Paul (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} fremantlebiz) wrote,@ 2007-11-03 09:00:00 |
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Jazz action on the local jazz scene
Regular readers would know my family has a few young high school jazz musicians, and that I've long had a bit of an interest in listening to jazz.
There is a thriving jazz scene in the fair cities of Perth and Fremantle where some very talented young adult musicians are increasingly making their presence felt. One of these is a bloke named Graham Wood. Aside from doing his thing on piano, he's also a PhD candidate at UWA. Not only that, he's teamed up with someone else and they are trying to establish a jazz club to be named Ellingtons - after the great Duke of course. I've received a document describing the exciting project and have reproduced it below.
As well as providing a sophisticated professional venue for local and international talent, such an establishment has the potential to be an outstanding tourist attraction. One only has to think of Ronnie Scott's in London or the original Hot Club in Paris. (I went there in 1969.)
But wait, there's more. If you visit Graham's website at http://www.grahamwood.com.au you can download four mp3 tracks of him playing with other local jazz musicians. The downloads are free, and will fire up on iTunes for your listening pleasure.
© MMVII Paul R. Weaver.
About the writer
Check out each month's subject index on the Calendar Page for my "common-man" monologues about survival in 21st century Australia – plus a little history occasionally. An original essay is added most days as part of an undertaking to write a couple of million words.
Regular readers would know my family has a few young high school jazz musicians, and that I've long had a bit of an interest in listening to jazz.
There is a thriving jazz scene in the fair cities of Perth and Fremantle where some very talented young adult musicians are increasingly making their presence felt. One of these is a bloke named Graham Wood. Aside from doing his thing on piano, he's also a PhD candidate at UWA. Not only that, he's teamed up with someone else and they are trying to establish a jazz club to be named Ellingtons - after the great Duke of course. I've received a document describing the exciting project and have reproduced it below.
As well as providing a sophisticated professional venue for local and international talent, such an establishment has the potential to be an outstanding tourist attraction. One only has to think of Ronnie Scott's in London or the original Hot Club in Paris. (I went there in 1969.)
The Ellington Jazz Club Pty Ltd.
The purpose of this paper is to inform the Perth music community of an exciting venture between Bernard Kong and Graham Wood to open a jazz club in the Beaufort Street entertainment precinct. This venture is scheduled to open in 2008.
With the resounding success of jazz artists from established professionals, WAAPA Jazz graduates and students (as reflected through national and international awards, CD releases, performances and touring engagements) it would be prudent for the city of Perth to allow a Jazz Club to provide opportunities for both experienced and emerging jazz artists to perform and develop in a focused environment without compromise. This would hopefully lessen the bleed of talented Western Australian musicians to the Eastern States and overseas, due to limited performance opportunities here.
We believe that some of the keys to the success of such a venture would include:
* The programming of high quality and uncompromising music.
* The creation of suitable space and ambience for both performers and patrons.
* Effective and ongoing marketing and promotion strategies.
* Partnerships with the industry and community.
* The ability to open a wide range of hours (including after midnight) to allow flexibility for patrons and performers.
The Ellington will be a live jazz club. The service style will be cabaret, the music will be world class - cutting edge original jazz and improvisation. The initial plan would be to open for 3-4 nights per week with the long-term goal of opening 7 nights a week. The club will operate on the ground floor and 1st floor level. The ground floor will be dedicated to live jazz performances and the first floor will be set out as a lounge area to allow socialising away from the main performance space.
The club will be fitted out with purpose built bar areas, stage, PA system and lights for optimum comfort and entertainment of both performers and patrons. We feel that the Perth music and entertainment market is suited to opening and sustaining a dedicated jazz performance venue. This is based on their extensive experience in the music industry and business community.
The club will be located in the Beaufort Street precinct. This area is rapidly becoming a favoured alternative nightspot to Northbridge and Fremantle for the more discerning patron in search of a more sophisticated culture and night life. Its close proximity to the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the socio-economic demographic lends the area to a more suitable atmosphere for the jazz club experience.
I trust you will help us by writing a letter of support to endorse this type of project in the Western Australian music community. The address to send the letter is:
The Director of Liquor Licensing
c/- Lavan Legal
The Quadrant
1 William Street
Perth, Western Australia. 6000
But wait, there's more. If you visit Graham's website at http://www.grahamwood.com.au you can download four mp3 tracks of him playing with other local jazz musicians. The downloads are free, and will fire up on iTunes for your listening pleasure.
© MMVII Paul R. Weaver.
About the writer
Check out each month's subject index on the Calendar Page for my "common-man" monologues about survival in 21st century Australia – plus a little history occasionally. An original essay is added most days as part of an undertaking to write a couple of million words.
