Australian Jazz

Is there such a thing as Australian jazz, or is there just jazz which is made in Australia? Why does that distinction matter?

In attempting to examine these questions the intent is not to bullishly trumpet national cultural triumphs, but to document the intriguing implications of one of the richest seams of creativity in the land. Trying to pin down what it is that makes Australian jazz Australian, may be as fruitless as trying to describe the wind: ultimately you can just hear it and feel it. There is no single musician you can point to and say, ‘That’s what Australian jazz sounds like’. (John Shand)

Australia has spawned many extremely original practitioners who have pursued their own nuances and developments in the music. The result is that, despite a hostile environment on a host of levels, Australia has become a creative centre of jazz, rivalling the Scandinavian and Western European countries that have steadily diluted New York’s pre-eminence over the last three decades.

Many of the leading "Australian" jazz were the renowned pianist-composers Mike Nock, Dave MacRae and Judy Bailey, drummer Barry Woodsand and vocalist Ricky May.

Sources:
-Shand, John. Jazz : The Australian Accent
-Wikipedia