YOU wouldn't have known from being there, but this year's Wangaratta Festival Of Jazz & Blues almost didn't happen.
The efforts of the interim committee and artistic director Adrian Jackson meant that none of the behind-the-scenes problems flowed into the view of the audience, and the festival would again have to be judged as a success.
As usual the program was wildly varied, and the Musicology Brains Trust tried to take in as much as we could. The big drawcard of Friday night was American trombonist Josh Roseman and his Unit (Barney McCall, Peter Apfelbaum, Ted Poor) joining the Australian Art Orchestra (which included Jamie Oehlers, Paul Grabowsky, Phil Rex and many more).
We'd love to be able to tell you how that went, but the concert, like many held in the stunning Wangaratta Performing Art Centre, proved too popular and we couldn't get in.
Instead, we took in Paul Williamson's Hammond Blues Revue in the Blues Marquee, which was a highlight thanks to Williamson's rich bluesy tone, the sweet, sassy voice of Ella Thompson and a backing band that included James Black and Shannon Bourne.
Prior to that, James Muller Trio provided our first tastes of jazz for the weekend. The acclaimed guitarist's rapid bursts were ably backed by Alex Boneham on bass and the impressive Ben Vanderwal on drums, with their tribute to Jimi Hendrix's drummer Mitch Mitchell a particular highlight.
Phil Stack, who won the National Jazz Award in 2008, was a standout on Saturday, leading his trio through a brilliant set of his own compositions, among them a mesmerising solo piece. The fact he was joined by Muller and drummer Tim Firth certainly took it to another level.
Stack's bandmate in Thirsty Merc - singer-songwriter Rai Thistlethwayte - followed in the St Patrick's Hall. While his talents as a jazz pianist and vocalist are unquestionable and his inclusion in the program provided a pleasing accessibility, his jazz-pop compositions left something to be desired, as did his re-arrangement of The Beatles' Come Together. It should be noted that his performance provided a fair bit of division among the brains trust - some thought it was incredible, others were less impressed.
Guitarist Shannon Bourne and his band (which featured Warrnambool's Richard Tankard on keyboards) aired his dark-tinged epics in the Blues Marquee, blowing many people away in the process, and was followed by crowd favourites Jim Conway's Big Wheel.
Warrnambool's Blue Heat was on next and seemed to take a while to warm up until Marco Goldsmith unleashed a blistering guitar solo in Twisted Up (from the recently remastered Irresistible Behaviour) and took the gig up a notch. The band was firing from then on, with standouts being newer songs Find My Direction and Seal My Lips.
Lone international bluesman on the bill Jimmy D Lane closed the night with some serious blues credentials and though his setlist tended towards the formulaic, there was no denying his power trio's sound nor his fiery guitar work (including a solo with his teeth in a rendition of Hendrix's Hey Joe).
Back in the jazz part of the festival, Memory Of Elements came highly recommende, particularly for Oehlers' sax playing, as did the Linda Oh Quartet, with Oh presenting one of the most beautiful double bass tones of the weekend.
A highlight across the weekend was Cuban-born Fabian Almazan and his trio, which also featured Oh and drummer Kendrick Scott. The compositions and range of sounds across his Sunday set in particular were stunning, with Scott a revelation thanks to his innovative stickwork and sweeping range of dynamics.
Barney McCall, back from the US, put together a new piece for the festival titled Graft, which used a 16-piece choir, a vibraphonist, a laptop and McCall and Andrea Keller on grand pianos. The result was innovative, intriguing and spell-binding.
Another Sunday highlight was Bob, which also boasted a unique line-up that included two drummers and two bass players. Led by guitarist Ben Hauptmann, a runner-up in the National Jazz Awards in 2007, the set was a surprisingly dynamic one driven by strong compositions and clever arrangements.
And, of course, the weekend wouldn't have been complete without the running of the Jazz Awards, which were dedicated this year to finding the best young jazz drummer in the country. The 100-plus entries were whittled down to 10 for the festival, with the top three playing in final on Sunday afternoon.
The clear winner was Tim Firth, who managed a connection and sympathy with the backing band that runner-up Ben Falle and third-placed Dave Goodman couldn't quite capture. Firth won $8000, a recording session and a gig at the Stonnington Jazz Festival for his efforts.
Most of the Musicology Brains Trust concluded our weekend at the Pinsent Hotel with a performance from the Hetty Kate Sextet. While some sub-par sound mixing took a bit away from the set, it was still clear the group was a talented one, capped off by Kate's classic-sounding vocals.
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