Friday 25th October 2019 - Horn Among Roses
What a night! We began with the junior winners of the Jazz Section of the 2019 Northern Rivers Festival of Performing Arts, who confirmed that our preferred style of music is being passed down into capable hands. Isla Martin’s clear and confident vocals left us in no doubt as to how she came to be the ‘Vocal Jazz Solo’ winner in the ‘Under 20s’ category, followed by Michael Smith’s virtuoso piano playing that earned him the award for ‘Jazz Solo Instrumental’. Finally, the four-piece winners of the ‘Jazz Group Under 20s’ award, the lively ‘Valley Record’ ensemble.
Then, to prove that it gets even better with maturity, our main act of the evening, ‘Horn Among the Roses.’ The ‘horn’ in question was a flugelhorn in the hands of the international master of the genre John Hoffman, who undoubtedly gained inspiration from the two ‘roses’ on stage with him. Elizabeth Lord’s mature, and at times sultry, vocal talents were perfectly counterpointed by Sharny Russell’s virtuoso mastery of the keyboard, along with a vocal style that, as always, glided effortlessly from Ella Fitzgerald to Blossom Dearie.
Fittingly, it was a packed house, most of whom were still there, cheering to the echoes of the final notes.
Then, to prove that it gets even better with maturity, our main act of the evening, ‘Horn Among the Roses.’ The ‘horn’ in question was a flugelhorn in the hands of the international master of the genre John Hoffman, who undoubtedly gained inspiration from the two ‘roses’ on stage with him. Elizabeth Lord’s mature, and at times sultry, vocal talents were perfectly counterpointed by Sharny Russell’s virtuoso mastery of the keyboard, along with a vocal style that, as always, glided effortlessly from Ella Fitzgerald to Blossom Dearie.
Fittingly, it was a packed house, most of whom were still there, cheering to the echoes of the final notes.
Friday 27th September 2019 - Dezzie D and the Stingrayz
Those of you who weren’t there missed a real treat! A wallow in nostalgia for those of us who remember the fifties dance halls in which R & B ruled, and a ‘heads up’ for those young enough to believe that music began with the Beatles.
A top class line up of musos, and a lead singer who knows how to woo a crowd. A backline consisting of Jason Chandler on bass and Mitch Bellert on drums, with Mitch looking at the back view of his father Alan ‘Butch’ Bellert on guitar, and Dan Ford on tenor sax. In front, the seemingly tireless Dezzie D, who bopped around the stage like a marionette on steroids. Her wide repertoire ranged from the smoky Peggy Lee classic ‘Fever’ to the cheeky bounce of ‘Ain’t nobody here but us chickens.’ And for the rock’n’roll tragics, a note-perfect resurrection of the Duane Eddy debut hit ‘Peter Gunn’ from Butch Bellert on thumping twangy lead guitar, with the rasping sax of Dan Ford providing the overlay.
Another great night to add to the memories by reviving the ones we already had.
A top class line up of musos, and a lead singer who knows how to woo a crowd. A backline consisting of Jason Chandler on bass and Mitch Bellert on drums, with Mitch looking at the back view of his father Alan ‘Butch’ Bellert on guitar, and Dan Ford on tenor sax. In front, the seemingly tireless Dezzie D, who bopped around the stage like a marionette on steroids. Her wide repertoire ranged from the smoky Peggy Lee classic ‘Fever’ to the cheeky bounce of ‘Ain’t nobody here but us chickens.’ And for the rock’n’roll tragics, a note-perfect resurrection of the Duane Eddy debut hit ‘Peter Gunn’ from Butch Bellert on thumping twangy lead guitar, with the rasping sax of Dan Ford providing the overlay.
Another great night to add to the memories by reviving the ones we already had.
Friday 30th August 2019 - Galapagos Duck
A capacity crowd that remained until the last note was played, a standing ovation and a rousing call for an encore – did we have a good time, or what? The August show from Galapagos Duck proved yet again that this talented quartet of Willie Qua on reeds, percussion and humour, John Conley on bass, Rodney Ford on drums and John Whyte on keyboards continue to uphold the proud tradition of being the first and foremost sound of jazz in Australia.
