What are the Jammers getting up to, where, when, probably not why, and maybe with whom….

What’s on at The Grand Hotel

The Divine Miss Smythe makes a rare appearance at the Grand Hotel only it is on  Saturday 27th July, as the Hotel is having a Brazilian themed Prawn and Crackers night with exotic Dancers on the Friday. I made this last bit up.  Anyhoo, the aforesaid Diva will be trotting out her unusual jazz standards and schtick, with accomplices Curtis J, Martelli D (drums), and Taylor D, basso profundo. There may be a surprise appearance by Captain Chaos, but this is unlikely, as any appearance by the Captain can hardly be called a surprise any more… if you are going, get there early as we ran out of seats last week…

Ann Smith, The Grand Hotel, corner of Spencer Street and Flinders Street, Saturday 27th July, from 5.30 – 8.30pm.

Next week,  the Grand hosts the irrepressible Ruby Rogers,  taking a break from a very full dance card to get up and boogie the night away. The Riuby Rogers gigs have always been stompin’ little affaires, accompanied as ever by much swinging from the Chandeliers, taking the proverbial out of complete strangers so nicely that they renjoy it, and generally having a good time. Doug Kuhn, Putnamondrum and meself will accompany, and the utterly gorgeous Izumi will be doing her sax thing…

The Castlemaine Jam:  Sunday 4th August  from 3.30pm at The Comma, Hargreaves Street, Castlemaine. If you want to score a seat, get there early, the place has been packed out of late.. The featured singer will be a Melbourne based Diva, who has promised to check her calendar and get back to me any day now…

The Leinster Arms 150th Birthday Bash: Il Duce (Glen to those in the know) is throwing an open day, music, Clydesdales, events, barbecues, sly gossip and outrageous exaggeration on Sunday August 18th – there will be a special set by the Melbourne Jazz Jammers Band (always assuming I can find the telephone number) some time in the afternoon. Stay tooned for more info…

Walk right In, jump outta ya skin and dance around in your Bones! And that should still be enough music for anyone…
TW

The Leinster Arms: A Jam Session gets good…

I was talking to Hortense a couple of weeks ago.  She may have  been hanging around in the nether shadows of the back Bar, but I doubt it. Whatever, I was encouraging Miss H to dust off her trumpet, step up and impress the drummer with one of her hot licks. She may have misunderstood me. Strangely,  there were no less than five drummers turned up at the next session last Sunday. Along with six saxes,  a coupla geetars, and poor old Mr T stuck on bass all afternoon. Poor my *rse, he    loved every minute of it..

Whatever,  it all turned into a rather spiffin’ jam and a fine afternoon’s entertainment all round.

The Stars: Picking out the best performances is always an invidious task, and as I don’t know the meaning of invidious, I won’t be doing it. More to the point, there were only three people there who have not played a Grand Hotel session (out of 24), and one of those is booked in already.

The somewhat disconcertingly high standard of music has got us all worried: this sort of thing could lead to jazz. Try and lower the tone next time, will ya?

Or not – it was kind of fun, and we are all going to do it again next week.

Marg tells me she will be there…
TW

Marek at Cafe Segovia

Can you please also advertise are gig with Clank & Funk ( Rob Bratetich  – guitar Tass Petridis – bass & Marek Podstawek – drums  at the Cafe Segovia – 33 Block st City Melbourne  of Little Collins st close to Elizabeth st  every Saturdays from 7pm – 9 pm  everybody welcome for Coffe , glas of wine with are groove music

HAVE YOU GOT TALENT?

Live talent quest at Melbourne’s premier venue.

The Talent quest offers the unique opportunity for up and coming entertainers to strut their stuff and come out of their shell.

The contestants will need to be able to perform to a live audience in a true cabaret atmosphere backed by a band or backing tapes.

The acts will be adjudicated by a popular vote by the audience and a panel of respected judges, from the entertainment industry that will analyse the performance and contribute to the final result.

The contest will be held at Melbourne’s premier venue, Sugar Lounge / Trak Centre, over a period of 11 weeks commencing in July 2013.

The popular winner will be in a position to commence a musical career with the first prize being, $5000.00 cash, recording time at Atlantis studio, professional photographic portfolio and a personal management contract.

