Bernie McGann and Bundeena
Mythologizing an Austral jazz icon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jazz.34526Keywords:
Austral jazz, Australian jazz, Bernie McGann, jazz, saxophoneAbstract
This article argues that the Australian saxophonist Bernie McGann was a catalyst in the shift towards the emergence of an Austral jazz scene, and that from 1970 until his death in 2013, McGann became a major creative force within that scene. The article sets out several factors that contributed to McGann's gradual acceptance and eventual rise to iconic status within the Australian jazz scene and the larger Austral community. It questions aspects of the McGann narrative, in particular the suggestion that McGann's distinctive musical language was forged during extended periods of daily practice in the Australian bush during the 1970s and 80s, arguing that this is a simplification of McGann's biography and not an accurate reflection of his complex and sustained creative development.
References
Bisset, Andrew (1987) Black Roots White Flowers. Sydney: ABC Enterprises.
Clare, John (1981) ‘Bernie McGann and All That Jazz’. Sydney City Monthly (January): 83–87.
——(1995) Bodgie Dada and the Cult of Cool. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
Clunies Ross, Bruce (1979) ‘An Australian Sound: Jazz in Melbourne and Adelaide 1941–51’. In Australian Popular Culture, ed. P. Spearritt and D. Walker, 62–80. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Dunbar-Hall, Peter, Glenda Hodge and Annette Pollak (1986–1988) ‘Bernie McGann’. Interviews with Australian Musicians (1986–1988), 119–30 (unpublished). Australian Music Centre.
Evans, Sandy (2014) ‘Expressive Identity in the Voices of Three Australian Saxophonists: McGann, Sanders and Gorman’. Jazz Research Journal 8/1-2: 257–76. https://doi.org/10.1558/jazz.v8i1-2.26757
——(2013) ‘Bernie McGann Tribute with Paul Grabowsky’. In The Music Show, ed. A. Ford. Australia: ABC. Radio programme.
Graham, Trevor (1967) ‘Jazz Australia’ (liner notes). Jazz Australia. Australia: CBS SBP 233450. LP.
Hall, Ashley, and Mark Colvin (2013) ‘Sydney jazz muso Bernie McGann dead at 76’. In PM, ed. Mark Colvin. Australia: ABC. Radio programme.
Jackson, Adrian (1983) ‘Bernie McGann: Interview’. Jazz: The Australian Contemporary Music Magazine 3 (July–August): 14–16.
Johnson, Bruce (1987) The Oxford Companion to Australian Jazz. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
——(2008) ‘Australian Jazz: An Overview’. In Sounds of Then, Sounds of Now, ed. S. Homan and T. Mitchell, 113–29. Hobart: ACYS Publishing.
——(2009) ‘Jazz and Nation in Australian Cinema: From Silents to Sound‘. Journal of the National Film and Sound Archive 4/1: 1–12.
Lucas, Kevin, dir. (1991) Beyond El Rocco. Ronin Films. DVD.
McBeath, John (2013) ‘Original and Inventive Giant of the Alto Saxophone’. The Australian, 23 September.
McGann, Bernie. 1986. ‘Jazztrack’. In Jazztrack, ed. J. McLeod. Australia: ABC Radio. Radio programme.
McGregor, Craig (1967) ‘Record to Make History’. Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 28 June, p. 17.
——(1991) ‘Bernie on the Blower’. Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 11 May, ‘Spectrum’, pp. 46–47.
Murphy, Geoff, dir. (2001) Blerta Revisited. New Zealand: Everard Entertainment. Feature film.
Nicholson, Stuart (2005) Is Jazz Dead? (Or Has it Moved to a New Address). New York: Routledge.
Nisenson, Eric (2015) Open Sky: Sonny Rollins and His World of Improvisation. New York: St Martin’s Press.
Page, Geoff (1997) Bernie McGann, a Life in Jazz. Armidale, NSW: Kardoorair Press.
Phillips, Arthur (2006) The Cultural Cringe. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press.
Pochée, John (2013) ‘In Memory of Bernie McGann 1937–2013’. Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA). https://tinyurl.com/yd9z5ha3 (accessed 8 September 2016).
Prouty, Kenneth E. (2012) Knowing Jazz. Mississippi: University of Mississippi Press.
Rasula, Jed (1995) ‘The Media of Memory: The Seductive Menace of Records in Jazz History’. In Jazz among the Discourses, ed. Krin Gabbard, 134–62. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Rechniewski, Peter (2008) ‘The Permanent Underground: Australian Contemporary Jazz in the New Millennium’. Platform Papers No. 16: Quarterly Essays on the Performing Arts. Australia: Currency House.
Robson, Andrew (2016) ‘Austral Jazz: A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Local Remaking of a Global Musical Form’. PhD thesis, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney.
Russell, Ross (1996) Bird Lives: The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. New York: Da Capo Press.
Shand, John (2009) Jazz: The Australian Accent. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales Press.
——(2013) ‘Phenomenal Saxophonist among the Best in the World’. Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 2013.
Stevens, Timothy (2000) ‘The Origins, Development and Significance of the Red Onions Jazz Band, 1960–1996’. PhD thesis, Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne.
Whyton, Tony (2010). Jazz Icons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
——(2013) Beyond A Love Supreme. New York: Oxford University Press.
Williams, Mike (1981) The Australian Jazz Explosion. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
Recordings
Blerta. This is Life. New Zealand: His Master’s Voice (NZ) Ltd. 1975.
——Wild Man. New Zealand: EMI (NZ) Ltd. 1976.
Coleman, Ornette. ‘Broadway Blues’. New York is Now. USA: Blue Note CDP 7 84287 2. CD. 1968.
McGann, B. ‘Lazy Days’. Jazz Australia. Australia: CBS SBP 233450, LP. 1968.
