Bodgie Dada & the Cult of Cool

In his coverage of the post-war history of Australian jazz Clare/Brennan takes the first detailed look at the esoteric levels of jazz culture in Australia.

Jazz haunts of the old El Rocco and Jazz Centre 44, as well as the more recent Basement, are vividly evoked and the interaction of jazz with pop and rock is brilliantly captured.

In addition, Clare/Brennan goes beyond the confines of jazz to conjure up the jitterbugging bodgies, hipsters, communists and fubsy old buffs who have been associated with the development of jazz in Australia.