Events

Friday 29th September 2023 - TaylorMade Blues

‘TaylorMade’ combines three seasoned devotees of the Blues style who come from the Gold Coast and Brisbane, having first combined in 2019 for social jamming, only to discover that others were eager to listen in, and that they had what it took to play commercially.
Lee Taylor leads the outfit, with his own style of guitar and vocals honed to perfection during the six years in which he was an integral part of the Wiley Reed band, with whom he appeared in over three hundred gigs. He was then able to combine his experience with that of Kiwi keyboard vocalist Moemai ES losia (‘Sos’ to those who find his real name a tongue twister), a music graduate and teacher who lists Dave Dobbyn among his previous ‘frontmen’.
Completing this talented quartet are Martijn Warren on drums, and Terry Evans on bass, who once played support for none less than John Mayall. A night guaranteed to remind us of what authentic Blues sound like when delivered by seasoned musos at the top of their game.

Friday 27th October 2023 - The Magnificence

The Magnificence is an almost traditional New Orleans style band. The band has been described as enthusiastic, passionate, humorous and quirky leaving audiences happily uplifted.
All members of the band play a variety of styles of music but are brought together by their love of all things New Orleans. Their music is rooted in the early jazz tradition but reflects the musical influences of each band member.
Brothers Cameron (trumpet/vocals) and Lachi Smith (drums) have been making music together for over 30 years and with Paul Edwards ( tenor sax) for 20 years. The three formed The Magnificence in 2017 and are joined by Joe O'Keeffe on banjo and Julian Smith on double bass.

Since coming together, the band has played at jazz clubs and festivals from Melbourne to Far North Queensland, released an album, an e.p and a Christmas single. The band's music has been played on local and international radio including WWOZ fm in New Orleans.
They growl, they mewl, they cook – and they make audiences feel better about otherwise questionable life choices.

Friday 24th November 2023 - The Jazz Kings

Nicole Parker Brown and The Jazz Kings bring an eclectic blend of beautiful Jazz and Latin music to enliven any audience. Although jazz is their main genre, they have an extensive blues and swing repertoire which has graced many festivals and venues, including Jumpers and Jazz Warwick, The Brisbane Jazz Club, The Tedder Ave Flower Festival, CSI Southport and Twin Towns, and have been booked on a cruise ship that will sail out of Sydney in October 2024.
Jose McLaughlin (formerly with Gerry and the Pacemakers), has joined the band in time to add his keyboard brilliance to their second album, currently being recorded in a local studio, and containing “a touch of the blues” as well as some new jazz arrangements and a couple of originals by renowned horn man Peter Uppman. Vocalist Nicole Parker-Brown will also lay down some of her bluesy/jazzy favourites in her inimitable style. The other members of the band are Gordon Matheson (guitar – watch out for “Still Got the Blues”), Rodney Ford (drums and vocals) and Col Atkinson (bass and vocals). Jose will be recording ‘Ferry Cross The Mersey’ in a jazz style never recorded before. while Peter Uppman has been responsible for the arrangements and original compositions, adding trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals to the mix. Their upcoming performance for the Club will include numbers from this new album.

Past Events

Another great night of music from a superb band, and like all the previous gigs since we returned to the Condong Bowlo, we could have been in any top venue anywhere in the world, listening to the finest music available, but at a modest price that hardly reflected the quality of what was on offer.
This time it was the turn of ‘Peaches and the Alphasonics’ to demonstrate what a full sound can come from four dedicated musos at the top of their game, only three of them armed with instruments. A slap bass being played the way it was designed for, a skilled drummer egging on the bassist, and one of the finest blues guitarists this side of the pond, it was topped by a vocalist whose voice combined the lure of Peggy Lee, the authenticity of Aretha Franklin, and the power to strip paint.
Congratulations to our committee for yet another memorable night, recreating the sound that lured blues into rock and roll without losing its raw origins. Where do you find these bands?

What a gig! A capacity crowd, wooed by four of the finest Aussie jazz musos – all of them from the Northern Rivers! – who between them held the audience in their hands as they reminded us of why it’s so important to keep venues like ours open. Led by internationally acclaimed Nicki Parrot on upright bass and vocals, ably and gleefully assisted by Club favourite Martha Baartz on sax and flute, with Steve Russell making a welcome return on keyboards, and the never flagging Dave Sanders on drums, it was truly a tribute to the talent that has been nurtured over the years by local venues and inspired teachers passing on their legacy.
It was an eclectic mix, with standards such as ‘There’s a kind of hush’ and ‘We’ve only just begun’ mixed in with up-tempo versions of favourites such as ‘I can see clearly now’ and ‘The girl from Ipanema’. They took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late Tony Bennett with a soulful rendition of ‘The very thought of you,’ before recalling the song-writing skills of Willie Nelson and the haunting vocals of Patsy Clyne with their own version of ‘Crazy’
They sure know how to work an audience, most of whom joined in behind Nikki at her invitation when she offered up some of the better known numbers in their extensive repertoire. An audience that left them in no doubt about how much they were appreciated as they applauded ecstatically, and remained to the very end.