——Jazz Australia. Australia: CBS SBP233450, LP. 1968.
——‘Bernie McGann Trio’. Ugly Beauty. Sydney, Australia: Spiral Scratch 0010. 1991.
——Bernie McGann 1966. Auckland, New Zealand: Sarang Bang Records SBR028, LP. 2014.
Clare, John (1981) ‘Bernie McGann and All That Jazz’. Sydney City Monthly (January): 83–87.
——(1995) Bodgie Dada and the Cult of Cool. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
Clunies Ross, Bruce (1979) ‘An Australian Sound: Jazz in Melbourne and Adelaide 1941–51’. In Australian Popular Culture, ed. P. Spearritt and D. Walker, 62–80. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Dunbar-Hall, Peter, Glenda Hodge and Annette Pollak (1986–1988) ‘Bernie McGann’. Interviews with Australian Musicians (1986–1988), 119–30 (unpublished). Australian Music Centre.
Evans, Sandy (2014) ‘Expressive Identity in the Voices of Three Australian Saxophonists: McGann, Sanders and Gorman’. Jazz Research Journal 8/1-2: 257–76. https://doi.org/10.1558/jazz.v8i1-2.26757
——(2013) ‘Bernie McGann Tribute with Paul Grabowsky’. In The Music Show, ed. A. Ford. Australia: ABC. Radio programme.
Graham, Trevor (1967) ‘Jazz Australia’ (liner notes). Jazz Australia. Australia: CBS SBP 233450. LP.
Hall, Ashley, and Mark Colvin (2013) ‘Sydney jazz muso Bernie McGann dead at 76’. In PM, ed. Mark Colvin. Australia: ABC. Radio programme.
Jackson, Adrian (1983) ‘Bernie McGann: Interview’. Jazz: The Australian Contemporary Music Magazine 3 (July–August): 14–16.
Johnson, Bruce (1987) The Oxford Companion to Australian Jazz. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
——(2008) ‘Australian Jazz: An Overview’. In Sounds of Then, Sounds of Now, ed. S. Homan and T. Mitchell, 113–29. Hobart: ACYS Publishing.
——(2009) ‘Jazz and Nation in Australian Cinema: From Silents to Sound‘. Journal of the National Film and Sound Archive 4/1: 1–12.
Lucas, Kevin, dir. (1991) Beyond El Rocco. Ronin Films. DVD.
McBeath, John (2013) ‘Original and Inventive Giant of the Alto Saxophone’. The Australian, 23 September.
McGann, Bernie. 1986. ‘Jazztrack’. In Jazztrack, ed. J. McLeod. Australia: ABC Radio. Radio programme.
McGregor, Craig (1967) ‘Record to Make History’. Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 28 June, p. 17.
——(1991) ‘Bernie on the Blower’. Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 11 May, ‘Spectrum’, pp. 46–47.
Murphy, Geoff, dir. (2001) Blerta Revisited. New Zealand: Everard Entertainment. Feature film.
Nicholson, Stuart (2005) Is Jazz Dead? (Or Has it Moved to a New Address). New York: Routledge.
Nisenson, Eric (2015) Open Sky: Sonny Rollins and His World of Improvisation. New York: St Martin’s Press.
Page, Geoff (1997) Bernie McGann, a Life in Jazz. Armidale, NSW: Kardoorair Press.
Phillips, Arthur (2006) The Cultural Cringe. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press.
Pochée, John (2013) ‘In Memory of Bernie McGann 1937–2013’. Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA). https://tinyurl.com/yd9z5ha3 (accessed 8 September 2016).
Prouty, Kenneth E. (2012) Knowing Jazz. Mississippi: University of Mississippi Press.
Rasula, Jed (1995) ‘The Media of Memory: The Seductive Menace of Records in Jazz History’. In Jazz among the Discourses, ed. Krin Gabbard, 134–62. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Rechniewski, Peter (2008) ‘The Permanent Underground: Australian Contemporary Jazz in the New Millennium’. Platform Papers No. 16: Quarterly Essays on the Performing Arts. Australia: Currency House.
Robson, Andrew (2016) ‘Austral Jazz: A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Local Remaking of a Global Musical Form’. PhD thesis, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney.
Russell, Ross (1996) Bird Lives: The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. New York: Da Capo Press.
Shand, John (2009) Jazz: The Australian Accent. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales Press.
——(2013) ‘Phenomenal Saxophonist among the Best in the World’. Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 2013.
Stevens, Timothy (2000) ‘The Origins, Development and Significance of the Red Onions Jazz Band, 1960–1996’. PhD thesis, Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne.
Whyton, Tony (2010). Jazz Icons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
——(2013) Beyond A Love Supreme. New York: Oxford University Press.
Williams, Mike (1981) The Australian Jazz Explosion. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
Recordings
Blerta. This is Life. New Zealand: His Master’s Voice (NZ) Ltd. 1975.
——Wild Man. New Zealand: EMI (NZ) Ltd. 1976.
Coleman, Ornette. ‘Broadway Blues’. New York is Now. USA: Blue Note CDP 7 84287 2. CD. 1968.
McGann, B. ‘Lazy Days’. Jazz Australia. Australia: CBS SBP 233450, LP. 1968.
——Jazz Australia. Australia: CBS SBP233450, LP. 1968.
——‘Bernie McGann Trio’. Ugly Beauty. Sydney, Australia: Spiral Scratch 0010. 1991.
——Bernie McGann 1966. Auckland, New Zealand: Sarang Bang Records SBR028, LP. 2014.
Published
2018-10-04
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Robson, A. (2018). Bernie McGann and Bundeena: Mythologizing an Austral jazz icon. Jazz Research Journal, 11(2), 177-201. https://doi.org/10.1558/jazz.34526