To enter: enquiries@aussiepromotion.com.au or tel. 9347 6678

The Connie Lansberg Quartet on every Friday from 8 to 11pm

Hi,

I wanted to let you know about a weekly jazz gig at a new venue in Melbourne. The Regent Club puts The Connie Lansberg Quartet on every Friday from 8 to 11pm. Located on Level 3 at 206 Bourke St., The Regent is a very sophisticated room offering an up market experience for a very reasonable price. When people pre-book with me, the entrance fee of $20 per person is waived completely. The room is set with a very glamorous multi story spa which is highly unusual in its self. The Connie Lansberg Quartet features Norwegian jazz pianist, Tom Hanssen and we mostly pay tribute to the great jazz artists of the thirties, forties and fifties. You can check out some live footage on my youtube channel. People can book by emailing me at this email or calling on 0408391898. I do hope this would be suitable for your blog and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.
All the best,
Connie Lansberg 

http://www.youtube.com/user/lusiande?feature=mhum

Sweet Ade – recorder and jazz like you’ve never heard them before

Sweet Ade is a recorder-led jazz and ragtime band, “trad” but non-traditional.  Inspired by the recorder playing of the late, great Australian multi-instrumentalist Ade Monsbrough, its eclectic repertoire includes tunes by Ade, ragtime, jazz standards and klezmer.  The band members are: Marion Lustig (recorders), Peter Mason (clarinet, tenor and soprano saxophones, vocals, recorder, ukelele), Lisette Payet (piano, vocals, ukulele, piano accordion), Chris Farley (banjo and vocals), Joe Kenyon (sousaphone), Richard Opat (washboard and drums), and Janet Arndt (vocals).

Sweet Ade has several forthcoming gigs:

Rosstown Hotel, 1084 Dandenong Rd., Carnegie on Sunday, July 28^th from 1.30 – 4.30 pm. Free admission. Bistro lunch available from 12 noon – bookings advisable on 95711033. www.rosstown.com.au/‎

Treble Clef Jazz Lounge, 17 Paynes Rd., Chirnside Park on Friday, August 9 from 8 pm. Free admission. Light lounge menu and drinks available. 97396739. http://www.treblecleflounge.com.au

And for those planning ahead…

Bass Valley Community Centre, Bass School Rd., Bass.  Cup Day, Tuesday, November 5 from 2 – 4.30 pm. Entry $12.50. BBQ and sausage sizzle in the park from 11.30 a.m.  Bookings: Roger Clark, P.O. Box 1084 Grantville 3984, phone 0403 025 429, or email clarkrg@primusonline.

Sweet Ade enquiries: Marion Lustig 0407342882

Cheers,

Marion

What’s Done and Dusted, What’s Happening, Where, When, With Whom perhaps

Update 18 July 2013

This Friday at the Grand Hotel, Chelly Parisi will be singing, accompanied by Kip Dale (Bass) and Bruce Constable (drums). She don’t know what she in fer – Bruce is the smoothest of the regular drummers, and one of the youngest (well in the top ten anyway). He flies down from Sydney for a session every now and then.  I will be trying to keep up on piano, and I might get the Captain to play a coupla toons. The session is going to be entirely focussed on having a good time with a great rhythm section. I suppose you could turn up if you wanted to. Marg will be there…

Next week sees a return to normality, with the DIVINE MISS SMYTHE, accompanied by Gentleman John Curtis, Danilo (drums) and Dave Taylor (double bass) accompanying. 

Chelly Parisi boogies up The Grand Hotel, cnr Spencer and Flinders Streets, Friday 19th July, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm

One for your diary: The Leinster Arms is having a 150th Birthday Party, with an open day on Sunday August 18th – there will be all sorts of food, goodies, bands, including possibly the Jammers band (whoever that might be) and the Brewery Clydesdales delivering the beer.   I didn’t know Glen was that old…

The Castlemaine Jam: Every first Sunday of the month from 3.30pm at The Comma, Hargeaves Street, Castlemaine. If you want to score a seat, get there early, the place has been packed out of late.. Singer Meg Corson takes the guest spot at the next one.

