‘The Great First Nations Songbook’ // Adam James
‘The Great First Nations Songbook’ was dichotomous.
From initial observation, the marriage of big band swing with the acknowledgement of First Nations musical achievements seems a poor fit. However, Adam James has used this apparent juxtaposition to convey an important narrative in a compelling fashion. This duality becomes a fundamental thread of this electric spectacle, facilitating a unity between disparate ideas to enhance each in kind.
The first contradiction founded in this duality was in the tone and presentation. A small gathering prior to the event allowed opportunities for members of the production team and family to speak about the importance of this project to themselves and their mob. Tasteful guitar covers, champagne and fancy clothes became an almost ironic set dressing for James’s mother describing the sovereignty of the nation and how nervous her son was about the content of her diatribe. This contrast continued into the main hall of the Redlands Performing Arts Centre. The back rows almost completely empty, the small crowd convened close together and near the stage, mirroring the intimate setting of a smaller artistic performance. A vintage radio – used briefly to set the tone for the musical journey about to be presented – reinforced the idea that this was a not a concert hall or an arena, but a small family gathering. Heavy drums cut through the radio static and news reports (a slightly satirical ad read from James himself included), and the curtains open to a 13-piece band behind custom stands, laser projected logos, a light show and smoke machine; all framing the dense musical wall that pushes against any assertion that this was an intimate or personal show. However, the joyous energy of James through his performance mannerisms, small anecdotal segues, and audience interaction reversed this dynamic again, creating the atmosphere of friends and family sitting around the living rooms going through their record collection and telling tales about songs that have personal meaning to them. It would be easy enough to dismiss this as a coincidence of sorts – after all, the established aesthetic of the genre doesn’t immediately indicate intent – however James specifically mentioned the importance of this choice in one of the aforementioned segues. This transitions you to the undeniable themes of appropriation, colonialization, and identity.
The second contradiction is that of musical convention. Jazz has a complex history with racial appropriation, and it is this dynamic that the show indulges in. As Bruce Johnson mentions in The Cambridge Companion to Jazz, this genre of music’s cultural capital shifts constantly, though always influenced by Eurocentric, Western music tradition. This can be seen in the so-called legitimisation of the African-American musical development through the canonisation within Western music colleges. Drawing from this perspective, the use of big band jazz provides an interesting dynamic for exploring the musical contribution of First Nations artists, despite the limited stylistic association. However, this isn’t to say that the result of these Westernised colleges wasn’t on full display during the performance.
The third contradiction was that between the technical ability between James and the Dreamtime Swingers. In my early days as a working musician, a front-man I was supporting posited this advice: “surround yourself with the best musicians you can, and make sure they make you look good”. Like most advice, there is a nuance that needs to be applied, but also merit within the concept. James – often referred to as the Quandamooka Crooner – is a fantastic vocalist, performer, and front-man. However, the polish in technical ability is on full display when presented in front of the huge amount of talent within the band he has constructed. I initially had concerns about this imbalance, but eventually grew to consider this a strength of the performance. There were plenty of moments that you could tell the band were having a lot of fun with their parts, and supporting the other members in their solos and general contributions. The issue that sometimes comes with jazz is the inherent elitism that develops through experienced musicians performing at their peak and most audience members will miss the significance of a lot of their choices and actions. This is where James’s charisma makes this show viable to an audience well beyond those well versed in the language of jazz music. He acts as a perfect conduit for audiences to interact with the music more directly, and in a similar manner to the contrast between the disconnected nature of a huge band with an intimate audience, James acting as the focal point throughout the night allows the audience to engage with some of the more complex musical ideas with a comfortable and welcoming guide.
Whilst discussing technical elements, it’s worth mentioning that there were some occasional issues with sound balance and lighting direction. Traditionally, big bands perform without the use of microphones, given that the style developed before this technology was commonplace. A natural consequence of this is that the balance of sound (i.e., the relationship of volume between the instruments and which ear the sound hits first) has a known and predictable aspect to it. The diversity of instruments played – I noticed at least five members transitioning between multiple instruments – means that the use of microphones is an obvious choice. However, with the brass and woodwind section situated on the right-hand side of the stage, the natural reaction is to hear the sound coming from that direction. The instruments were balanced more liberally across the stage, creating an additional disconnect from the musicians supporting James. In general, this amplification also caused the sound to have a somewhat static impact, lacking the subtlety that comes with the natural projection of live instruments. There were also a few issues with the lighting, mainly spotlights being delayed in finding the individual or group deserving of highlight. Whilst this was a singular performance, the production team are hoping to expand this to additional venues, meaning that a review of their lighting procedures might be required. All this said, none of these issues significantly distracted from the energy and enjoyment of the performance, and similar to other points mentioned, it in some ways increased the intimacy by piercing through the oft perfected performance standards of modern bands and technology.
My final contradiction is that of narrative. The Great First Nations Songbook requires an acknowledgment of the cruel history that British colonisers inflicted upon the Indigenous owners of Australia. This is a topic that is painfully relevant as political discussion seems to linger just prior to the point of action regardless of direction or intent. This is why I am required to consider this show as one of dichotomy. The topic is serious, but the show is entertaining and carefree. Audience members clap after technically impressive solos from the musicians, but also dance in front of the stage and holler in support of their family. Adam wears a tuxedo, but every time he hears one of the songs he is about to croon to his enraptured audience, he can only think of wearing a singlet and stubbies, and enjoying the feel of the sand and ocean under his feet.
As James mentions between songs, his inspiration for this First Nations Songbook came from the 2005 John Farnham album I Remember When I Was Young, which was subtitled with the line: “Songs from the Great Australian Songbook”. To paraphrase James, he – like many others – simply added colour. The First Nations music is melded into a cohesive whole through the creative arrangement of works spanning more than half a century, unified by both the theme and the musical genre. In listening, it creates a carefully developed series of apparent contradictions that force a profound reckoning with how we see and consume Australian music.
It’s jazz. It’s Australian. It’s intimate. It’s huge. It’s how the songbook should be.
‘The Great First Nations Songbook’ performed on October 19th at the RPAC Concert Hall. For more information visit Adam James’ website
