Reviews
The Prince
of clubs
The
Age - Patrick Donovan
October 24, 2003
Another thump on the barbed wire-topped gate. "Only a riot could thwart
our mission now," I thought, increasingly concerned. But at least they
were only Prince fans, not an angry Black Sabbath mob. No, we weren't prisoners
of war, we were supposedly the lucky 80 people on the invite list to Prince's
"secret" warm-up show at city jazz bar Bennetts Lane. Someone had
obviously shared the secret with 1000 other die-hard fans who were queued up
around the corner, some of whom were banging on the gate in anger at those they
wrongly thought were getting chaperoned in from the courtyard. The bar owner,
Michael Tortoni, who was visited by Prince 24 hours earlier requesting a small
warm-up show for his eight-piece band, said he had no idea how the word spread
like wildfire. The hysteria had almost convinced the band to call off the show.
But it did, and caused the kind of hysteria generated when Mick Jagger performed a surprise gig at the Corner in 1988. Dylan at the Mercury Lounge and the Stones at Sydney's Enmore Theatre were better shows, but they had been publicly announced.
Inside Bennetts Lane's Jazz Lab, jazz fans listening to a group perform Charles Mingus covers were bemused by all the fuss over the rock star. "F--- Prince, he's a poofter," one announced over the microphone, while a barmaid was mocking the regal one's sexed-up persona. By 11pm, some of the invited guests were giving up. "I'm over it. It's a Monday night, for God's sake," said one. Didn't they appreciate the significance? Prince the funk enigma, the master musician, playing in a tiny jazz club?
Just when it appeared the gig would go ahead, the barmaid announced that Prince's "people" had abandoned the door list and that only 50 people would be let in. Those in the courtyard pushed towards the door, but only a handful were allowed in. Alas, Sticky and 60 others were left out in the cold to listen through the wall, while police dispersed the crowd out the front. It was one hour, six jazz numbers, the legendary Maceo Parker on sax, with a finale of Santana's Soul Sacrifice, before Prince was whisked away down La Trobe Street in a black car. Crack band, great guitarist, but no hits, no four-hour show. We didn't miss the gig of the century, but, fittingly, our mates who had queued for six hours got in. Most of those who missed out returned the following two nights to Rod Laver Arena, where there was plenty of room for thousands of fans to enjoy all the hits, and at Tuesday's gig Prince summed up the show in his inimitable style: "Lovers take note - if it's too sexy, I'll turn it down. I'm just here to pleeeaaase."
...
Prince's
secret gig not-so-secret
The
Age - By Patrick Donovan
October 21, 2003
The hottest tickets in Melbourne last night were for a secret gig by Prince
- and they cost only $20.
Rock's most reclusive star wanted a warm up for shows tonight and tomorrow at Rod Laver Arena and chose the intimate city jazz venue Bennett's Lane - which holds a mere 200.
By 8.30pm word of the gig had got out - and on the net - and 100 people were queueing for tickets for what they hoped would be an 11.30 show - even if they were being told the gig was not going ahead.
Bennett's Lane owner Michael Tortoni was surprised when the artist formerly known as a symbol turned up at his club at midnight on Sunday asking if he could play a show with his eight-piece band.
Mr Tortoni jokingly replied that he didn't think he could help him because he was heavily booked.
Prince, as he is known again, has been good to Melbourne. He played a club gig at St Kilda's Palace on his last tour in 1992.
...
But considering Bennett's Lane is a sit-down jazz-style bar, there was just as much chance that he would play more avant garde free-form material his recent albums.
Bennett's Lane has been attracting some big international artists since jazz performer Wynton Marsalis played a warm-up show in 1995. Harry Connick Jnr has played the venue three times.
Last night's show was anticipated to be the hottest club show in Melbourne since Bob Dylan played at the Mercury Lounge in 1998.
Bars &
Clubs Magazine - Talking All That Jazz July/August 2001
Penny Alexopoulos
Bennetts Lane
has become synonymous with jazz in Melbourne. Since it opened eight years ago,
it has gained a well-deserved reputation as Australia's premiere jazz club,
drawing celebrities from around the globe to relax in the dark.
