I was saddened to hear the news this evening that Jimmy Little has passed away after a long battle with illness. At the age of 75 he slipped away in his sleep.
Like many music lovers of my generation I became aware of his music in 1999, when artists like Paul Kelly, The Church, and Nick Cave covered his songs on the Messenger album. After that I was impressed when he took on the songs of U2, PJ Harvey, and other modern musicians on his Life’s What You Make It record.
However Jimmy had hits from the 1950s, including songs like “Royal Telephone,” “El Paso,” and the Barry Gibb penned “One Road.”
The music is just one part of the Jimmy Little story though. He founded The Jimmy Little Foundation in 2006 and campaigned tirelessly to increase the life expectancy of indigenous Aussies. He’s got an Order of Australia, a NSW Senior Australian of the Year title, and he’s in the ARIA Hall of Fame.
For all these things and more, he will be missed.
Image source: Jimmy Little website
Ticket holders will be entertained by Brisbane dance act Mitzi, Triple J darlings Glass Towers, as well as Toucan, Colour Coding, Conics, and Lancelot. If you can’t make it to the event you can also download Let’s Band Together, a compilation which features tracks from all contributing artists. You’ll find it at 
19 April 2012 – The Junkyard, Maitland
It’s been some time coming, but 
I fell in love at first note with Patrick James, a sweet young acoustic guitar-playing troubadour from Port Macquarie. He was a cutie, but his modest personality and superb lyrics really won me. Despite being a support act the crowd around me was so respectful that I could really take in the words he sang. Just when I thought his set couldn’t get any better he was joined by his banjo-playing pal. Together they created the perfect indie folk tunes to set the stage for the evening ahead.
I must admit, I was flagging after Patrick. Pub gigs always get so late for this middle-aged music lover! I whispered to my husband that I wished there wasn’t another support act; I wanted to hear Howie and head on home! But there was Brendan Maclean, a magnificent musician who turned my fatigue around. He made a big impression with his colourful jacket and Dwayne Wayne style sunglasses, but as his first impassioned piano driven song unfolded it was clear this guy wasn’t just about looks. His set flew by with quirky originals and cover versions of songs by Leonard Cohen and Lady Gaga. You’re not going to find that combination very often folks! Whether on piano or his beloved ukulele Murphy Brown, Brendan wowed me.
And then there was Howie Day. He’s still largely unknown in this country but I’ve been following his career for the past decade. In fact, my husband and I realised as we sat waiting for him to appear that we’d seen him first eight years ago in New York City. It was the first show we ever saw together, something I was thrilled to tell the man himself once his set wrapped up. But before I reverted to teenage fangirl it was time to soak up his brilliance. His set drew from his three albums and the brand new EP Ceasefire, something that pleased a long-time fan like me greatly. The simplicity of his lone acoustic guitar and plaintive vocals was matched perfectly by his tech wizardry. What that man does with looped recordings blows my mind each time I witness it. It’s such a neat trick that he uses like a pro, making the right songs feel bigger and more lush. However in the more intimate tunes like “She Says” and “No Longer What You Require” he does away with the trickery and lets his guitar and voice speak for themselves. It’s just magic.