You could almost see the glitter ball hanging from the ceiling, and catch the passing wafts of Sandalwood perfume and Brilliantine, as we hunkered down against the cold night air outside for an evening of nostalgia, courtesy of the Gold Coast Big Band who finally made it to the Club after previous provisional bookings were disrupted by COVID and floods.
There’s nothing like sixteen accomplished and dedicated musos on stage, playing in tune, in time, and in the Condong Bowlo! Their selection was eclectic, ranging from Miles Davis to the Beach Boys, but the hard core came from the likes of Sinatra, Porter and Basie, with classics such as ‘I’ve got you under my skin’, ‘A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’, ‘Call me irresponsible’ and ‘How high the moon’ taking most of us back to our splendour days.
As ever, our grateful thanks to those behind the scenes who organised and staged such a rewarding and enjoyable night out among friends.

A packed house for our May gig saw the welcome return of one of our favourite bands, The Trombone Kellie Gang, for two hours of jazz, blues, rockabilly, rock and gospel that proved yet again why this band are rapidly becoming the most popular outfit between Lismore and Noosa.
A tight back line of Toby Baron on drums and startlingly good occasional vocals, and Justin Pfeiffer on old-time upright bass, laid down the rhythmic bed that was all that was needed by the man with ten fingers on each hand, and a ‘slide’ up his sleeve, Peter ‘Scrubby’ Hurcombe, on several guitars, although not at the same time – even Scrubby can’t manage that.
The upfront star of the lineup, as ever, was Kellie Barnett, whose ability to switch from rasping trombone to belting vocals that are a challenge to the sinuses never ceases to amaze, and was all the more remarkable for the fact that she was recovering from a chest infection earlier in the week! And finally, the cherry on the cake, the ever-talented and much loved Martha Baartz on sax, providing an effortless counterpoint to Kellie’s trombone, and the riffs being laid down by her other partners in harmony.
A great night that led to the inevitable encore, and shouts of ‘more’ from the audience that had barely lost a single member by the time it all had to end – the true measure of a quality performance.

Friday 28th April 2023
A change of pace this month, with a night of nostalgia from Harry Lynn and the Warblers. Harry himself was on the keyboard, with excellent backline support from Les Kafoa on drums and John Edwards on bass, while up front it was a non-stop delivery from the very talented and seemingly inexhaustible George Harvey and Beth Hamilton. Examples of the standards that were revised and given new life were ‘Summertime’, ‘Blue Skies’, ‘The lady is a tramp’, ‘Unforgettable, ‘Georgia on my mind’ and ‘Blue moon’.
At the end of the night the highly appreciative audience were still demanding more, which is always a good sign.

Friday 31st March 2023
Lots of words might be employed to describe this month’s gig, but WOW! Just about covers it.
They may look like Australia’s answer to the Soggy Bottom Boys – one of them dressed in what looked like his pyjama bottoms – but ‘Slips and The Flaming Whippersnappers’ served up a selection of jazz and blues that sounded so authentic that you could almost smell the bayous at low tide.
A near capacity crowd cheered, sang, dance, clapped, stomped and hooted to the final note, and we were once again reminded of how fortunate we are to be able to hear music of this quality in the Murwillumbah area.
Top marks to the Club for the third winner in a row.

Friday 24th February 2023
Not even the foul weather deterred another capacity crowd from basking in the sunshine of the best music played by the best musicians, this time in the accomplished collective that call themselves ‘Sweet Thunder’. When thirteen talented artists in their own right can deliver a two hour programme without a single wrong note, you can be sure that you’re on to a winner.
The dancers threatened to wear a hole in the floor as the band not only raided the Ellington and Basie repertoire, but also delivered such favourites as ‘All of Me’, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square’, ‘The more I see you”, ‘September in the Rain’ and ‘Satin Doll’. Led, as usual, by pianist and conductor Rick Best, and with the inimitable Col Jones in the trumpet line-up in the back row, it was another reminder of how good local music can get, and how it’s still possible to have a great night out without taking out a second mortgage.