Harry Connick Jr has given several impromptu performances and the Wynton Marsalis
band walked in unexpectedly one night and played for two hours non-stop!
"We are a contemporary jazz venue, dedicated to the progression of
jazz as an art-form," says Megan Evans. "Throughout the month
there are residencies and the weekends change, but generally consist of a vocalist
quartet followed by an instrumental trio."
"Tuesdays and Sundays are programmed by the Melbourne Jazz Co-op, who
are funded to support up and coming special jazz ensambles, or original jazz
compositions and young musicians witha real edge and progression."
"Generally I find that the weekends are good for people not sure whether
they're going to enjoy it as it's a little more familiar to the ear and really
fun."
"The original room is intimate, warm, and unpretentious. The decor
is classic quality without ornament and our attention is to the band and the
accoustic environment."
"The bar itself is thorough with a great list of liqueurs, wine, beer and
coffee, which all adds to the comfort," she says.
Melbournetribe.com.au
- 2001
This small, cosy little bar
is home to one of the leading jazz venues in Melbourne. Be sure to get there
early for a good table, as it fills up quickly with people eagerly waiting to
hear some of the finest jazz in town. Not the place to go for a drink and chat,
as you are not allowed to talk whilst there is a performance. This place is
truly fantastic and you will just love it if you are a true jazz fanatic.
ZingAsia.com
- Melbourne's Best Bars 1/4/2001
Madeleine Hanger
Bennetts Lane has become synonymous with jazz in this city. Since it opened eight years ago, Bennetts Lane has gained a well-deserved reputation as Australia’s premiere jazz club, drawing celebrities from around the globe to bask in the cool cat dark. Harry Connick Jr has given several impromptu performances and the whole Wynton Marsalis band walked in unexpectedly one night and played for two hours non-stop! Even mainstream artists have sought it out – when Sting and Janet Jackson were performing in Melbourne, members of their bands formed spontaneous jazz quartets for late-night sessions at the club. It does get pretty intense in the big brassy swells, and given that the room only seats about 100 (it can be expanded at bigger gigs), the atmosphere is intimate to say the least. You can’t help but get into it. Remember to heed the jazz code for cats though – Bennetts Lane is a strictly “listening venue” which means talking is not encouraged during sets. In fact, it’s downright rude. Don’t do it unless you want a sax in the snoz. If you want to score a seat, get in early – the moody, candle-lit tables are scarce for some of the headline acts. Gigs change from night to night, week to week – so either ring on the day or check out their sublime website which has all the talent for coming months listed. If you’re dabbling for the first time, don’t worry if no names ring a bell. Just pick a night. Any night. You won’t be disappointed. The music is always intoxicating, the soft dark seducing. Order a dry martini and wear your biggest diamonds.
Melbournebars.com
Sarah Hayes
Many jazz fans consider Bennett’s Lane to be the best jazz bar in Melbourne.
The relatively small bar area and typically dim lighting enhances the intimate atmosphere. It truly is a bar for those who want to be entertained by the artists, and the performers you see make it well worth the cover charge, ranging from accomplished local talents to interstate or overseas musicians. This is not the place to go if you want to catch up with the latest gossip or footy news, as talking during the performance is a definite no-no.
Seating along the sides of the room and opposite along the bar, with a few tables at the front and standing room at the back. Drinks are reasonably priced and consist of the usual beers and spirits, and surprisingly this is a smoke free zone.
As you might expect, the clientele is an eclectic bunch where old and young mingle, drawn by a passing interest or a life long love of jazz.
The
Age
26/9/00
Jessica Nicholas
Jex Saarelaht has a special relationship with Bennetts Lane. He was one of the first artists to play at the Melbourne jazz club when it opened in the early 1990s, and had a weekly residency there for many years. His trio was also the first act to appear on the fledgling Bennetts Lane record label in 1996. It's a relationship that serves both partners well. Bennetts Lane, with its relaxed but respectful air, is perfectly suited to Saarelaht's music, which demands close attention from the listener.
