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.

A DELICIOUS BAKER’S DOZEN FROM CHRIS MCNULTY

A review by Ian Muldoon

May 15, 2026

Of all musical instruments, the voice may be the most subjective experience for the listener. Miles Davis had a favourite singer, Shirley Horn.  My favourites include Cassandra Wilson, Sheila Jordan and Jazzmeia Horn. In live performance over the recent past Jo Lawry, Jenny Barnes and Chris McNulty have enthralled me. These three are musicians' singers with McNulty having special claim to such status. She composes, arranges, writes lyrics, leads and uses her voice very much as instrument in her regular wordless vocals, multi-tracking and deconstruction of standards. Her new album Soul Journey (Pearl Coast Jazz 2026) is a generous smorgasbord of delights: almost 70 minutes of 13 compositions including seven originals…

NEWK LIVES: A SPONTANEOUS TRIBUTE TO SONNY ROLLINS

by Ian Muldoon

June 6, 2026

Words are one thing, but is there any evidence locally that bears out such praise? On Saturday night, May 30, 2026, I fronted up to Jazzlab in Melbourne to hear a quintet led by composer and bassist Yunior Terry. He had some local heavyweights in the band.  Noting that Rollins, at 95, had died the previous Monday, he invited the quintet musicians to comment about Sonny's passing. Three did. The next paragraph is a paraphrase of what reeds player Carl Mackey said: