Customer Reviews

At the Varsity Drag

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
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This is a high quality copy of the Australian Jazz Quartet LP which was originally recorded in 1956. The group, consisting of Bryce Rohde, piano; Erroll Buddle, bassoon and tenor sax; Dick Healy, flute and alto sax; Jack Brokensha, vibes; Jimmy Gannon, bass; and Frank Capp, drums; is top-notch. The group only recorded about eight albums during the years 1955 to 1958, but they were quite popular during this time, appearing on U.S. national television shows and touring with Dave Brubeck and Gerry Mulligan and many other famous jazz musicians of this period. I saw the AJQ, Mulligan, and Brubeck groups at a concert together in Jackson, Michigan in 1956. For live performances it was just the original men: Rohde, Buddle, Healy, and Brokensa. With Healy and Buddle's flute and bassoon alternating with their alto and tenor sax plus Brokensha's unique vibes style, the group had a unique, almost baroque sound, which is very easy on the ears but still stimulating jazz nevertheless. It has been compared to the Modern Jazz Quartet, but they were quite different. I only wish the rest of the AJQ albums would be transcribed to CD. Good quality copies of their LPs are hard to find and are very expensive.

Yes,these guys are incredibly talented musicians of yesteryear.I'm hoping that they're still with us to gather up all this love and praise. The first time I heard this group in 1957, I could not believe the "cool"sounds and awesome arrangements on bassoon and oboe and the multiple instruments they
play.If you think this CD is great,you must purchase the other CD titled [ Austrailian Jazz Quartet[import] You will dig sounds such as: Spring is here, Have you met Miss Jones,April in Paris and other great standards done in that cool AJQ sound.One of my favorites is Tune for Jaimey.
Hey!! you're gonna need more stars for this jazz group

First saw and heard AJQ in 1956 at Ben's Continental in Norfolk, Va. Their unique jazz sounds with basoon, flute, vibes, etc. were fresh and hip. Saw them again in 1957 in Detroit, after being discharged from the U.S. Navy (reason for being in Norfolk,Va.). They were at Club Cliche.

I'm very happy to see one of their albums out. I'm looking for the one with Autumn in New York.

What a great album! I owned some of their old Bethlehem Albums and was surprised to find this on CD. Good selection of tunes and as always a unique combination of musical instruments.

Boy, talk about "deja vu all over again"! These Aussies were a great bunch of "real cool purveyors of the 'modern idiom'" (as disc jockeys used to say back then). I, and some friends from high school, would always go and listen to the Australian Jazz Quartet/Australian Jazz Quintet/Australian Jazz Quintet Plus whenever they came and played at the "Cotton Club" in downtown Cleveland(Ohio). The owner allowed us to sit in the back in the "Coke" (no booze) section of the club. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in 1956! By the way, the Dave Brubeck Quartet and the Terry Gibbs group played there, too.

The "AJQ"'s usage of jazz bassoon and oboe, as well as alto, tenor sax and clarinet was unique and wonderful to hear. I, like my buddies, as in the HS band and, because of these guys I learned to play the bassoon (of course my attempts at jazz bassoon is a somewhat tragic story we won't want to get into).

Anyway, although this wasn't their first album, it was one of their best. The AJQ only cut a half dozen or so albums in this country on the old Bethlehem label, so it sure would be great to see the others re-issued. If you haven't ever heard these guys you're in for a treat.

Several old favourites, done the proper way - the way they used to play jazz. You can hear the tunes, you can follow the improvisations around them. And probably, you won't have heard this group before; nor will anybody else you might think of giving it to as a gift.

It's a trip down memory lane, only, you get to see things you missed back in the days when this was first issued.

I can't think of anybody who likes jazz not liking this, whatever their tastes in modern production. But I'll bet nobody guesses the name of the group!

I experinced the Australian Jazz Quartet in Detroit in the '50's. I continued to listen to the sounds of John Brokensha on the vibes, who stayed on in the Detroit area for a time. This was a great time for jazz in the Detroit area. I was fortunate to purchase a couple of their albums, which I still have. Though I truly enjoy this release, I find The Australian Jazz Quartet release their strongest representation.