Friday 27th January 2023
What a fantastic start to the 2023 gig season! A capacity crowd in our favourite club venue, the fully restored and reconstituted Condong Bowlo, with one of our favourite guests, the Mojo Webb Band. The threatened storm didn’t eventuate, except on stage, where Mojo picked, strummed, sang and blew his heart out, supported as ever by J. B. Lewis on bass, Coogie Timms on drums and back-up vocals, and our club’s own Peter ‘Scrubby’ Hurcombe sitting in on guitar whenever Mojo felt inspired to blow his harp down the mic.
Even the caterers were new, and received the only standing ovation ever given to kitchen staff when compere Scrubby invited members and visitors to show their appreciation. All in all a great night, with promise of more to come.

Thursday 17th November 2022
What a superb foot-stomping final gig for the year! All the nostalgia of the post-War US honky-tonks and dancehalls, courtesy of steel guitar wizard Warren Earl at the head of a talented six piece that recreated the magic of Bob Wills and the musical phenomenon that was Western Swing. Classics of the genre such as ‘Right or wrong’, ‘That was before I met you’ and ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ were blended with pure country favourites like Ray Price’s evergreen classic ‘Crazy Arms’ and the haunting Hank Williams creation ‘I’m so lonesome I could cry.’ These boys had it all in their pockets!
In addition to the melodic strains of the steel guitar, the line-up was augmented with ‘spot on’ percussion from Pete Wilkins, tight base lines courtesy of former Slim Dusty sidesman Rod Coe, fiddle intercessions from Mat Lydon, and virtuoso guitar licks from promising star of the future Sam Sanders, who’d just completed his Year Twelve exams! Vocals from Diego Zaragoza, playing a rhythm guitar that looked as authentic as it sounded, completed the overall experience, and you were either dead or stone deaf if the music didn’t get your feet tapping all by themselves.
The next gig, in January 2023, sees us back at Condong with the Mojo Webb Band for another step back in time, and members’ feet are already twitching in anticipation.

Thursday 27th October 2022
They battled down a dark highway, through a hailstorm, in dense traffic, but ‘The Session Band’ survived it all to give us one of the best shows we’ve ever enjoyed, before putting their instruments into their travel bags and heading back north.
Peter Uppman (front man and horns), Jo Bloomfield (keyboard), Russell Bayne (guitar) and Pat Robbins (drums and backing vocals) pulled out all the steps in a programme that contained everything from era standards such as ‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing’ and ‘A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’, through favourites from artists such as Elvis, Max Merritt and Neil Diamond, all the way to a supercharged version of the Johnny Cash signature ‘Folsom Prison Blues’.
It’s a mark of the true professionalism of this outfit that although attendance numbers were lower than usual, they performed with the same enthusiasm as if they were on stage at the Hollywood Bowl. Thanks for a superb show, people, and come back soon.

Thursday 29 September 2022
A near-capacity crowd and an 18 piece ‘big band’ occupying almost a quarter of the venue room made for a tight squeeze, but only added to the ambience as one happy memory after another was revived for those in attendance. During their first set alone, they delivered classics such as ‘Satin Doll’, ‘Hallelujah I just love him so’, ‘How high the moon’, ‘One note samba’, ‘On the sunny side of the street’, and ‘Take the A train.’
It takes skill and dedication to ensure a note-perfect performance by so many talented and dedicated instrumentalists, augmented by two superb vocal stylists, and the best indication of how well this gifted ensemble went down with their audience was the fact that virtually nobody left after the raffles were drawn.
Thank you ‘Hint of Swing’, and thank you to those who made it possible. It gets better every month, and it’s only a pity that the next gig is still four weeks away.

Thursday 25 August 2022
On one of the coldest nights of the year we were eager for some hot jazz, and the Todd Hardy Swingtet certainly didn’t disappoint. This six piece ensemble of talented musos, led by an experienced trumpeter who knows the best when he hires them, gave us two hours of swing, hardbop and a few hard to define but easy to listen to arrangements of their own. Those who like to warm their hearts with favourite standards weren’t left out either, with classics such as ‘I can’t give you anything but love,’ ‘Mood Indigo’, ‘I’m beginning to see the light,’ ‘Ain’t Misbehaving,’ and ‘Take the A Train’ flooding the room with nostalgia.
To finish the show, they gave us a lengthy rendition of ‘Route 66’ that was three times longer than the original score, during which each instrumentalist gave us at least two solos, then we wandered back out into the icy air with the reminder that good jazz can be an electric blanket for the soul.

Updated 17th September 2023
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