Lights

We're in Melbourne and we seem particularly unlucky for jazz or classical music. But there's White Night. It's all the rage here, a Saturday night public light show like Canberra's Enlighten, but just one big night (7pm-7am). The roads were closed off in the centre of town, 0.6 million people or so milled around, there were stabbings at one station and a drug emergency at an associated festival, but mostly mild and reportedly well received by visitors. We didn't find too many light shows where we walked, we enjoyed and dodged big crowds and walked the middle of main streets and found a few people to chat to. As these things are, people looked mostly dazed and somewhat under-/over-whelmed. We caught a few bands, not least the John Morrison Big Band. They were playing very recognisable standards with an easy swing - nicely done if not too adventurous (think Pensylvannia 6-5000). I was standing beside the stage (it was loud out front!) and met Alexandra by asking if she played music. Yes, alto sax. How easy it is to recognise lurking musos! Alexandra plays with the Australian Youth Band (concert and big band). We both enjoyed the easy professionalism of it all. Otherwise guitarists or keys with midi, blues feels, Piazzolla, dancers. And lots of people; given the high-rise residentials popping up around town, this is no surprise.

White Night was a city-wide light show entertainment in Melbourne. The John Morrison Big Band performed amongst many others.