ESSAYS

This section includes essays on various jazz subjects, written by a number of writers. Contributions are welcome. Writers interested in contributing are welcome to contact the editor by filling out the form in the CONTACT tab. Photographs to illustrate those essays are welcome. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of articles in this folder.

THE FORCE THAT WAS GRAEME BELL

by Loretta Barnard

“Australia Explained” website, May 29th, 2018

Graeme Bell was born in 1914 to a very musical family. His mother was a contralto who toured with Dame Nellie Melba; his father sang musical comedy sketches. Graeme and his brother Roger (1919-2008) were classically trained, but in the 1930s Roger, soon to become one of our pioneering jazz trumpeters, discovered Dixieland jazz and enthusiastically shared his discovery with Graeme who embraced this exciting new music. By the end of the decade, the Bell brothers were playing at local dances and in 1941, Graeme decided to form Graeme Bell’s Jazz Gang, later known as Graeme Bell’s Australian Jazz Band…

WITHOUT A SONG

by Paul Andrews

Facebook, July 1, 2014

It seemed that a jazz room opened every month with maybe 20 different joints presenting energetic live music. Bruce Viles opened a new club, The Basement, and it became the hangout for musicians. Horst Liepolt’s ceaseless energy and enthusiasm to produce, record and promote Australian jazz was relentless. He was at every gig for more than a decade and wherever something was happening, it seemed Horst was there too. After midnight, the Basement busied with musicians, aficionados and bandleaders. I would often get a gig offer while at the bar. Someone would ask when I was available and we would share gigs and dates (this is before mobile phones or internet). Students sometimes performed too, but the greatest names in jazz would play in that room over the next decade…

THE BEAUTY OF ANDREA KELLER

by Ian Muldoon

December 10, 2021

The Andrea Keller album Journey Home features a formal black and white cover photo of the pianist dressed in black, looking confidently up to her left. She is backed up at waist height against one of the three Australian made Stuart & Sons pianos used in this programme of nine solo piano works performed on 12th January and 25th February 2020 and recorded on location at Tempo Rubato, Brunswick & Beleura, Mornington by Jim Savage. I mention this because this is a departure from many of her previous documents, one of which had the cover of a comic character standing upright on his left leg on a comical cow drawn by father Erik Keller cf Family Portraits; another had a brilliant pink flower burning against a blue background; and another had lively, sunny and colourful drawings by her six-year-old son Jim. Journey Home is perhaps intended to be considered more seriously, more formally, than previous recitals…