Wending, by Bernie McGann

Wending

by Bernie McGann

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1.	The Breeze And I 11:59	info	buy track
2.	Mex 08:04	info	buy track
3.	Blues For Jackie 04:45	info	buy track
4.	ACNR 09:59	info	buy track
5.	Sweet And Lovely 11:58	info	buy track
6.	Fried Bananas 07:15	info	buy track
7.	Wendy 09:41		buy track
8.	Ashburner Street 09:05	info	buy track
9.	What Am I Here For? 10:13	info	buy track
10.	One For Dex 07:59	info	buy track

about

Before I was born Bernie McGann, or Bern, as he prefers, embarked on a career as a professional musician. He was a drummer.

It was the 1950s in Sydney, and from stories I’ve heard from Bob Bertles, John Pochée, Dave Levy and others, it was an exciting time for young aspiring jazz musicians. Parallel to finding gigs and playing, they created a news network and, ferret-like, ears would perk at word of the arrival in town of new records, usually from the States. Soon, pretty intense driving across and around the harbour preceded intense and repeated listening sessions.

I understand from John Pochée that McGann, Pochée and friends were particularly inspired by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, each player, McGann now on alto sax, finding a model in that band. They were long-distance apprentices who worked long and hard at developing their own sound. We have been among the beneficiaries as they found their own paths to music-making and forged their own unique sounds.

Wending celebrates McGann’s 75th birthday and a distinctive career that continues to demonstrate deep musicality. Long-time collaborator Lloyd Swanton thought we should match tracks still awaiting release from the Blues for Pablo Too sessions with material featuring the new rhythm section of Brendan Clarke and Andrew Dickeson.

What a great idea, and we now have a double CD, rather than the expected single disc, with the characteristic mix of a carefully chosen selection from the McGann songbook of standards and popular song, and his own compositional nuggets.

Over the years McGann’s trio and quartet have toured to the US, Europe and elsewhere, presenting their music at clubs and festivals and delighting audiences and critics. Here his lineups have won many awards for live performance and four ARIA Awards for Best Jazz Album, while he has received the Australia Council’s Don Banks Music Award which ‘honour(s) an artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australia music over a period of many years’.

McGann remains a modest, even self-effacing man. He has a clear musical conception, one that doesn’t follow an obvious route to expression, but it strikes me that he’s happiest to let his music be the statement that others respond to. That statement is clear and strongly present in Wending, which is an adornment both to his recording catalogue, and a career which grew from an inspiration and over the years has inspired audiences and new generations of aspiring musicians.

credits

released August 10, 2012

Bern McGann alto saxophone
Warwick Alder trumpet
Lloyd Swanton acoustic bass (tracks 2, 3, 6, 8)
John Pochée drums (tracks 2, 3, 6, 8)
Brendan Clarke acoustic bass (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
Andrew Dickeson drums (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)

2 CD set

Produced by Lloyd Swanton
Tracks 2, 3, 6, 8 recorded 20-22 June 2005 by Ross A'hern at Sony Studios, East Sydney
Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 recorded 3 May 2012 by Richard Belkner at Free Energy Device, Camperdown

Cover photo by me

license

about

Bernie McGann Sydney, Australia

discography

Wending

Aug 2012
Double Dutch?

Apr 2010
Solar

Nov 2009
Blues For Pablo Too

Nov 2005
Live At Side On

Oct 2005
Bundeena

Jul 2000
Kindred Spirits

Aug 1999
Ugly Beauty

Mar 1998
Playground

Feb 1997
McGann

Jun 1995

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