The punters were promised the biggest and best Jazz in the Vines yet, a fitting party to farewell the Hunter Valley’s beloved festival. However, some major organizational flaws put a dampener on the festivities and left many of us with a sour taste in our mouth.
Long queues snaking in to the land beside Tyrrell’s Vineyard were our first clue that this year might be a little different from the very relaxed festival I’ve loved for so many years. Ordinarily the lines move quickly, yet I missed most of Anna Weatherup’s set because I was queuing to enter the venue. She sounded amazing, with laidback covers of songs from Dido and Eva Cassidy, and I really wish the lines had moved faster so I could watch her play.
Sadly that was a recurrent theme for this year’s event which has been dubbed “Jazz in the Lines” by some of those disappointed. After entering the venue and setting up our chairs, Dad and I made a beeline for the bar. I’m glad that we did, because even though people were still streaming through the gates, it took us an hour to get to the front. As it turned out, those two bottles of wine we purchased for our group of four would be the only ones we’d buy all day. While in the queue we heard tickets were still being sold at the gate, further compounding the problem. At one point we saw the queue stretch out to four times the size it was when we lined up.
The event’s organiser’s commented on Facebook that “many of our patrons were let down by the one aspect out of our control,” before passing the buck to Tyrrell’s. The winemaker apologised for the queues, noting they were “understaffed” and the demand for wines “was far greater than anticipated.” However, when an event has been promoted as extensively as this one and tickets are sold in what must be record numbers, I fail to understand how the demand could be “greater than anticipated.” Staff should have been found, whether they were from the winery or contracted for the day. It all made me long for the years before Tyrrell’s had the monopoly, when it would share the spotlight with the likes of Tamburlaine and Peterson’s Champagne House, and queues were negligible.
While the situation was unfortunate, it wasn’t the only problem on the day as the organisers suggested. The queues in to the venue were too long, and this was repeated as we waited for the car park to clear at the end. At one point a frustrated volunteer threw down his sign, leaving confused cars to try to work things out until a police officer ran in to address the mess. The bins were overflowing by mid-afternoon, forcing many attendees to leave glass bottles strewn around the grass and creating an unsafe environment. With so many people at the event, this should have never been left unchecked.
A representative from Jazz in the Vines contacted me on Monday when I shared my frustrations on Facebook along with others. Remembering my name and blog, he urged me to call him so he could give his side of the story before I wrote this review. With a busy week of vet appointments, Melbourne Cup luncheons, and entertaining my visiting parents, I knew I’d barely have a moment to myself. I urged him to write an email if he had anything further to add to the comments regarding Tyrrell’s on Facebook. I didn’t receive one. I questioned him about the bins over Facebook Messenger, but I didn’t get an answer on that either.
I’m not suggesting one needs to drink to have a good time, but I do think when you pay money for an event like Jazz in the Vines, you’re paying for an experience. You should be able to enjoy all that’s on offer, rather than being forced to decide whether to queue to get alcohol and miss hours of entertainment or go without.
For our party the decision was a no brainer. We drank the little bit of wine we could procure slowly, and purchased some softies from the guys from the Men’s Shed before they sold out. It was much more important for us to watch the music, which as always impressed. The first act I got to see was Monica Trapaga, performing with John Morrison’s Swing City. I’ve always loved Monica since growing up with her on Playschool and I’m not sure she’s aged a day. What a vivacious entertainer, a proper old-school jazz artist with a clear, pure tone and a little va-va-voom in her delivery. She was over far too soon.
The next act Ondawon was so intriguing. Lead singer Neilsen Gough has one of the best soul voices I’ve ever heard. His classic sound reminded me a little of Luther Vandross mixed with Bill Withers. He could easily have stuck to soul standards, but instead the set featured covers of songs like Elvis Costello’s “Alison” and Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” performed in really unique ways. I enjoyed it, although it was probably a shade too long at an hour.
I could feel the crowds getting restless until John Morrison’s Swing City returned, this time with John’s Brother James, Dale Barlow, and Emma Pask in tow. James Morrison really is Mr Jazz in the Vines. He has such charisma and is always a blast to see. I’d watched him play the festival with Emma years ago, long before The Voice, and I was thrilled for her return. Her voice truly is something else. The playful chemistry between them, showcased perfectly in songs like “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,” made this set an absolute joy.
Lisa Hunt was up next, another Jazz favourite who always gets the crowd up and dancing with her Motown covers. Up near the stage really was the best place to experience her set, not just because you could feel the electricity from her, but also because the sound suffered back near our seats. I’m not really sure what happened – this was the only act where sound quality suffered – but judging by a couple of Facebook comments I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
Thankfully there were no such issues for Leo Sayer, my favourite act of the day. I’m not sure I realised just how many Leo Sayer songs I knew or what a dynamic performer he is. I was held transfixed and loved every single second of his set which delivered hit after hit including excellent renditions of “When I Need You,” “One Man Band,” and “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.” What a treasure he is. I really must see him playing his own show, because he is exceptional.
After being in raptures over Leo’s set, I felt a little let down over the closing act, Mental as Anything. It seems I wasn’t alone, as I saw many people exiting the venue when they took the stage. Playing some relatively obscure songs up front probably didn’t help matters. Musically the band is still strong, but the vocals from Greedy Smith and Martin Plaza aren’t quite what they used to be. I had a little boogie to “Live It Up” and “Nips Are Getting Bigger,” but I felt a little underwhelmed.
