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.

ADRIAN CUNNINGHAM: AUSTRALIA’S FINEST JAZZ EXPORT?

by Samuel Cottell

australianjazz.net, May 16, 2015

Multi woodwind player Adrian Cunningham has made his mark on the Australian and New York jazz scenes. Growing up in Sydney, he studied music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and formed his quartet (featuring Billy Risby, Gordon Rytmeister and Dave Pudney). He recorded albums with them and released a live DVD “With All Due Respect: The Benny Goodman Centennial Concert”. In 2005 Adrian was nominated for two MO awards: Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year and Best Jazz Group. He has also been a member of two prominent jazz groups, Galapagos Duck and the Sydney All Star Big Band. After a trip to New York he realised that it was where he needed to be. Moving there in 2008 he has made his mark on the scene performing in a wide number of projects and groups…

THE SONG, THE STANDARD, AND THE ART OF JAZZ

by Ian Muldoon

September 8, 2021

There is so much beautiful music! There are so many beautiful songs! And many of the songs have been transformed by jazz musicians into beautiful art. The Jewish diaspora of the early 20th Century produced so much popular and beautiful music it’s still a wonder to reflect on. Israel Bellin (Irving Berlin) who lived for 101 years and composed over 800 songs, was considered by George Gershwin to be America’s Schubert. Blue Skies and How Deep Is The Ocean are two Berlin songs that are established as jazz standards, but relative to his output, Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers and Arlen outnumber him easily in regard to being taken up by jazz musicians, most likely because these composers themselves came under the sway of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong…

DALE BARLOW

Interviewed by Jim McLeod

Jim McLeod’s Jazztrack, 1994

Dale Barlow is a powerful personality. And that's as obvious in his music as well as socially. He's determined and dedicated but always seems open to new ideas and prepared to go in different musical directions within the bounds of jazz. In the journey to be a jazz musician Dale went to the source, New York, and lived the life of a young musician seeking a place. He made it in a way no one else has done, in recent times anyway. He joined a major ensemble which has been a training ground for an enormous number of young players for years—Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The lessons learnt in that environment, plus his natural ability and hard work, put Dale at least a step ahead of other musicians in his area of jazz. The tenor saxophone now seems as natural to him as talking but he did play and consider other instruments. We began talking about his piano studies…