Welcome To Australian Jazz Real Book

Posted on 05 November 2012
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My aim with this site is to digitally curate the definitive collection of Australian jazz tunes from Australian composers. That is, to make  Australian jazz available to the next generation of jazz musicians so that (as the late and great Graeme Bell puts it) "prevents it from sinking into the waters of invisibility". It is also designed for practising and performing musicians, educators and curriculum designers with the opportunity to integrate Australian jazz into music curricula. The idea of it is to create a resource that students can turn to for repertoire that is uniquely Australian; containing tunes that are 'gig-ready' and also representative of the Australian Jazz Sound.

In conjunction with, and complementing the printed physical version of the AJRB, the AJRB website is a constantly evolving, increasing and improving resource. The great thing about the website is that I can constantly add and update content, provide links to youtube videos, iTunes stores, artist websites, post reviews, and a whole lot of other things as well. Hopefully I'll get around to making some backing tracks and solo transcriptions to post up too....

The great thing about you using the website is that you are now a member of an active Australian jazz community. You have the opportunity to learn much Australian jazz, comment on tunes, post solo transcriptions, and interact with your peers. Please buy recordings, go to gigs, rehearse these tunes, reinterpret and reimagine them, play them on gigs and develop your own voice and your own sound. And fill out your APRA LPR's, that's important!

This website grew out of a PhD research study I completed at RMIT University, which was titled "The development of the Australian Jazz Real Book". I'll post it up here soon for you all to read.