JOHN CLARE

This section is dedicated to the work of John Clare, who began writing in the early 70s, and has long been regarded as the doyen of Australian jazz writers. Helen Garner, in her preface to Clare's book Take Me Higher, describes how she used to cut out his writings under his Gail Brennan pseudonym and paste them into her diary. Originally she thought the articles were written by a woman. She describes his writing as "superbly literate and articulate, deeply informed, yet completely ordinary in tone, even at their most elated. A relaxed freedom flowed through everything he wrote. He was fearless. He rejoices. He celebrated. Years later, an art critic who admired him said to me: John Clare’s an ecstatic.” Many of John Clare's articles that were published previously in various publications are collected here. Click on the INDEX button for a list of articles in this folder.

JUDY BAILEY’S NEW ALBUM

Reviewed by John Clare

Jazz Down Under, November, 1974

Beautifully packaged, pianist Judy Bailey’s new record One Moment on Phonogram is always pleasant, often delightful, but never as good as it could have been. It was actually recorded six months ago, and the band is now playing a range of new original material, and has developed an individual way of incorporating rock elements…

CHARLIE MUNRO

by John Clare

Jazz Down Under, January/February 1977

I’m not at all convinced by the old cliche that “we need heroes”. We indulge ourselves with heroes, that’s all. We are all made of the same stuff, shuffled about in different ways. Charlie Munro was a hero to me. So was Bernie McGann, John Pochée and Bob Barnard. Later I got to know them too well for that. I gained a few friends, lost a few heroes…

THE CHARLIE MUNRO QUARTET: EASTERN HORIZONS

Reviewed by John Clare

Jazz Down Under, January/February 1977

The clear descendants of Eastern Horizons which was made in 1967, are the Free Kata album on Philips, Brian Brown live more than on record, and The Wasteland by Out To Lunch on 44 Records. Like Out To Lunch, Charlie’s band has no keyboard. There are some similarities between Eddie Bronson, at the time he made the Free Kata record, and Charlie on tenor. Both have phenomenal technique, and both push their instruments for force and colour. Eddie has rather a darker tone. There are another two Free Kata albums due soon to come out together, and these are the only examples of a more extreme investigation of the areas Charlie Munro opened up in Australia…