Bernard Francis McGann (22 June 1937 – 17 September 2013) was an Australian jazz

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

player. He began his career in the late 1950s and remained active as a performer, composer and recording artist until near the end of his life. McGann won four

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

between 1993 and 2001. McGann led the Bernie McGann Trio and Bernie McGann Quartet through his career. The most well-known lineup of the Trio was McGann (alto sax), John Pochee (drums),

Lloyd Swanton Lloyd Stuart Swanton (born 14 August 1960) is an Australian jazz double bassist, bass guitarist, and composer. Swanton was a member of Dynamic Hepnotics in 1986McFarlan'Dynamic Hepnotics'entry. Retrieved 21 February 2010. and co-founded jazz ...

(bass), with the addition of Warwick Alder (trumpet) in the quartet.

Career

Born in Granville, in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

's western suburbs, McGann first came to prominence as part of a loose alliance of modern jazz musicians who performed at the ''El Rocco Jazz Cellar'' in Kings Cross, Sydney in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He had an enduring collaboration with drummer John Pochee. During the 1960s and early 1970s, McGann also performed with rock and pop groups and as a session musician, and in the 1970s he was a member of the Sydney rock-soul band ''Southern Comfort''. In 1974, McGann was a founding member of jazz group, ''The Last Straw''. Between 1980 and 1982, McGann played support to US jazz artists, including

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in t ...

, and

Dave Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received a N ...

. In 1983, McGann studied in New York on a grant from The Australia Council. In 1988, McGann Toured Australia and USA with the ''Australian Jazz Orchestra'', a special Bicentennial project. He was a featured artist in award-winning documentary film ''Beyond El Rocco''.Beyond El Rocco
Ronin Films, 1988. In 1992, McGann won the Spiral Scratch MO Award for Bernie McGann Trio in Jazz Group of the Year. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1993 The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Note: User may be required to access archived i ...

, McGann won the

ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Jazz Album is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The award for Best Jazz Album was first presented in 1987, when George Golla Orchestra, received a trophy for their album, ...

. In 1994, McGann won Australian

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...

for Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year. In 1998, McGann won the

Don Banks Music Award The Don Banks Music Award was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, ...

, the first time it has been awarded to a non-classical musician/composer. Launch of biography ''Bernie McGann: A Life in Jazz'' by Geoff Page (Kardooraire Press). At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2001 The 15th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards) were held on 30 October 2001 at the Capitol Theatre. Rock band Powderfinger won the most awards with six from eight nominations. Lea ...

, McGann won his fourth ARIA Award. McGann died on 17 September 2013, following complications from heart surgery. He was 76.

Discography

Albums

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. It commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, ''Bernie McGann Trio'' , rowspan="6", Best Jazz Album , , rowspan="6", ARIA Award previous winners. , - ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, ''McGann McGann'' , , - ,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

, ''Playground'' , , - ,

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, ''Bundeena'' , , - ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, ''Always'' , , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, ''Wending'' , , -

Australian Jazz Bell Awards

The

Australian Jazz Bell Awards Australian Jazz Bell Awards, also known as the Bell Awards or The Bells, are annual music awards for the jazz music genre in Australia. They were named in honour of Australian jazz pianist, composer and band leader, Graeme Bell (1914–2012), at ...

, (also known as the Bell Awards or The Bells), are annual music awards for the jazz music genre in Australia. They commenced in 2003. , - , 2008 , Bernie McGann , Hall of Fame , , -

Don Banks Music Award

The

was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. It was founded by the

Australia Council The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...

in honour of

Don Banks Donald Oscar Banks (25 October 19235 September 1980) was an Australian composer of concert, jazz, and commercial music. Early life and education Jazz was Banks' earliest and strongest musical influence. He learned the saxophone as a boy in Aust ...

, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board. , - , 1998 , Bernie McGann , Don Banks Music Award , , -

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Bernie McGann won three awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1992 , Bernie McGann Trio , Jazz Group of the Year , , - , 1994 , Bernie McGann , Jazz Instrumental Performer of the Year , , - , 1997 , Bernie McGann Trio , Jazz Group of the Year , , -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGann, Bernie 1937 births 2013 deaths ARIA Award winners Australian jazz saxophonists Male saxophonists Jazz alto saxophonists Musicians from New South Wales 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century saxophonists 20th-century Australian male musicians Male jazz musicians The Last Straw (band) members Emanem Records artists