On the whole though, Jazz in the Vines delivered many of the outstanding musical performances I’ve come to expect. It’s just a shame that the well-publicised problems took the gloss off what should have been a very special curtain call for one of the Hunter’s most loved festivals.
Image source: own photos
Add some amazing wine from Tyrell’s, fantastic food from some of the Hunter’s best restaurants, and good vibes into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a superb day out.
The Wobbly Boot Jazz Band provided the perfect soundtrack for us to track down my high school friend and acquaint ourselves with the venue. These guys are Jazz stalwarts, always consistent in the old-school jazz they deliver. They’re a reminder of where the festival began, before it started genre hopping.
So there was a tinge of sadness as we settled in to watch the Royal Australian Navy Band. These guys are always so tight, performing a set mostly made up of standards with military precision. Unexpected covers of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “I Want to Be Like You” from The Jungle Book added real colour to their performance.
Bruce Mathiske is such an accomplished guitarist that it’s impossible not to be impressed by what he does. When he brought George Golla on to the stage with him, we knew we were in the presence of greatness. However, three acts in I was kind of waiting for a break from the mellow. Or perhaps the rain that had started to come down was souring my mood. Either way, things were lovely but I was waiting for them to kick up a notch.
It seems I was waiting for Steve Clisby. Funnily enough, I was one of the only Aussies who wasn’t besotted with him on The Voice. I thought he played a little too safe, and I could see some limitations to his vocals. But when I saw him live, I wasn’t worried about any of that stuff. There’s this easy way about his performance style that wins a crowd over from the get go. Perhaps it also helped that here he was singing the songs he wanted to sing, rather than those given to him by the network. Although he did acknowledge his Voice past with his now famous cover of “Walking in Memphis.” I didn’t expect to enjoy Steve Clisby as much as I did, but after some fairly sleepy acts I was really impressed.
It wouldn’t feel like Jazz in the Vines without James Morrison, and once again he didn’t disappoint us. This time around he seemed to take a back seat though, giving his young singers an opportunity to shine. There weren’t the big trumpet solos I was used to. He even spent a little time on keys. Rather than attempting to be the star, he sang the praises of his vocalists. I was thrilled to see former Australian Idol contestant Roxane LeBrasse back with him, as she was a few years ago. The Voice alum Glenn Cunningham was there too, proving he’s well and truly moved on from being Delta Goodrem’s back-up singer. He was so much stronger than I remember him on the show, whether because he’s got more experience as a frontman under his belt or he’s now singing songs that he believes in a little more. I hadn’t heard of Evelyn Duprai but she was also phenomenal. I’ve seen James Morrison in the spotlight, so I really enjoyed watching him as part of one of the best soul ensembles I’ve seen.
Ross Wilson was the act I really wanted to see, and he put on the performance of the day. He drew from his entire back catalogue, helping the crowd forget about that relentless rain with classics like “Come Said the Boy,” “Come Back Again,” and my personal favourite “Cool World.” He has such charisma to match those amazing songs. By the time he brought out “Eagle Rock,” the whole crowd was singing along enthusiastically.
I can’t remember another international act gracing the Jazz in the Vines stage, but this British band fit right in. Despite hailing from the United Kingdom, the Dixie Ticklers had a real New Orleans vibe that took us back to the roots of jazz. With so many artists from this festival pushing the boundaries of exactly what jazz is, it was refreshing to see a band representing the genre so purely.
Grace Knight strayed from her pop roots and celebrated the standards featured on more recent releases. Like the fine wines we were consuming from the good folks at Tamburlaine, her voice only gets better with age. Her version of “I’m a Woman” was killer, and my inner child loving hearing her bust out her Eurogliders’ hit “Heaven (Must Be There).”
I expected Jazz in the Vines would be bigger than ever on its 20th anniversary, but I’m blown away at the talent assembled for 2012.
I arrived to the traditional jazz stylings of the NSW Police Band. They were such a tight outfit, and perfect for easing us in to the day. Their classic jazz tunes were a natural warm-up for Feel the Manouche featuring living legend George Washingmachine. Again this was a classic jazz set punctuated by the tunes of Cole Porter and the like. However the unlikely blend of violin, double bass, and piano accordion brought a lovely gypsy flavour to the music. It was mellow but stunning, a great backdrop for a casual lunch and a few glasses of wine.
The intensity picked up with Weird Assembly, an exciting ten-piece who played big brassy soulful grooves. I really enjoyed their sound, particularly the gutsy rasp of vocalist and sometimes saxophonist David Weir. Sadly his enthusiasm came off a little desperate at times. The Jazz in the Vines crowd certainly isn’t too shy to dance if they want to. The repeated pleas for more participation started to grate.
Lisa Hunt proved that when the moment is right, the punters will groove. She closed the festival a few years back, and with Saturday’s set she proved that excellent set was no fluke. She had the throng on its feet with her Motown and disco heavy performance. Perhaps The Four Tops and Thelma Houston numbers weren’t jazz, but no one seemed to mind one bit. While she performed admirably as a solo act the moment when she called on three audience members to serve as her Supremes was a real highlight. One girl’s killer vocals even threatened to upstage Ms Hunt’s!
Image source: own photo