The
Age
12/6/2000
Ken Williams
..."The final night of her three at the Bennetts Lane Jazz Lab, a fine, intimate showcase room, demonstrated her skills brilliantly."
Mietta's Eating & Drinking Australia
Guide 2000
Mietta O'Donnell and Tony Knox
Published By Bookman Press
Bennetts Lane is THE place in Melbourne to listen to contemporary jazz. A black box with a bar, simple stage and reasonable cover charges. Food available is limited to cheese and fruit platters, cakes and focaccia's. It's a dedicated jazz venue and owner Michael Tortoni will present music that he believes in and which may not always draw audiences. It's relaxed but a place for serios listening, talking during the music is discouraged. The cover charge for the music varies.
The Age - Citysearch Online
Michael Dwyer
Renowned as
the hangout of choice for touring jazz players both national and international,
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club has been operating as a hardcore jazz aficionado's dream
venue for eight years.
The smaller of the club's two rooms has live entertainment seven nights a week.
The events-driven larger room has played host to names of the calibre of Harry
Connick Jr, Kenny Kirkland, Wynton Marsalis and Ernie Watts. Members of Sting's,
Janet Jackson's and Lenny Kravitz's backing
bands have also been on stage at the club.
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club features no pool tables, bar specials or other distractions - the focus in both rooms is entirely on the stage for punters who are passionate about world-class jazz.
The Australian Newspaper
31/1/2000
Kevin Jones
...."All week crowds packed the new room at the nation's
premier jazz club, Bennetts Lane. They sat on the floor right up to the bandstand
listening to American tenor player Ricky Ford, the torrent of sound flowing
from his horn above pianist Paul Grabowsky's trio spurred on by the energetic
drumming of Dave Beck, who gave the music a powerful pulse.
Ford's roots may go back to the tradition of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster,
but there was nothing old-fashioned about his playing. It was rich in ideas
and feeling but also fast and daring. An inventive improvisor, he was continually
challenged and inspired by Grabowski."
The Australian Newspaper
21/1/2000
Kevin Jones
...."Underpinning the Melbourne Jazz boom is a strong raft of properly planned and presented venues that feature jazz four, five, and sometimes seven days a week. The city is home to Australia's top modern jazz venue, Bennetts Lane, which opens seven nights a week, and has also seen a number of new clubs spring up in recent times."
...."Browne
believes Melbourne's long tradition of bands working regularly in clubs has
enabled them to develop their own sound. He is a big fan of Bennetts Lane, and
has been playing there since it opened eight years ago. Grabowsky calls Bennetts
Lane "the best jazz club in Australia", an opinion shared by Sydney
pianist Mike Knock.
As Adrian Jackson says: "All bands want to play there. Music is put
first, which makes it a desirable venue from a musicians' point of view."
Grabowsky sayas the reason for it's success is simple: "It's run by a musician
(Michael Tortoni). He plays, he understands the musicians' needs, and has a
passionate commitment to the music."
Tortoni, a 44-year-old classicly-trained bassist and graduate from the Victorian
College of the Arts, opened Bennetts Lane in 1992 after seeing a need for an
after hours establishment where musicians could experiment in an informal atmosphere.
"It wasn't conceived as a popular venue, but it started well," he
says. "It just evolved. Within six months, I knew the place had a life
of it's own."
He says the venue is "on the verge of an exciting new era", having
expanded earlier this month from a single room with a capacity of 100 to two
rooms, the second seating a further 250 people. It has also recently set up
a Web site and is abount to launch it's own record label, Bennetts Lane Records,
which will give it's bands world exposure. Says Tortoni "This club will
be the catalyst for the continuing development of Australian jazz."
 |
The
Age Newspaper 14/1/2000
Jessica Nicholas
Michael Tortoni claims Bennetts Lane is the only jazz club
in Australia.