Get up and boogie! And that should still be enough music for anyone…

The Leinster Lash: Errrm… That was a bit weird…

People turned up. Weird.

People Listened. Weird again.

People applauded: Very Weird…

You are not supposed to listen at a jam session. Or watch. Just join in, or so one would have thought. Not so at the Lunatic Soup Gossip Bar and Lizard Lounge this week, which sported an enthusiastic and larger than usual audience – in fact the whole joint was buzzing.. As usual, the jam started  slow, but by the time the fourth drummer and the third bassist walked in, all was restored to its usual standard. Apart from the enthusiastic audience, not all of which could surely have so little taste in music, and only some of whom might be studying post graduate irony, there ended up being 25 oddballs turn up who either plucked, twiddled, twanged, sucked, blew or battered their way through a wide range of what we laughingly call “music”.

And I am not going to remember all their names… the jam sessions seem to be on the upturn again at the moment. Upturns are fun, although of course you can only have one after a downturn, and there are quite a few new musos coming along at present.

Props to Brian (bass) who played a smooth first set; and to Uncle T, who nailed a few bass lines thereafter… I think Dr Who deprivation is doing him a power of good. And Herr Alex who blew the sweetest solo on My Funny Valentine, and then modestly blamed it on his mouthpiece. And to Bob, who played rather more than usual – but as usual laid out some lunatic good lines, in support of the effervescent Debbie. And Ben, Col, that new geetarist who plays blues really well, Ali, Danilo, Sebastien, the French singer, Anne “lycra” Hayres, the trombonist dude, John the C, Keef on his bass clari, Aaron smooth on the bari, and a whole bunch of others…

Well, a good time was had by all and that can’t be all bad…

Try it sometime.

Melbourne Jazz Jammers, Leinster Arms, Gold Street, Collingwood, every friggin’ Sunday from 4.00pm til we’re done and dusted

Done and Dusted – It has been a busy week: Bette turns 85 in August!

The Leinster Arms Sunday Arvo Jazz

Going through the John Curtis gig book was a challenging start to the jam. Not your usual charts in not your usual keys. Sebastian (Drums), Ben (guitar), Taariq (Bass) and the Captain (Tenor) were gallant in their effort to make numbers like “African Flower” work. Once through that stage we were joined by Don (guitar), Jassin (Guitar), Trent (Alto), Danilo (Drums), Simon (Drums), Bob, (Piano), Ali (Alto), Richard (Piano), Aaron (Baritone), Alex, (Alto), Keith (Tenor) and Trevor (Harp). Lisa, Rose and Debbie provided great vocals. As Ted was attending the Castlemaine Jam there was a lot more Bebop played than usual. There was a great rendition of “Mercy Mercy Mercy” with all the saxophonists joining in.

Effort of the day was provided by Taariq who played great bass non-stop for almost four hours.

What was learned?        6 Saxophones make a lot of noise and that there are words to Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”.

 Not your usual correspondent. 

The Grand Hotel, last Friday: Shock and Awe. Dean on drums, Doug Kuhn on bass covering for me on piano, the Captain on occasion and Julian on trumpet. All sounded pretty good, though I say so meself. So where was the shock and awe, you ask. Alright, you didn’t ask, but you might have done.

Shock: The Debster! Absolutely on song from the word go! (possibly not the ideal way to count a song in..) Sang a great set, thoroughly entertaining, and drew a good crowd – including Deb’s mum which was kind of cute.

Awe: Shucks, Risa can sing – didn’t miss a beat, from the moment she sang Sukiyaki with John Curtis at the piano, just like the old Dizzy’s days, through the exquisite Lullaby to expecting the band to keep up with her on Tokyo Boogie Woogie as a finale. Would probably beat the Bullet Train for pace… She is booked for a full session on September 13th because Bette turns 85 on that date….

….in about 40 years from now. If you can find a seat, be there! If you can’t, just stand – it will be worth it.

Castlemaine: Ken introduced it as “Castlemaine’s longest running Jam Session” (their third). It was  just as busy as the last, maybe with a better standard of music. Totally different to the Leinster Jams, the audience outnumbers the musos, and expect to be entertained. Possibly with music.  When I walked in 15 minutes before kick off, there were 60 people already waiting. Featured singer Rebecca Morton fired them up with a fine opening set, and later in the arvo, the Divine Miiss Smiff fanned the flames for good measure. The Captain and hopefully John Curtis will be at the next one. That should fix it…

With all that going on, ya wouldn’t be dead fer quids!

