Happy Hour

By Chris Mineral

Please Leave Your Light On is the name of the album by Paul Grabowski and Paul Kelly. It is a sublime and beautiful record. 

The film clip to Sonnet 138 shows jazz maestro Grabowski sitting at the piano and Paul Kelly standing nearby, reciting text. They are performing and recording at the Primrose Potter Salon, the warm, intimate space located at the Melbourne Recital Centre. 

The acoustics are sensational in the room, with timber panels, contoured plywood faces on the walls and ceiling. Engraved into these features is the visual score to a Percy Grainger composition.

Grainger was a brilliant concert pianist and composer, who was prominent in promoting Edvard Grieg in the classical music world. Grabowski and Paul Kelly are in their element in this room revelling in each other’s company. Paul Kelly of course is a national treasure and Grabowski is revered in the jazz universe.

Petrichor is the name of one of the songs on the refined and sublime album. A couple of CSIRO scientists invented the word “Petrichor” to describe the smell that is created when rain hits the dusty ground. Dry and old boulders in the weather. Rain by Dragon was played on the PA at an AFL ground at quarter time during a torrential downpour. For a detailed scientific explanation, ask Dr Karl. 

Readers are able to watch Paul Kelly perform Petrichor on the Ditty TV YouTube channel. When Kelly introduces the song, his arms reach out to the audience like a Baptist preacher. Explaining the song about the smell of rain. In the Coal Valley in Tasmania there is Petrichor Wines, ticking boxes in an organic way, their Pinot Noir is recommended. Drink a bottle of Petrichor Pinot Noir while listening to Please Leave Your Light On. 

Gertrude St diner Gaea (Mother Earth) has Petrichor Pinot Noir on the wine list, with wildflowers and herbs on the wall. Gaea is next to coffee house Calère. The Beatles’ Rain featured the first application of sampling a song and playing it backwards John Lennon once said.

Paul Kelly covered The Beatles song And I Love Her, one of the many highlights from the film A Hard Days Night.

There’s a new Paul Kelly book by Stuart Coupe (who has known Kelly for decades, back when Kelly recorded the great Gossip album) entitled The Man The Music And The Life In Between and it is a ripper of a book that is most readable. A song from Gossip that is adored by many is Randwick Bells. Steve Kilbey of The Church performed Randwick Bells on one of his recent shows in the virtual world.

Steve Kilbey’s Something Quite Peculiar is another book that you should consider reading. The SK virtual show is an example of a muso driving along and singing his favourite songs.

Suzie Stapleton’s We Are The Plague (Negative Prophet Records) is a dark, brooding, prophetic rock Album, recorded south west of London at Ox4 Studios. Hard driven swaggering blues and rock and roll, as exciting as Showmanship winning the last race of the day with William Pike in the saddle. Reminiscent of Patti Smith.

Triple R has its Radiothon coming up, like a flower, and they have been broadcasting stellar radio during lockdown. One fine example was when Steve Cross played the entire playlist from a 1977 Johnny Rotten curated radio show. Triple R, worthy of your support.

Steve Lucas, Heinous Hounds singer/ guitarist has a Happy Hour music show every Wednesday and it is fantastic. Worth catching •