This might come as a surprise to patrons of venues such as the Continental,
or Sydney's Strawberry Hills, but the owner of Bennetts Lane argues that his
is the only venue dedicated exclusively to jazz.
"Other venues will put on live music if it's financially viable for them,
but with Bennetts Lane, music drives it's very existence," says Tortoni.
"Not that I wouldn't like the club to make money! But that's not the prime
reason for being there."
Tortoni describes Bennetts Lane as a jazz Laboratory - a place where the focus
is firmly on the musicians, and where the audience is almost inceidental.
Of course, he doesn't want to discourage people from patronising his venue.
As long as they know the music comes first.
"From my point of view, the club's sole purpose is to explore and develop
jazz as an artform," he explains. "It was never meant to be a popular
venue. But anyone who respects and enjoys music is welcome."
So determined is Tortoni to ensure the club stays "pure" that he employs
covert methods of crowd control - especially on weekends, when the club tends
to attract passing traffic as well as jazz devotees.
"Every Friday night, the Jex Saarelaht trio comes on at midnight,"
Tortoni explains.
"I've given them a year-long residency, partly because I think they're
a fantastic trio and represent the club well.
But the band also serves a dual purpose by helping to "cleanse" the
club - because patrons who aren't at Bennetts Lane to listen to the music quickly
exit the building when some serious jazz comes on."
Tortoni's attitude might sound precious to those who have never met him. But
as a musician himself (Tortoni studied acoustic double bass and still plays
in a jazz quartet once a week), he recognises the value of a committed, creative
workspace.
And his determination to remain true to the core principles of the club seems
to have paid off.
For a while attracting audiences is not a priority, the quality of the music
at Bennetts Lane acts as a drawcard in itself - not just for the public, but
for influential jazz artists in Australia and abroad.
The club has developed a reputation as a late-night hangout for touring musicians.
Harry Connick Jr has given several impromptu performances there. And people
are still talking about the time Wynton Marsalis turned up.
"It was amazing," says Tortoni.
"In they walked: Wynton and his band. All seven of them. Barney McAll,
who was playing at the time, jumped off the stage - on his knees! - and the
band played for two hours non-stop.
"The club was packed to the rafters, and everyone just stood still, amazed
that Wynton was playing so close to them."
Tortoni is not interested in expanding Bennetts Lane - at least not in terms
of size.
He points to the recent closure of Jazz Lane as an indication that Melbourne
might not be able to sustain a large, full-time jazz venue, and adds that the
intimacy of Bennetts Lane is part of what makes the club unique.
He does, however, have ideas for a number of spin-off projects he would like
to oversee, including a library of live recordings.
And, in a synergetic fusion of his twin careers - Tortoni is a stockbroker -
he dreams of a Bennetts Lane record label that will one-day be launched on the
stock exchange.
The one commodity he lacks is time. "That's where I fall down," he
admits. "I have plenty of ideas for the future, but with my timetable I
can only take on so much.
"The record label will happen. But whether it takes a year or two - or
five - it doesn't matter.
"I'm in no hurry. I've already achieved the goal I set for Bennetts Lane,
which was to last more than three years.
"I know now that the club can have a long-term future. Important jazz musicians
understand what Bennetts Lane is about, and it's going in the right direction.
So if I do nothing else beyond what I've done, I'd be quite happy.
"I get to run my own show my way, and that's enough for me."
SevenMag
May 1998
Zand Amis
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club in Melbourne could be in any cosmopolitan
city anywhere in the world. It's a place where Harry Connick Jr calls in for
impromptu performances, where the whole Wynton Marsalis band walked in unexpectedly
one night and played for two hours non-stop. When headliner artists are on tour,
it becomes a late night hangout for their bands -- as happened the time Sting
and Janet Jackson were in town and members from each band formed a spontaneous
jazz quartet for a late night session.
Yet this full-time jazz club has a unique character which is as much a reflection
of the individuality of its creator as its dedication to modern avante-garde
jazz. Bennetts Lane seats only sixty people and its owner, Michael Tortoni,
a Melbourne stockbroker by day -- wants to keep it that way. For Tortoni, Bennetts
Lane is a kind of 'jazz laboratory' where the focus is on the music and musicians
rather than the audience.
