Jazz Industry Legend Lynette Irwin Passes Away
by Stephen Green | 11 March 2023
https://themusic.com.au/news/jazz-industry-lynette-irwin-passes-away/4Qdf9fT39vk/11-03-23
Artistic director of Women's International Jazz Festival and founder of Jazz Queensland loses her battle with cancer.
Irwin has been one of the country's strongest advocates for jazz and improvised music, working tirelessly behind the scenes to promote Australian jazz to the world.
Irwin was the founder of the Brisbane International Jazz Festival as well as her own label Pinnacles Music which released music for dozens of artists across two decades including Rafael Karlen, Sean Foran, and Kristin Beraldi.
She founded Jazz Queensland in 1983 to further the international and domestic aspirations of jazz musicians across the state and create opportunities from international showcasing through to local jam nights. Upon receiving an award from the organisation in 2013 for her service, Lynette described her experience as a ‘real journey’, citing some fantastic opportunities to present ‘lovely people’ such as Kurt Elling, Dewey Redman, Steve Lacey, Mike Nock, Paul Grabowsky, Vince Jones, and Ernie Watts to name a few.
An in-demand artistic director and fierce advocate for women in music, Irwin was also a driving force behind the Melbourne Women's International Jazz Festival and was a mentor for hundreds of musicians over her four decades of service to the industry.
Iriwn was also a long-time board member and secretary of QMusic and was part of the board responsible for the creation and growth of the BIGSOUND industry conference.
A conduit for artist collaboration, a serial promoter of shows across the country and a character never easily forgotten, Irwin's dedication to the service of artists will be missed, particularly in her home state of Queensland.
Remembering Lynette Irwin
by Miriam Zolin | Mar 13, 2023
https://mjc.org.au/remembering-lynette-irwin/
I had been thinking about the Queensland jazz scene (and jazz education generally) when I learned of the sad passing of Lynette Irwin, after a long and courageous medical battle.
After his recent visit here, John Hoffman generously sent me the CDs that I had not come across from his “The Con Artists” series, produced from 1998 during his 26 year teaching tenure at the Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University. The albums feature Con. big bands with well-known guest artists (including Jim Pugh, Will Vinson, Graeme Lyall, Mat Jodrell, Tony Gould, Scott Tinkler Dale Barlow and Joe Chindamo). They present programs of compositions by U.S. artists (such as Maria Schneider, Pat Metheny, Kenny Wheeler, Sondheim) and impressive originals by some of the students and guests.
But it is the list of students that is the most impressive aspect: vocalists Megan Washington, Katie Noonan, Kristin Berardi, Elly Hoyt, and Hannah Macklin; saxophonists Zac Hurren, Jacam Manricks; Angela Davis and Phil Noy; trumpeter Dan Quigley and Carl Harvoe; pianist Steve Newcomb and Gemma Turvey; and bassist Georgia Webber.
This list is a tangible reflection of Hoffman’s teaching legacy at “The Con”, as well as indication of the talent in the Brisbane scene in the early 2000s.
However, students also need to develop their craft “on the bandstand” on public gigs. Brisbane did not exactly have a reputation for a contemporary jazz scene when Ted Vining and his group Musiikki Oy moved from there to Melbourne in early 1986. Lynette Irwin succeeded Ted Vining in the part-time Australia Council-funded position of Queensland Jazz Co-ordination, and held the position until it transitioned into Jazz Queensland.
In addition to this role, Lynette stepped in and personally entrepreneured some touring acts to ensure that they performed in Brisbane. At least once she “loaned” her own grand piano for a concert (to Mulgrew Miller in 1988).
In addition to the Con students mentioned above, she assisted and encouraged numerous other Brisbane musicians at various times, including Jeff Usher Unit, James Sherlock, Artisans Workshop, Rafael Karlen, West End Composers and Joe O’Connor, as well as Melbourne quintet Morgana.
She also self-funded her Pinnacles Music label, which produced a dozen or so albums from 2008 to 2018.
On the December 3 edition of our eNews I had written of Lynette’s significant contributions to the Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival over a 17 year period. Highlights have included Japan’s Satoko Fujii Trio combining with the Bennetts Lane Big Band in 2007, while other international artists have included Norwegian saxophonist Froy Agaare and Canadian pianist Emie R Roussel with her Trio. She was a great advocate for women artists in jazz.
On various National Jazz Forums at Wangaratta and elsewhere, I always found Lynette to be a very supportive and staunch colleague, and who worked for what was best for the national jazz scene.
Last year a Tribute concert for her was staged in Brisbane, in a tangible demonstration of the appreciation and affection with which she is regarded by Brisbane’s jazz community.
All together, Lynette has left an incalculable legacy with the Brisbane jazz scene, as well as the broader Australian jazz scene. Horbelt was left with the role (also on a purely voluntary basis).
Jazz Queensland, 30 Years And A Tribute To Lynette Irwin
By Joanne Kee | Dec 5, 2013
https://jazz.org.au/lynette-irwin/
Jazz Queensland celebrated its 30th anniversary this November. Originally the Jazz Co-ordination Program of Queensland it was established to develop into one of Australia’s key arts presenter and service organisations, curating the vast community of artists, audiences, venues, businesses, promoters, media and educators into a sustainable and productive Jazz sector in Queensland.
