From Holland With Love

The Age

Thursday July 22, 1993

Darrin Farrant

DARRIN FARRANT talks to two jazz artists back home from Holland for a short tour.

EVEN without the obligatory tulips and clogs, Amsterdam would make a highly unlikely backdrop for an Australian musical act.

But not so for Felicity Provan and Belinda Moody. The Melbourne jazz performers say the so-called ``Venice of the North" is perfectly designed for artists to develop their craft.

According to the pair, Amsterdam's compact layout, which lends the city an almost village-like atmosphere, coupled with its thriving arts venues _ thanks in no small part to generous government grants and subsidies _ provide for a melting-pot of sounds and cultures, and, just as importantly, a breeding ground for musicians to feed off each other's vibes.

Provan says she ``went there for a summer but stayed on", while Moody ventured there on her last $60 to stay with a friend and escape her grotty hotel room.

Both gravitated towards the Bimhuis _ a cafe-cum-club that caters enormously for improvisational jazz _ where they honed their technical skills and soaked up the atmosphere. That experience, say Provan and Moody, has been invaluable, giving them a solid grounding in the creation of fresh, original jazz compositions.

After being based in the Netherlands' largest city for the past three years, the duo have briefly left the canals and bicycles and headed home for a four-week, 21-show nationwide tour that starts tomorrow night in South Gippsland.

The tour, which includes student workshops and several quartet performances (with special guests Jex Saarelaht on piano and Scott Lambie on drums), is the first for Provan and Moody as an official duo, although both _ Moody in particular _ have had extensive experience performing with other acts across Europe.

Provan, a VCA graduate, supplies trumpet and vocals, while Moody, who has performed with Christine Sullivan at the prestigious Ronnie Scott's venue in London, plays double bass.

It is a partnership that works very well, based largely on the pair's obvious friendship _ during the interview, each one insisted that the other's name should appear first on posters or official titles.

Ruby Carter's McJazz finishes a long tenancy at the Esplanade Hotel on Tuesday. During her three years there, Ruby enjoyed the company of several guest performers, including Vince Jones and Ross Hannaford.

F Provan and Moody kick off the STA Winter Tour at the South Gippsland Secondary College in Foster at 8pm tomorrow, followed by a guest appearance with the Bob Sedergreen Quartet at the Knox Civic Centre on Sunday at 5pm.