We are what we listen to (DHJF-1)

It was a formative weekend and it will take time to digest and document. I spent the weekend with a few mates in Sydney for the Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival and also managed visits to 505 and The Basement. The names were prodigious and varied. I went to see Ron Carter (twice), caught Kurt Rosenwinkel, discovered Dan Tepfer and was floored by Jason Moran. These were the internationals. As for the locals, they were mostly old friends: wonderful, varied, entertaining and there was one unexpected delight, a strange but exhilarating amalgam of classical and jazz. It was a weekend of cold and rain which just added to the experience and memorability, although sadly not the audience. Darling Harbour would have been disappointed, but standing in the rain with the like-minded adds to the sense of community. It’s not quite war but it’s a meagre version of that common bond. I have movies of right-hand bass technique and 1378 pics/videos as a record but the effects are in my mind. Darling Harbour Jazz & Blues Festival and this weekend in Sydney’s jazz scene was a stunner and I feel humbled by the experience. It all ended with the most mind-bending of all, the awe-inspiring history and vision of Jason Moran leaving me pensive as I think through this weekend.