On 3rd March about a hundred guests—musicians, journalists, enthusiasts, representatives from the NSW Ministry for the Arts, the Australia Council, Musica Viva, SIMA, Jazzgroove and Café Carnivale—gathered in the Downstairs Bar of the Seymour Centre to see it relaunched as THE SOUND LOUNGE, Sydney’s newest music venue and the new home for SIMA.
The audience was welcomed to the event by the Seymour Centre’s General Manager Ann Mossop who also introduced the guest of honour, actor Colin Friels. Early in his career Colin had spent many nights on the Seymour Centre’s theatrical stages and in a witty and entertaining speech he told the audience of his respect and admiration for musicians. A lot of money was spent on places for actors to work, he said, but nothing was spent on places for musicians to play. He admitted too, that unlike his son, he had no talent for music despite having to “learn” the trumpet under the stern tutelage of Miles Davis with whom he worked on the film Dingo. Unspoken audience expectations for a couple of anecdotes from this experience of Miles were more than fulfilled.
Justo Diaz from Café Carnivale spoke next about his hopes for the venue and how it filled a need in Sydney for a centrally located comfortable, intimate performing space. He looked forward to the parnership with SIMA and the Seymour Centre. He then introduced the evening’s first performers, George Doukas and his group who played a lively set.
A short time later, with the next group set up, Peter Rechniewski, the SIMA president, spoke briefly about SIMA’s move here and how it represented a big step forward for SIMA. Each successive venue that the organisation had based itself in was better than the previous one. The Side On Café had been a step forward from the Strawberry Hills Hotel and the Sound Lounge was a step forward from the Side On Café. Through SIMA’s efforts and the talent of the musicians each of those spots had become the a focus for Sydney’s contemporary jazz scene he was certain the Sound Lounge would be the same and would serve the audience and musicians well. He then introduced the Aron Ottignon Trio.
It was an enjoyable and positive evening marred only by poor sound from a temporary sound system. Fortunately the problems were rectified for the opening of SIMA’s programme on 18th March—but more on that in John Clare’s which you can read in Hear & Now.