BERNIE McGANN - 1966

SARANG BANG RECORDS

£27.45

Genre: Jazz
Format: LP
Catalogue No.: SBR028
EAN: 4251804123112
Release Date: 30th October 2020

''Bernie McGann’s sound is exciting and physical, as heated as any post-Coltrane modernist. '' Downbeat

'There is no more engaging nor distinctive alto saxophone sound on the planet than McGann’s.' Sydney Morning Herald

'McGann takes the language of Bebop then bends and stretches it to fit the contours of his own remarkable imagination.' The Wire

* Special remarks: Previously unreleased recordings, packaged in tip-on jacket with insert

* Sarang Bang Records Archive Series vol. 1

A lost treasure of Antipodean jazz

This compilation documents part of an exciting period in Australasian jazz. Recorded in Sydney, 1966, we can hear Bernie McGann was already one of the great Australian jazz stylists. At the time, the only publicly available recording he made was two tracks on the Jazz Australia compilation (1967) (CBS BP 233450).

Two years earlier, McGann was living in Auckland, New Zealand (1963-64). It was here that he worked regular-ly with Kim Paterson, Andy Brown and pianist Dave MacRae, and the basis of this band came into being.

‘Lazy Days’, ‘Chuggin’, and ‘Sky’ were salvaged from a cassette in Kim Paterson’s collection, one of the few remaining copies. Originally intended for a radio broadcast, the master tapes were reportedly destroyed after the session.

‘Rhythm-a-Ning’ and ‘When Will The Blues Leave?’ were taped by Trevor Graham at the Wayside Chapel in King’s Cross. Graham was a Sydney music journalist and ally of the avant garde, with the foresight to capture some of what was happening at the time.

This album is also notable for a rare appearance by the mysterious American drummer George Neidorf (mis-spelt as ‘Neidori’ in the liner notes on the first Soft Machine album), an early influence on drummer Robert Wyatt.

Field recordings of a major artist in strong company – a lost treasure of Antipodean modern jazz.

Bernie McGann - alto sax
Kim Paterson - trumpet
Bobby Gebert - piano (side A)
Andy Brown – bass
George Neidorf – drums

Recorded by Trevor Graham in Sydney, Australia (copyright 1966)

* Tracklist:
A1- Lazy Days (McGann) 9:39
A2- Chuggin’ (Gebert) 7:37
A3- Sky (Gebert) 8:13
B1- Rhythm-A-Ning (Monk) 9:42
B2- When Will The Blues Leave? (Coleman) 13:14