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.

COLLECTIVE AUTONOMY: RIVER’S FLOW

by Phil Treloar

December, 2017

As the saying goes, “much water has passed beneath the bridge,” since Eric Myers, the then editor, published Collective Autonomy: a path towards another alternative, in the Feb/Mar 2002 issue of JazzChord. Like us all, I’m older now, though in my case it’s debatable whether wiser. What is less debatable is that Collective Autonomy has developed substantially. This article is a bird’s eye view on the developments that have taken place and the ways in which these have been made manifest over the intervening years...

SCHMOE: LEADING ADELAIDE JAZZ SAXOPHONIST AND PERSONALITY

by Ted Nettelbeck

December, 2017

“Schmoe” is Yiddish for “dunderhead”. Sylvan Elhay was given this nickname by a school friend when, at age 14, he persisted, to the annoyance of school boys sharing the experience, with repeated attempts to master the clarinet’s high A that concludes Woody Herman’s Golden Wedding. The exchange went something like: (following several unsuccessful SE attempts marked by shrieks and squeaks) “if you play that again you’re a schmoe” (further shrieking and squeaking). The incident captures nicely two critical aspects of Schmoe’s personality...

RAY MARGINSON: HIS EARLY DAYS IN JAZZ

by Ken Simpson-Bull

VJAZZ (Date to come)

At 87 years of age our former Chairman, Ray Marginson AM, was recently interviewed for the Victorian Jazz Archive. Ray’s involvement with the formation and running of the Archive is already well-known and documented. However, some fascinating stories of his early activities related to Ray’s favourite passion emerged which should be transcribed…