The Jazzgroove Association’s venue is literally the back room in a pub—The Excelsior in Surry Hills, up behind the magnificent baroque architecture of News Limited’s castle of culture (I once worked in that hell hole), and these back rooms have often served as important forums for all kinds of things. Poets fascinate me no more than do old Murdoch drinkers, but they held many poisonous individuals in thrall at Poets In The Park, which was a big back bar in the Harold Park Hotel. Comics In The Park were there too. I have to admit that the crowd surrounding the folk scene in the back bar at the old Royal George seemed hideously arch and pretentious to this working class lad (they included elements of the old Sydney Push who sincerely believed that they were the only bohemians in Sydney), but there you have another famous back room.
The Tilbury at Woolloomooloo is periodically revived as a cabaret/show biz forum. You may be astounded to learn that I was very comfortable there. Deep down I am probably camp as an Outward Bound excursion. It’s just taking a long long time to surface. No, I doubt that it ever will: the truth is that in those circles there is at least politeness and even courtesy to strangers.
Jazzgroove’s back room feels like many jazz venues I’ve known. I’m comfortable here, too, because people have come to hear music rather than impress each other. For me there is culture and there is music, and you can keep culture, I have no need of it. You can even keep surf culture; I just like surfing. There is a good feeling in the Jazzgroove venue, and if there is not too much dependance on the hard-sounding speakers, a good listening ambience. Of course it’s very dark. I sort of like that.
Now wait a minute. When I am in Melbourne I do enjoy culture. That is Melbourne’s specialty. The band Clever Horse came up from Melbourne to play at Jazzgroove. Like many Melbourne bands, they have given a lot of thought to an overall sound, to an attractive surface, to listenability as well as creativity or simply ‘getting it on’. Two days earlier I had heard them briefly at Glebe market. They played the Spanish-sounding tune that opened their Jazzgroove set. In the sunny open air the two saxophones blended sweetly with the electric guitar. It was seductive and euphoric, reminding me a little of Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins playing La Rosita on the 1957 album Ben Webster Encounters Coleman Hawkins.
As noted, the set at Jazzgroove opened with the same tune, and something of its South of the border feeling permeated their material – which may have had more to do with the lovely open-tuned guitar (Robbie Melville) than any Latin influence. Some of their material became rocky, with a fusion influence, given momentum by Luke Kane’s drums. Sometimes the guitar and electric bass (Luke Hodgson) framed the tenor (Gideon Brazil) and alto saxophone (Monty Mackenzie), which executed unison harmony and counterpoint lines which recalled in a delightful way some of the reed writing of Ralph Burns. Unfortunately, the microphones used (or the speakers or the mix) made the saxophones harder and thinner than they sounded in the open air.
These are quite young fellows. They are onto something. They are undoubtedly creative. I liked their avoidance of solo display. I liked the melodic simplicity of their solo playing. After a while something seemed to be missing. A flame burning behind the always agreeable sounds. Euphoria drifted toward blandness eventually. But it was a good long stretch to play. I would have enjoyed a shorter exposition more. Maybe it was just the sound on the saxophones.
A band to be watched. Their attitude was good. Their appreciation of the majestic Maroubra Beach, where they were staying, was gratifying to one who grew up there and had to put up with denizens of less surf-endowed beaches calling it the end of the earth. When they return, I’ll be there to follow their progress.