John Shand's new book

John Shand (pictured, right) has written a beautiful book about jazz in Australia. Posing the question "is there such a thing as Australian jazz", John attempts to answer it by talking to and 17 musicians he has seen as contributing to what might be a unique Australian jazz and improvised idiom. Read more on the Jazz Australia website.

Paul Grabowsky (pictured, left) launched Jazz: The Australian Accent just before the Bernie McGann Quartet gig in the Jazz Marquee, commenting that the timing's perfect for a book like this. The jazz scene in Australia is as vibrant as it's ever been and there's a growing interest in the artform of jazz /improvised music. Access to stories is important. The way this book captures a moment in time is also valuable.

John Shand, thanking Paul, also thanked Jane March for her photos, which are used throughout the book (to great effect, I might add)

Congratulations, John!