Busker What’s Your Story? All that Albury Jazz

ALL THAT ALBURY JAZZ

“Some of you young folks been saying to me, Hey Pops, what you mean what a wonderful world? How about all them wars all over the place, you call them wonderful? And how about hunger and pollution? They ain’t so wonderful either.’“

“But how about listening to old Pops for a minute. It seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad, but what we’re doing to it, and all I’m saying is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love, baby, love. That’s the secret. Yeah. If lots more of us loved each other we’d solve lots more problems. And man, this world would be a gasser.“

Louis Armstrong

Perhaps old Pops was on to something? There’s no happier music than jazz music.

We’ve been fortunate in the regional city of Albury in recent months to have been treated to some excellent jazz and big band street performances from visiting musos for the 74th Australian Jazz Convention and from the Kapooka Army Band in QEII Square at an event to raise awareness around domestic violence.

The Kapooka Army Band and a Street Parade to open the 74th Annual Jazz Convention held in Albury, NSW

While this lot aren’t buskers – they’re just as joyful and we wanted to share the love with everyone here at Busker What’s Your Story?

Catch the Australian Kapooka Army Band performing at The Cube Wodonga in May – https://www.facebook.com/events/599635454202125/

Read more about the Australian Jazz Convention here – https://www.facebook.com/AustralianJazzConvention/

Busker What’s Your Story? Willy Golightly & Rowan Brown

Willy Golightly & Rowan Brown

Heading out to Beechworth on a leisurely Saturday in January, to support what had earlier become a bit of a ghost town during the devastating bushfires, Busker What’s Your Story? was delighted to discover two old timers in the main street enjoying a cheeky impromptu busk.

It was Beechworth folk/blues musician Willy Golightly’s birthday. He said the bushfires in surrounding regions had put everyone on edge and he wanted to do something to lighten things up a bit.

Setting up to busk with his guitar on Ford Street, Willy was chuffed when his old friend and double base player Rowan Brown from Woolshed/Eldorado (whom he hadn’t seen for ages) decided to join him on the spot for a good old fashioned jam.

It was wonderful to stumble upon these joyful musicians doing what they could to brighten up the smokie town. Once again, it was music bringing people together.

Busker What’s Your Story?

G’day!

Welcome to my Blog – Busker What’s Your Story?

The idea for this project came about after a recent trip to Spain & Portugal. Though I didn’t interview the buskers there, the short grabs of their performance attracted great social engagement and I’ve included them in this blog.

As a writer and a music lover, writing the stories of ordinary folk is my jam. I thought, why not interview these talented everday folk and share a little piece of their story?

So here you’ll find just a slice of the lives of as many authentic, amazing, quirky, weird and wonderful musicians and street performers as I can discover.

I hope you’ll come along on this journey and share their stories and their talent with your social networks.

As we stumble upon them perched on street corners, hidden in subway tunnels, popping up in city riverside precincts or tucked under tents in country markets – let’s find out – Busker What’s Your Story?