TW

The Jam Session that grew..now what…

Started quiet, ended up one of the very best sessions of recent years.

So… 24 musos and singers turned up for a jam session  dominated by the six saxophones in attendance. What a terrible racket they made, each drowning out the elegant Curtis in turn. The Captain decided it was all too loud so he turned down the PA, the piano, the drums, Bob’s tie and probably everything else that was too loud, and wasn’t an invention of that dreadful Belgian. Ah well, we all thought (didn’t know we could do that, did you?) that at least it wouldn’t  last. Which, of course,  it did, without respite until way past my bedtime.

We also had four bassists (Anton, Stan, Mr T, Bill) and a European selection of drummers (Danilo (Italia) and Sebastien (Fr) trying to put everyone else off, and generally succeeding.

Highlight of the session, other than Milestones, Foot Prints, Little Bleedin’ Sunflower, Mercy Mercy Mercy and probably Blah Blah Blah, was Chelly Parisi singing Sugar, and a cameo from the Debster (see What’s On, she is, this Friday, be there!) with Bob.

One supposes that the saxophones (*) should be thanked for their efforts: Aaron, (welcome back, the Bari sounds great!) Ali (always welcome), Brent (great show last Friday at the Grand) The Captain (he can count past four, but does not care to) and Brodie – precocious young newcomer who got better and better without starting too badly either…

The Blazer played some hot solos on his geetar, ducked a couple of others to show he has lost none of his cunning, as did Yassin, and Ann blew them all away with her jazz floot.

The Divine Miss Smith, who may have been drinking spiked pina coladas as an uninvited guest of the East Brighton Gentlewomen’s Bowls and Antisocial Club all afternoon (**),  then took over for a little bit of swing; without falling over.

All in all (what does that mean?) a great session by The End aka Richard, the late night pianist.

We are all going to do it again next Sunday, except me because I am going to Castlemaine. So I won’t see you there, but if everyone else could turn up wearing a green eyepatch, three gloves and a stupid grin,  clutching a copy of the jazz version of Das Kapital (in 5/4 time of course) at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing who takes these sessions far too seriously, whilst rumbling up  the Calder…

Toodlepip

* If God really wanted to listen to that many saxophones, he wouldn’t have invented sound proof rooms somewhere else,  with locks on their doors.

**  This may not be true, but I think she said she was doing pennants after a big Saturday night, so one can’t be sure..

Upcoming Talent Quest

Forwarded by Marg (POCKOTOL).

PRESS RELEASE

HAVE YOU GOT TALENT

Live talent quest at Melbourne’s premier venue.

The Talent quest offers the unique opportunity for up and coming entertainers to strut their stuff and come out of their shell.

The contestants will need to be able to perform to a live audience in a true cabaret atmosphere backed by a band or backing tapes.

The acts will be adjudicated by a popular vote by the audience and a panel of respected judges, from the entertainment industry that will analyse the performance and contribute to the final result.

The contest will be held at Melbourne’s premier venue, Sugar Lounge / Trak Centre, over a period of 11 weeks commencing in July 2013.

The popular winner will be in a position to commence a musical career with the first prize being, $5000.00 cash, recording time at Atlantis studio, professional photographic portfolio and a personal management contract.

To enter: enquiries@aussiepromotion.com.au or tel. 9347 6678.

Belinda Furnari

Marketing & Entertainment

From the Captain

Checked out long time supporter of our jam sessions Buddy Love at Kojo Brown last Saturday night.  To a packed restaurant, Buddy sang great renditions of jazz and pop standards and was superbly backed up by David Taylor on Bass and Agus Batara on keys.  Kepler added great support with smooth clarinet lines.

Suggest you watch out for his next gig at this venue. Good food and wine to excellent live music. Whilst there, make sure Buddy sings “The Lamb Shank Blues”…goes well with the speciality of the house.

A Note for your Diary: Buddy’s next session at the Grand Hotel is on  9th August