‘A tale of five festivals’

Abstract

This paper considers the cultural intermediary function of Australian jazz festivals. It presents a detailed analysis of programming patterns across five Australian Jazz music festivals – namely, the Manly Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Brisbane International Jazz Festival, and Bellingen Jazz Festival – in the ten year period, 2004-2014. Using this data, this paper draws attention to the ‘search and select’ function of cultural intermediaries speaking to the broader significance of festivals as sites of popular music study. This paper considers a number of programming trends, including a comparison between local and international musicians; the frequency with which musicians performed at each festival and across festivals; issues of gender in programming; and identify musicians who could be placed into a number of genre categories, with a particular focus on those musicians who identify in some way with the category of World Music. This study presents an insight into current trends in jazz scenes in Australia and the roles that festivals play as cultural intermediaries in contributing to this aspect of Australian cultural life.

The impact of (jazz) festivals

“…) than from the classical/opera literature, the latter of which have 'traditionally been concerned with works and composers rather than the performance and concert context' (Doctor et al 2007: 6). Another finding is the high proportion of tourism studies literature for jazz festivals (for example, Saleh and Ryan 1993;Formica and Uysal 1996;Saayman and Rossouw 2010;Bracalente et al 2011), indicating the use of jazz festivals as a means for attracting tourists and sponsorship, and for other social and cultural benefits (for example, Curtis 2010;Keogh 2014;Vestrum 2014). The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, for example has a threefold purpose: to provide a jazz experience for the tourists and visitors, to develop the community and to grow the local economy (Saayman and Rossouw 2010: 255).…”

Jazz Up North Down Under: An inquiry into jazz performance, culture and identity through collaborative recitals in Queensland, Australia

“…Like many others (Atkins, 2001;Finkelstein, 1948;Ulanov, 1950) Rose identifies that jazz studies that focus on purely musical characteristics fail to provide a broader and comprehensive understanding of the music via its cultural traditions. Rechniewski (2008) provides an excellent commentary on the current state of affairs regarding the place of jazz in the nation's social landscape, and has generated much discussion in academic circles (Denson, 2009;Rose, 2015 (Keogh, 2015;Rechniewski, 2008;Shand, 2009;Sharpe, 2001;Zolan, 2008), and while it is recognised that there is "a core of jazz-improvising musicians of exceptional ability" (Rechniewski, 2008, p. 26)", to date, no in-depth studies have investigated how local Queensland jazz culture and identity intersect with jazz performance.…”

“…Recognised as "Queensland's largest jazz festival"(Keogh, 2015), the Brisbane International Jazz Festival (BIJF) has existed under its current name since 2013. Prior to 2013 it was known as the Valley Jazz Festival, which has a history dating back to 2004.Under its artistic director, Lynette Irwin, the rebranded festival has made every effort to attract international artists who are in Australia for other major festivals, such as the Reading had performed and toured with Duke Ellington, appeared on the Johnny Carson Show and at the Copacabana Club, and starred in London's West End.…”