Dancers (some of whom appeared to be still in their teens) packed the back of the room, older attendees reminisced about the days when they heard the original band in Sydney’s famous ‘Basement’, and the Committee members wilted under the sheer weight of numbers, but it was a night to remember – like all the others for which this legendary outfit is justly famous.
Dancers (some of whom appeared to be still in their teens) packed the back of the room, older attendees reminisced about the days when they heard the original band in Sydney’s famous ‘Basement’, and the Committee members wilted under the sheer weight of numbers, but it was a night to remember – like all the others for which this legendary outfit is justly famous.
Friday 26th July 2019 - Mojo Webb Band
Cold feet in Condong if you remained outside, but a perfect opportunity to tap the circulation back into them if you came indoors to welcome back The Mojo Webb Band for the third year in succession, itself a Club record. With Mojo himself alternating between three guitars and a harmonica, ably supported by Coojee Timms on drums and J B Lewis on bass, plus a guest cameo appearance by Club Vice-president Peter Hurcombe and his dancing guitar fingers, we sat back and enjoyed blues the way it should be, from the lonesome pain of the original form all the way to the evergreen BB King. The dancers took to the floor like vacuum cleaners once Mojo sought permission to crank up what he chooses to call ‘the craziness dial’.
Should there be any doubt regarding the enduring popularity of this outfit, be advised that the sizeable audience remained long after the drawing of the raffle prizes, and the boys weren’t allowed off-stage until they’d done an encore. A great night with a great band.
Should there be any doubt regarding the enduring popularity of this outfit, be advised that the sizeable audience remained long after the drawing of the raffle prizes, and the boys weren’t allowed off-stage until they’d done an encore. A great night with a great band.
Friday 28th June 2019 - The Robyn Brown Quartet
A superb night of interpretive jazz, with Robyn Brown travelling down from her Sunshine Coast base along with a talented quartet, at least two of whom are already Club favourites. With Todd Hardy on trumpet and Will Sargisson on keyboards we knew that we were in for a treat, and the addition of Thierry Fossemalle on thumping upright bass and Trent Bryson-Dean on drums meant that we had a line-up of five musos all at the top of their game. This was jazz as it was meant to be, with improvisations of standards that went all the way back to their blues and gospel roots. Robyn’s melodic voice floated effortlessly from shades of Ella Fitzgerald to hints of Blossom Dearie, and all in all we came away reminded of why we love jazz so much.
Friday 31st May 2019 - Trombone Kellie And The Muddy Roaders
It was the coldest night of the year outside, but inside we rapidly warmed to Trombone Kellie and the Muddy Roaders. Kellie herself has got to have one of the finest voices on the Eastern Seaboard, and left us all wondering where she gets the breath from to play the trombone so energetically between verses. She was supported, as ever, by the magic fingers of Peter ‘Scrubby’ Hurcombe on guitar, with Derek Siddon on counterpoint trumpet, and a back line that included John Helman, the former bass player of the now legendary Daly Wilson Big Band. With everything from Fats Waller through to Aretha Franklin, via Ray Charles, it was another night to remember before we went home to our electric blankets.
Friday 26th April 2019 - The Todd Hardy Quintet
The perfect end to a holiday week, with five note-perfect professionals combining to bring us a dazzling selection of standards with a modern, progressive flavour. Up front was Todd Hardy on trumpet and vocals, a newcomer to our Club, but with a well-deserved reputation that blew him up here all the way from Sydney. He was ably abetted by Adam Thomas on tenor sax, with a style reminiscent of Charlie Parker, while Club favourite Will Sargisson once again gave us his impersonation of a man with twenty fingers. Another returning Club favourite, John Conley on double bass, made up the back line with Aaron Jansz on drums. All in all, a night to remember for jazz purists, and the fact that most of those attending were still there at the end, yelling their approval of a suggestion from compere Scrubby Hurcombe that they be invited back next year, said it all.
