Joined a few mates for a jam at Ralphies

              9.45 Jazz Drive second set. Anne sang up a storm. Kevin produced one of his best solos. To sum up the set HOT

              10.30 Took in some cool Jazz at the Mountain Grand

             12..00 Went back to the hostel to cook some food. Chatted, mostly about music until 2.15

 

Sunday   10.20 Listened to the Morris Ward Combo Jack Morris and Anne Smith produced one of the better items of the festival aided by competent young horn players and beautifully written

                         arrangements     HIGHLIGHT

               3.00   West coast little big band second set This time with Fred on Percussion which added .

               3.45   Ran back to the other end of the main street with saxophone in hand to play the last set with Jazz Travelers.

               5.15  Was listening to some of the best clarinet you could hear anywhere in the world. Dave Gardiner from Geelong had a spell bound audience      HIGHLIGHT

               6.00   Joined others back at the Hostel for a BBQ

               7.30   Headed back to the Melbourne

               10.00 Stopped for a coffee at a service station. Ran into Marion who had also stopped. A further discussion mostly about music.

Comment.  Marion Lustig’s Lazy Ade, Keith Hughes’ group and Anne Hayres’ combo were all well received from reports. For some reason I was unable to get around to everything on the program.

                 Overall standard of music   ….very high

 The Captain