At the celebration, a special award was presented to President Lynette Irwin in recognition of her ‘Invaluable and enduring contribution to the Queensland Jazz Sector’. The award was presented by Jazz Queensland Vice-President Sean Foran and Secretary Paula Girvan.
Lynette described her experience as a ‘real journey’, citing some fantastic opportunities to present ‘lovely people’ such as Kurt Elling, Dewey Redman, Steve Lacey, Mike Nock, Paul Grabowsky, Vince Jones, and Ernie Watts to name a few and those who had came together with the local Jazz community to help celebrate an impressive 30 years of growth, sustainability and creative music in Queensland’s vibrant Jazz sector.
A few comments from those working in the sector
“Lynette has worked tirelessly for jazz and improvised music in Qld for 3 decades, with little in the way of reward or recognition. In truth many aspects of contemporary jazz performance in Brisbane would not have occurred were it not for Lynette's dedication to what was then the Jazz Coordination Association of Qld, now Jazz Qld, and to the artists and art form itself.
She has presented innumerable concerts, organised tours, collaborations, recordings and for quite a few years presented Pinnacles, A celebration of Improvised Music. She has provided many opportunities for people to perform, to meet and collaborate with other artists from interstate and overseas and presented many international artists in Brisbane, greatly contributing to the artistic vibrancy of Brisbane and Queensland. She continues to work with the same relentless dedication."
Andrew Shaw, musician
“I'd love to say lovely things about Lynette. She has been a powerhouse up here from when I just starting getting along to jam sessions.
I first met Lynette at one of the regular jam session nights that were taking place in Brisbane (at the Travelodge) at the time. Shortly after this, I attended one of the Pinnacles festivals she was producing on a yearly basis.
Her connection to and knowledge of the music, and the musicians that create it on the world stage meant that it was always fresh, interesting and very much unlike anything that Brisbane would have take place at any other time of the year.
Andrew Hill, or Misha Mengelberg playing solo piano at the Conservatorium thanks to Lynette's connections and vision were astounding things to hear as a young player. The list goes on really. Other Pinnacles festivals allowed me to hear Scott Tinkler Trio with Adam Armstrong and Simon Barker in top form, there are too many to name. Dewey Redman trio (with Lloyd Swanton) was also a highlight, and these sort of things just would not have made Brisbane a destination if not for Lynette and her passion for the music.
She was, and has continued to be, extremely supportive to the younger developing players, who were (and are) going out on a limb to write their own music and play in their own unique way. Pinnacles festival also programmed a quintet I was involved with early on, and the prestige of this, and the opportunity to present our music was strong encouragement."
Steve Newcomb, pianist, composer, arranger
“It's fair to say that without Lynette there would have been far less happening on the jazz scene in Brisbane over the past few decades than there has been. When I moved to Brisbane (from Canada in 1999), I was amazed to find out that there was federal infrastructure for jazz, even though it has always been skeletal. In Canada there was no such thing, and there still isn't as far as I know. Everyone said to me "you have to meet Lynette!", and soon enough I was involved with Jazz Qld as an advisory council member, and later as secretary for many years.
Lynette is absolutely committed to jazz the music, and jazz the community. She has been instrumental in securing literally thousands of gigs and commissions for musicians in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and beyond. She has steered Jazz Queensland through countless Australia Council, Arts Queensland and Brisbane City Council granting rounds, which has allowed the organization to produce jazz events, maintain a website and offer various services to its members. Events have ranged from weekly or monthly gigs in local venues, to the Valley Jazz Festival, to the newly inaugurated Brisbane International Jazz Festival. On other occasions she has personally sponsored events and visiting artists, offering financial and in-kind support in order for things to be able to happen.
She has always been interested in promoting and encouraging original music, and she has a particular interest in emerging artists, often offering them their first significant public exposure via a gig at the Spiegeltent or in a festival.
I would say that her contribution to jazz in Queensland has been incalculable. A great deal of music would not have been written, a large number of CDs would not have been recorded, and thousands of gigs would not have taken place without her and her JQ teams over the years. “
Louise Denson, Pianist, composer, educator
"Lynette Irwin has been a tireless advocate for QLD Jazz for decades. She has worked alongside many local, national and international artists to enable performance opportunities in Brisbane, around Australia and internationally. From working to set up the Pinnacles festival, the Valley Jazz Festival, and the Brisbane Jazz Festival, to running her own excellent jazz label "Pinnacles Music", plus booking gigs around QLD for artists and promoting/managing the schedules of host of internationals – Lynette has done it all. Often at the same time 🙂
Personally, she has been instrumental in much of the significant work that Trichotomy (Misinterprotato) have completed internationally and has often pursued opportunities that nobody else would try for!
Her enthusiasm is unwavering, and this is supported by her wealth of knowledge of the industry at home and abroad.
I count myself lucky to call her my friend and thank her deeply for her ideas, support, energy, and ability to make it happen for our unique art form".
Sean Foran, musician
