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.

AVANT-GARDE TO NEW ACCESSIBILITY: SOME MOVEMENTS IN SYDNEY EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ

by John Clare/Gail Brennan

Official program, Sydney International Jazz Festival, March 1992

It may seem odd that allegedly avant-garde bands such as Wanderlust, Clarion Fracture Zone, The Necks, The Last Straw, Ten Part Invention, Lisa Parrott's Melody Rhythm Ensemble, The Engine Room, the Bernie McGann Trio, The catholics and Mark Simmonds's Freeboppers have found favour with a young audience for whom rock accessibility is a high priority if not a demand. Some very simple explanations can be found…

THE VAMPIRES AT SIMA

by John Clare

www.australianjazz.net, September 16, 2014

A good indication of the strange attendance fluctuations that exist for some at the top level of contemporary jazz – particularly in Sydney it would seem – is provided by The Vampires, who have had successful international and Australian tours yet, after a highly acclaimed tour of Germany and a brief hiatus, appeared here recently before a numerically very modest audience. That audience weaved and pulsated at their tables to an eclectic feast of worldwide rhythms, though one distinguished looking gentleman entered dancing gracefully on his feet while tracking down a good listening spot. That gent may have been your reviewer…

JAZZGROOVE SUMMER FIESTA

by John Clare

www.australianjazz.net, February 1, 2015

Sydney’s Jazzgroove Association fifth Summer Fiesta was spread over three venues in Ultimo: Foundry616, Lord Wolseley (I was judged too declasse to admit here) and APRA (I can’t understand it, but I failed the audition, or am I thinking of NIDA?) from Jan 16 to 18. In fact the cross section of bands that was most useful for review purposes was indeed at Foundry, where they’ll admit even the hoi polloi. This year’s artistic directors were Ben Panucci and Thomas Botting, who worked with the smallest budget ever to give us a concentrated view of Jazzgroove excellence…