Melbourne International Jazz Festival
June 4 – 13
Founded in 1998, the Melbourne Jazz Festival has become a staple of the city’s annual cultural calendar. Sat firmly at the helm for the third year in a row is musician Sophia Brous, who is beaming with pride at the way the festival has grown in recent years. With internationally acclaimed acts including Sonny Rollins, Lee Kontz and Faust all sitting proud within the schedule for this year’s hectic program, we find out what it is that makes the Melbourne Jazz Festival so distinct and successful in equal measure.
An upbeat presence, the girly Brous admits that the festival’s team has a hard job coordinating and structuring a festival, but throughout the troubles, her bubbly optimism makes it clear why she is leading the way. A passionate musician, she was only 22 when she first got asked to take the controlling reigns of the festival. Of her feat, she states, “I fully plunged myself into the role. I guess I was very passionate and had a lot of firm views about jazz and the direction of jazz, what I thought it was and what it was developing into. The last three years has been very fulfilling and we are building the jazz festival into its own special little beast, or big beast.”
And quite a big beast it has become, with the festival incorporating everything from the expected live music through to workshops and film screenings. So how would Brous define the distinctions between the MJF and the numerous jazz fests held annually around the globe?
“The Melbourne Jazz Festival is entirely unique in its celebration of jazz as an ongoing art form, in its representation of the seminal elders of jazz music and traditional jazz music, while moving through to the contemporary and avant-garde experimental, looking at repertoire and crossover. It really does celebrate diversity in a very holistic way. We have huge free events for kids and families, and we have huge avant-garde music and film programs, alongside art programs, so jazz is the nucleus but it is a big program.”
Far from being just another jazz festival, the MJF is a celebration of everything associated or stemming from the world of jazz. There is something for everyone – those with less than a passing interest through to the hardcore enthusiast. But surely ensuring that each festival has a little something for everyone is quite a complicated job? Brous feels it is far easier than it may appear.
Modestly she announces of the programming, “I don’t actually think it is difficult. I don’t think it is hard as there is just so much happening in the world. All you have to do is have your ears and eyes open a little bit, I guess the question is not what to have but what not to have.”
As a self-confessed music obsessive, Brous has already done half the work in her own private life. As someone who eats, sleeps and breathes music, the question is never about what to include, but rather the relevance of suggestions. The largest problem facing the team is the lose definition of jazz. With all music breaking boundaries and defying genres, a jazz-faithful would possibly turn their nose up at some of this year’s acts. However, Brous nobly points out, “jazz is an art form and has morphed into different styles of music; be it krautrock or avant-garde, funk or blues, it is everywhere and it is in everything. If you trace the development of the music through, it amazes me, a huge amount of stuff can be featured in a jazz festival. You want to fit in as much as you can. This year I am really pleased with what has come about.”
“Everything of course.” Wishing to remain diplomatic, Brous is initially hesitant to reveal her own preferences from this year’s bustling line-up. However, with just a little probing, the floodgates open and a few names are named. Rather carefully, she states, “I am extremely excited about the Sun Ra Arkestra, that is going to be completely amazing. I am also completely excited about Faust, who are an absolutely legendary group coming to Australia for the first time. The list just goes on and on.” With a moment’s pause, it is clear she sees no real harm in closing with what really excites her. “In all honesty, in terms of jazz, a lot of the stuff that I am really excited to see are groups from New York who are around now. Like the contemporary bands, Tim Berne, Mary Halverson, Jim Black’s AlasNoAxis, they are just my favourite groups in the world so I am very excited about that stuff.”
For a festival program and full details head to the Melbourne International Jazz Festival website.
