Category: News

With a new concert looming tomorrow, I figured it was about time that I sat down to write about this year’s Jazz in the Vines. After missing last year’s event because my usual Jazz companions (the parents) were gallivanting around the world, I was determined to not miss this year’s. Not even the grey skies and threat of rain could dampen my enthusiasm.

With my parents doing more world travelling, I lost my regular ride. Thankfully Rover’s Coaches were there to oblige. I can’t recommend them enough. We travelled to the vineyards in such comfort that my husband slept the majority of the way.

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.

One thing I noticed as I browsed the stalls was the lack of wine options. I’m not sure if this was new this year or the last, but last time I attended Jazz in the Vines we had major winemakers like Peterson’s Champagne House and Tamburlaine Organic Wines represented. I can’t blame Tyrell’s for wanting the monopoly, given that Jazz is held on its land, but it was a little disappointing to have our options narrowed. I will concede though that the Tyrell’s wine was delicious. I don’t normally drink their stuff, but I sampled the semillon, the bubbles, and a white blend called Part & Parcel and they were all heavenly. The lines also didn’t seem to get as long as I thought they might, although if Jazz was held on a beautiful sunny say I can see that becoming an issue.

As we settled in for the day organisers informed us that sadly next year’s would be the last ever Jazz in the Vines. It promises to go out with a bang, but I really wish it didn’t have to go out at all. It’s the only festival I bother with these days. There’s always something wonderful on the bill, and the relaxed atmosphere just can’t be beat. I’m really going to miss it.

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.

Honestly, it’s a shame that Ross Wilson didn’t end the show. We heard some time earlier that Angry Anderson, who was scheduled to front closing act John Morrison’s Heavy Metal Jazz Orchestra, had come off his bike and wouldn’t make it to the show. Sadly without Angry, this act seemed really just like your average jazz band. That’s fine at the start of the day, but a little lacklustre at the end when we’re all ready to party. I really hoped there’d be some edge, some jazzy covers of heavy metal hits perhaps, but I was bored. If I were the organisers, I would have rejigged the bill so this technically fantastic but ultimately uninspiring act wasn’t our final taste of Jazz in the Vines 2015.

As we packed up and headed for the gates I was stopped with my mostly full bottle of wine and told to surrender it. Given how frustrated I was, I figured I’d sound off about that here too. In hindsight I probably should have hidden it away in my bag and tried to sneak through, but I hadn’t really thought it would be an issue. I think this sort of policy simply encourages people to down the bottles of wine they have to ensure their money isn’t wasted. I was getting on a bus, but I could have just as easily been getting behind the wheel. Surely it’s more responsible to let people take their wine with them to consume it later, rather than guzzling it at the gate. I know rules are rules, but I’m not sure this policy is the best thought out.

This year’s Jazz in the Vines wasn’t perfect, but even a less than perfect day at Jazz is better than a day at most festivals. I’ll be back in 2016 with bells on, keen to help this beloved Hunter event go out with a bang.