jOHN Pochée BIOGRAPHY
This folder contains reviews and articles pertaining to Eric Myers’s biography of the late Australian drummer/bandleader John Pochée, who died in November, 2022, Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of reviews or articles in this folder.
The Last Straw
FOCUS ON THE LAST STRAW
by John Clare
Jazz Down Under, September/October, 1975
The name Last Straw might be taken either of two ways: the proverbial straw at which drowning men clutch; or, absolutely the last straw for those who think modern jazz should be neat, white and polite. Whichever is the right meaning, it will have been intended lightheartedly by these desperate, outrageous and gifted musicians. John Pochée, Bernie McGann and Jack Thorncraft are not strangers to the jazz musician's intermittent condition: having the arse out of your pants. Young Ken James is learning. Nor is that other experience unknown to them — that of facing an audience which regards any modern jazz as a veiled insult…
KING JOHN, THEM CROCODILES, AND THE LAST STRAW
by John Clare
Nation Review, July 14, 1977
John Pochée's phone calls are seldom private. His voice is admirably projected, not to say loud, and his eyes flick round the room for reactions. He is now bullying the one-legged pianist Chuck Yates. "Why aren’t you here, Chuck? Everyone is here, we're listening to music, and it is important that you hear this music. McCoy Tyner, Chuck. What do you mean you feel shithouse? You feel shithouse because you're there and we're here. There's not a man here feels shithouse, Chuck!" Chuck is coming, but someone else says they have to leave. "You can't just come here and leave," John protests. “You have to lie down in the sand, drag yourself along and roll around”…
ALL THAT JAZZ
by John Clare
The National Times, January 23-28, 1978
I am on the phone, discovering all over again how hard it is to get a group of musicians to be at the same place at the same time. I dislike telephoning, even fear it, as though I might follow my voice into the void of the mouthpiece, but I have been doing it all day. I have been asked to organise a jazz concert which will be a rare chance to have people hear some of the great legendary bands. The trouble is that not one of these great legendary bands seems to be available as a working entity. The Last Straw is essential to the plan; I believe it is the most inspiring band in the country; so I ring John Pochée and he agrees, but he thinks bassist Ron Philpott is doing another job that night; also pianist Tony Esterman. He'll ring them to see if they can find deputies. Much later, Pochée rings back…