Friday 29th March 2019 - The Andrew Baxter Band
The weather may have been unpredictable, but the music quality definitely wasn’t during our March gig, when we gathered in large numbers to welcome back Andrew Baxter with his ‘History of the Blues’. With Andrew’s distinctive vocal and guitar work ably augmented by a talented and seasoned band of fellow enthusiasts, the Club room resounded to everything under the label ‘Blues’, from Etta James to Booker T. There are several benchmarks that can be employed to measure the popularity of a band, and Andrew’s ticked all the boxes. First, the place was packed. Secondly, one of the musos drove all the way from Toowoomba to be there. Add the facts that the dance floor had never seen so many happy feet, that everyone stayed until the end, and that the final number had barely concluded before those attending rose in a standing ovation, and you can be assured that the evening was a roaring success.
Mark Gibbons on harmonica and vocals - Rebecca Bruce on lead vocals - Martha Baartz on saxophone
Chris Hartley on piano and Hammond organ - David Fergusson on electric bass - Cvitan Barac on drums
Andrew Baxter on guitar, vocals and......... history lessons
Mark Gibbons on harmonica and vocals - Rebecca Bruce on lead vocals - Martha Baartz on saxophone
Chris Hartley on piano and Hammond organ - David Fergusson on electric bass - Cvitan Barac on drums
Andrew Baxter on guitar, vocals and......... history lessons
Friday 22nd February 2019 - The Magnificence
Devotees of ‘down home’ authentic New Orleans jazz were treated to two and a half hours of it in our February gig, when ‘The Magnificence’ reminded their audience of why the genre has never lost its attraction. From the haunting and mournful simplicity of ‘Saint James Infirmary Blues’ to the foot-tapping Dixieland standard ‘Bill Bailey’, this talented Northern Rivers five piece led by trumpeter and vocalist Cameron Smith gave it their all, while pausing occasionally to reveal their quirky side. Not only did they recreate the Foster and Allen classic ‘Maggie’ in their own style, not only did they make ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’ sound as if it had just been written, but they threw in, for good measure, their self-penned alternative medicine offering of ‘Grandma’s Herbal Cure-all’. Perhaps the herb to which they were referring had something to do with the fact that the CD they had on sale was recorded in Nimbin. A great night, guys, and come back soon!
Friday 25th January 2019 - Sweet Thunder
The Club year blasted into life with our January gig. Despite the other distractions of the Australia Day long weekend, members and visitors gave an enthusiastic and loud welcome to Rick Best’s ‘Sweet Thunder’ big band as they demonstrated why this particular music genre has survived the years. With gems culled from Fats Waller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, the Gershwins and Cole Porter, Rick’s twelve piece gave a master class in how regular weekly rehearsal can make a band as tight as the lid on an unopened jam jar, while in no way diminishing the freshness of its music and the obvious joy of those playing it.
A hard act to follow, but the February gig promises another night to remember, with the Louisiana flavoured mayhem of ‘The Magnificence’.
A hard act to follow, but the February gig promises another night to remember, with the Louisiana flavoured mayhem of ‘The Magnificence’.
Friday 30th November 2018 - The Caxton Street Jazz Band
The last gig of the year drew one of the largest crowds the Club has seen for some time, for the welcome return of old favourites The Caxton Street Jazz Band. There have been a few changes in the line-up since their last visit, but the hard core were still there, and still proving why they’re rated as one of the finest jazz ensembles on either side of the State border. Bernice Haydock on keyboards and vocals, Tom Nicholson in charge of trombone, banjo, vocals and old joke resurrection, John Braben on trumpet and Paul Williams on clarinet and tenor sax. The ‘old guard’ Caxton Street, supplemented in the back line by Dave McCallum on percussion of various forms, and virtuoso double bassist Andrew Shaw demonstrating that the younger generation are more than capable of flying the jazz flag. A great night, and a fitting end to 2018.
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Updated 26th October 2019
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