While many international jazz artists know about Bennetts Lane -- and sometimes
phone if they are going to be in town to check out if it is okay to call in
and have a play -- most of the local population have never heard of the club
and would have trouble finding it in the labyrinth of tiny backstreets and deadend
lanes at the city's centre. Even with the aid of a street directory, No. 25
Bennetts Lane is almost invisible. The only external sign of what goes on behind
its austere warehouse exterior is two discrete overhead lights at a narrow roll-a-door.
And the jazz isn't for everyone -- no classical, rhythm and blues or salsa.
Whenever trad jazz features, it's always trad 'with attitude'. Bennetts Lane
focusses on original tunes, the modern and cutting-edge. 'I'm mainly interested
in what musicians are doing with their instruments,' says Tortoni. 'The club
is really a personal view of what jazz should be about and where it is going.'
This level of intense commitment may explain why Tortoni manages to tap into
the best musicians in Australia and the world -- he is already taking bookings
up to 2001.
While Bennetts Lane may not cater for all tastes and talents, it is far from
being exclusive or elitist. 'Anyone who respects and enjoys music is welcome,'
says Tortoni. 'On a weekend at least 80 per cent are new people coming through
the door. There's no set crowd that I market to, or that I try and attract.
I don't rely on a certain set of people coming. I just leave it totally up to
the public. It has to stand on its own feet -- there are no gimmicks, no nothing.
We just open the doors and cater for those who are interested in what we do.'
And thousands have come through those doors since this seven-night-a-week club
opened in 1992. Saturday night is peak traffic time with a constant flow of
sightseers and regular jazz devotees. Most only stay an hour or so, except when
the likes of Wynton Marsalis call by -- then it's 100 shoulder-to-shoulder or
packed to the rafters.
From time to time the club becomes trendy and Tortoni moves in to move the sightseers
on. 'The club was never set up to capture high volume drinkers,' he says. 'We
want an audience but we want the right kind of audience -- the wrong crowd will
ruin it for the right crowd.' Around midnight he'll turn on a hardcore jazz
group which quickly 'cleanses' the club of the simply curious. 'These people
have got plenty of other places to go to, like pubs; Bennetts Lane is a listening
venue,' he says.
Tortoni lives above his club in a spacious, (sound proof) New York-style loft
apartment -- a life-style quite removed from his beginnings as one of eight
children in an Italian family who arrived in Australia with 'just a suitcase'.
In the 70s, when he was only seventeen, he played bass in a heavy metal band
called Taste. The band cut their first album with Warner Brothers in 1973 and
their first single made it into the national charts. Taste split in 1977 and
Michael went on to study classical bass at the College of the Arts, learning
how to read and write music rather than just play it by ear. In the long term,
however, he decided a musical career wasn't for him, eventually becoming a director
and stockbroker at Shaw Stockbroking. When the local property market collapsed
in 1991 he was well placed to buy the warehouse at No. 25 Bennetts Lane, which
took him twelve months to redesign and refurbish.
At the end of a twelve-hour day as stockbroker, Tortoni still finds time to
be a hands-on owner. While Bennetts Lane has a day-to-day manager, the club
is still very hard work 'and not all that glamorous. We have around 130 musicians
come through every month and they take management. It's a small place but there's
a lot of traffic here.'
Although Bennetts Lane pays its way and has a life of its own, the quality of
that life depends on Tortoni's self-sufficiency as a stockbroker. 'Money buys
you freedom to own a jazz club,' he says. There are no grand, entrepreneurial
plans for expanding Bennetts Lane. Far more important to Tortoni is preserving
the club's independence and sustaining it as a unique jazz environment for other
musicians. Nevertheless he does have a few side projects in mind -- a Bennetts
Lane Record label based on a library of live digital recordings made at the
club, and establishing a Bennetts Lane Scholarship Trust for musicians. All
he has to do is find some free time.
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