“Jazz is king, jazz is the thing the folks dig the most.”
U.S, crooner Bing Crosby sang the line and Melbourne teenager Patsy Stevens danced to the hit from the 1950’s movie “High Society.”
Sixty years on she is still “digging” jazz in all its traditional styles and doing what she does best, inviting Noosa to share her joy.
She is organising, along with husband, Richard, the 27th annual 10-day Noosa Jazz Party next month and, when Noosa Today called at her Sunshine Beach home, she was putting tickets in envelopes to send to fans in Australia and NZ.
“They’re selling well,” she says, “especially the four-nighters. People are taking advantage of the early bird prices and buying the whole package.
“Every year I say this is going to be the best one and, overall, I think this one will be. We’re flying Simon Stribling from Canada and Mark Elton from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Simon plays trumpet and Mark Elton bass and they were members of the Melbourne Fireworks band which was known world-wide in the 90’s.
“They broke up leaving jazz fans wondering if they would ever play together again.
“Well, the original band members are coming to Noosa for a once-only appearance at the Jazz Party.”
Melbourne was the jazz capital of Australia in the 50’s and 60’s when Patsy’s love affair with the music began. She danced five times a week to bands led by legends like Graeme Bell, Frank Johnson and Bob and Len Barnard and married trombonist Mal Wilkinson who played in the Barnard band..
Patsy recalls: “We went our separate ways and I met Richard through our love of jazz.
“Noosa was a favourite holiday place for us and in 1985 we came to stay, setting up a real estate business in Sunshine Beach.
“Richard wanted to play jazz, as well as just being a fan, and Frank Johnson, who was then living in Noosa, said he had a tuba he could have.
“It had started life as silver but was now black with neglect and just a decoration beside Frank’s fireplace but with the help of another local jazzman, Ken Evans, he learnt to play it.
“He formed his own band, The Jazz Factory and they’ve been playing ever since. I went with them when they toured Europe in 2008. We played in Germany, Holland, England and France and it was a huge success and so much fun.”
Patsy credits Frank Johnson with the idea of holding Noosa’s first jazz party. “It was 1992 and he got Richard interested. I remember both of them walking up and down Hastings Street asking the accommodation houses when was the worst time of the year for business.
“They were told the week before the Victoria and New South Wales school holidays at the end of August as accommodation starts to get expensive after that so we picked that month for the first jazz party to keep the costs down for the fans.
“It’s been held then ever since.”
Like everyone else involved in organising the Noosa Jazz Party, Patsy who is treasurer of Noosa Heads Jazz Club is a volunteer. It costs about $60,000 to stage and Richard admits it would be a lot more if it wasn’t for the voluntary help.
“We do everything, contracts, accommodation, promotion, tickets, even a shuttle bus from Noosaville and Hastings Street to the J Theatre
“The focus of the Jazz Festival is on the more popular forms of music. The concept of putting the country’s best musicians together in a “Jam Session” atmosphere is unique. We feel someone has to be there to keep genuine jazz in place so you can truly say that this is a jazz festival.
“In fact, I would say the Noosa Jazz Party It’s the only one of its kind in the country, if not the world”
The involvement of community choir Noosa Chorale five years ago has added another dimension to the Jazz Party.
“We used to be four days but the Chorale’s two concerts with The Australian Jazz Ensemble and Melbourne jazz singer, Juliarna Clark, gives us a huge kick start and we now go for 10 days.
“There’s always “House Full” signs at The J when the two groups get together. This year they’re doing songs from the musical “Cabaret” and its era of the 1920’s and 30’s.”
Patsy’s enthusiasm for jazz shows no signs of abating. “Musicians are the most beautiful people and they have been my friends for many years. When they are here, it is always a party. We had 16 for lunch last year and I looked at those I had known when they were single and were now married. “They had kids and now their kids have kids.
“It’s so lovely having them to stay with us. They make themselves right at home. I woke up one morning and James Clark (bass player) was cleaning the pool, Steve Grant (piano) was weeding and Peter Gaudion (trumpet) was making coffee.
“They’re more than friends. They’re family.”
Noosa Jazz Party, August 23-September 1. Noosa Chorale tickets www.thej.com.au or 5329 6560 All other ticket inquiries Noosa Heads Jazz Club. Phone 07 5447 2229. Please have your MasterCard or Visa handy.
