^ I agree with your first sentence, but that does not stop marketing men selling various gizmos and trying to convince the public of their merits - cables that work in one direction, turntable mats, record clamps etc.

Hi fi exhibitions were a good day out for tyre kickers, who just wanted see what expensive kit could do. It did provide an opportunity to hear a lot of high end stuff in one place on a single day. There were often bargain revelations - videoton minimax loudspeakers from Hungary are one example. It appears nowadays that they charge admission for hi fi exhibitions. I cannot see that taking off.

At beer festivals you do at least consume the produce on site.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-09-21 19:10:42)

Australian jazz is mourning the loss of its most distinctive voice, Bernie McGann, who died on Tuesday night from complications following heart surgery. He was 76.

McGann's sound and style on the alto saxophone were so singular that his playing could easily be identified inside of a couple of notes if randomly encountered on the radio. It was a dark, dry, warm sound, bursting with humanity, while his lines, often consisting of staccato bursts, jumbled and anguish and jubilation in equal measure.

Had he been inclined to base himself in New York half a century ago he would surely have been more universally acknowledged as one of the most significant saxophonists in jazz history. As it was he proved that a boy from Granville blessed with the imagination, integrity and strength of character to pursue jazz his own way could carve a niche and leave a legacy that will withstand the fiercest scrutiny of history.

McGann shunned the life of the jobbing musician, famously preferring to work as a postman in Bundeena and practise his art in the national park.

While his early career was under-recorded, his maturity saw this redressed: a swathe of albums on the Rufus label that are a lasting testimony to his uniqueness. In 1998 he was the first jazz artist to receive the prestigious Don Banks Music Award.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQWve4cknic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU8Gy30f-QA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_McGann

Come over here shooey - its more fun - I've got outside speakers

After last weekend's 'Return to Camden' festival I have been listening to a CD of these two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgM1mwGxLf8&list=FLH1rCyEi6Q7Jzb0L66ZwQRw&index=8

What kind of brownshirt kafkaesque nightmare was that all about?

One of the most perfect songs by one of Australia's greatest rock bands called Split Enz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUC_jE78FNE

Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-11-01 14:00:05)