OBITUARIES

This folder includes obituaries for jazz musicians or persons of significance to the Australian jazz community, written by several contributors. Click on the INDEX box to access a list of obituaries contained in this folder.

OBITUARY: JULIAN LEE 1923-2020

by John Shand

Sydney Morning Herald, January 5, 2021

A young Julian Lee was hired by the Auckland bandleader Bert Paterson, who, to stir up his edgy players, gleefully told them that Lee played only piano, accordion, alto and tenor saxophones, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, bass and drums. "He makes up for this," he added, "by singing the vocals." So obvious was the musical gift of the man they called "Golden Ears" that Frank Sinatra asked to meet him during his 1961 Australian tour. Lee duly infiltrated Sinatra's inner sanctum, whereupon the great singer said, "I want you to come over to the States. In fact, you have to do that, because you’re a talent we want to foster." "Well," Lee replied, "what senor commands, I must do”…

OBITUARY: JOHN CLARE 1940-2020

by Eric Myers

Loudmouth, February, 2021

For me John Clare’s death on December 24, 2020, signified the end of an era. Although I did not know him well – we were acquaintances rather than friends – he was a constant presence in my mind since the mid-70s. I considered him the most interesting writer on jazz in this country. In later years, as I became more aware of his vast output as a writer, it became clear that he was not merely a so-called “jazz writer”. He is better considered as a creative writer who happened to write on jazz, amongst other topics. He once said that his prime inspirations were music, painting and the ocean, but in fact he wrote beautifully on any subject under the sun…

OBITUARY: JOHN CLARE 1940-2020

by John Shand

Sydney Morning Herald, January 20, 2021

Journalist John Clare mostly listened to music with his eyes closed. If it reared up towards the exceptional his expression was rapturous and when it finished his eyes sprang open, and he grinned or even laughed ecstatically. This intensity of pleasure was the same when he was snorkelling, staring at a painting or cycling: he immersed himself to the exclusion of all else. That he had grown up with the ocean as a regular companion seemed to infiltrate his writing, which, at its best, was iridescent. Meaning was not just conveyed but sparkled off the words in gripping evocations of a melody or the airborne sensation of riding his beloved racing bike at speed…