Friday 28th May 2021 - Greg Lyon and the Hip Operation
What a night to remember, with five musos at the top of their game pumping it out for the benefit of a spellbound audience. The ‘Greg Lyons Hip Operation’, led by the man himself on bass and vocals, with Scott Hill on drums, Martha Baartz on sax, Brendan St Ledger on piano and Laura Nobel as featured vocalist, played their hearts out once they realised how appreciative their audience was.
Their first set consisted of the tracks from the CD that they had on sale, which showcased the unique and captivating vocals of Laura Nobel, with their uncanny reminder of Billie Holiday. Then a completely different second set, heavily blues influenced, that opened with the reminder that Greg once played bass behind Georgie Fame, reinforced by a blasting version of one of his greatest hits, ‘I say yeah, yeah’. Also featured later in the set was the Ray Charles classic ‘Hard Times’ – hardly an apt description of what they served up to their enraptured audience.
Their first set consisted of the tracks from the CD that they had on sale, which showcased the unique and captivating vocals of Laura Nobel, with their uncanny reminder of Billie Holiday. Then a completely different second set, heavily blues influenced, that opened with the reminder that Greg once played bass behind Georgie Fame, reinforced by a blasting version of one of his greatest hits, ‘I say yeah, yeah’. Also featured later in the set was the Ray Charles classic ‘Hard Times’ – hardly an apt description of what they served up to their enraptured audience.
Friday 30th April 2021 - The Mojo Webb Band
Despite a freaky rainstorm just ahead of the gig that kept the attendance numbers down, there was no shortage of wild appreciation when we welcomed back Mojo Webb and his crew for our April gig. One pounding twelve bar after another proved the man’s mastery of the genre, and threatened to take the roof off, both in volume and in enthusiasm. This was not a gig for the faint-hearted, or those with sensitive hearing.
Just two examples will suffice to illustrate what a special night this was. First of all, the almost brazen versatility of Mojo’s two sidesmen, J B Lewis on bass, and Coojee Timms on drums, both of whom demonstrated their talents on guitar, Coojee even throwing in a vocal while Mojo was playing keyboards with one hand and blasting out a ‘harp’ melody with the other. Secondly, the spontaneous standing ovation that ended the night after yet another encore.
Even if we have to endure another cloudburst in advance, we’ll be welcoming them back in the not too distant future.
Just two examples will suffice to illustrate what a special night this was. First of all, the almost brazen versatility of Mojo’s two sidesmen, J B Lewis on bass, and Coojee Timms on drums, both of whom demonstrated their talents on guitar, Coojee even throwing in a vocal while Mojo was playing keyboards with one hand and blasting out a ‘harp’ melody with the other. Secondly, the spontaneous standing ovation that ended the night after yet another encore.
Even if we have to endure another cloudburst in advance, we’ll be welcoming them back in the not too distant future.
Friday 26th March 2021 - Sweet Thunder
What do you get when you take 4 saxes, combine them with 4 trumpets and 2 trombones, then add drums, bass and keyboard? You get ‘Sweet Thunder’ at our March gig, that’s what, and one of the best night’s music we’ve ever enjoyed!
Under the skilful baton of bandleader Rick Best we were treated to note-perfect arrangements from the Basie and Ellington repertoire, plus sensitive vocals for softer offerings such as ‘Pennies from Heaven’ and ‘Me and Mrs Jones’. The band held us spellbound for two and a half hours, and – always a good sign – there were almost as many members and visitors soaking up the final number as there had been at the start of the evening.
A thoroughly memorable night from a 13 piece outfit at the top of their game.
Under the skilful baton of bandleader Rick Best we were treated to note-perfect arrangements from the Basie and Ellington repertoire, plus sensitive vocals for softer offerings such as ‘Pennies from Heaven’ and ‘Me and Mrs Jones’. The band held us spellbound for two and a half hours, and – always a good sign – there were almost as many members and visitors soaking up the final number as there had been at the start of the evening.
A thoroughly memorable night from a 13 piece outfit at the top of their game.
Friday 26th February 2021 - Goodman Swings Again
Nostalgia was the order of the day at our February gig, when a near capacity crowd wallowed in the memories generated by ‘Goodman Swings Again’, a talented group of five musos who faithfully revived numbers that were dominating the dance halls before they were even born.
Typical were such evergreens as ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, ‘I wanna be happy’ and ‘Dinah’, but for this listener the most memorable was the haunting version of ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ by gifted reeds player Trevor Rippingdale.
It’s great to have put the austerity of COVID behind us, and although we still have to impose limits on the numbers admitted, the ones who were able to attend this second gig of the year certainly got their money’s worth.
Typical were such evergreens as ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, ‘I wanna be happy’ and ‘Dinah’, but for this listener the most memorable was the haunting version of ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ by gifted reeds player Trevor Rippingdale.
It’s great to have put the austerity of COVID behind us, and although we still have to impose limits on the numbers admitted, the ones who were able to attend this second gig of the year certainly got their money’s worth.
Friday 29th January 2021 - The Trombone Kellie Gang
If anyone needed proof of how much live music was missed during the darker days of COVID restrictions, they needed only to turn up to the Condong Bowlo on Friday 29th, when the Club enjoyed its biggest turnout for several years. It may have been to do with the fact that the main band was the ever-popular Trombone Kellie Gang, but for the first time in a long time we had to turn people away.
If you managed to secure a seat, it was well worth a nine month wait in order to be reminded of what we’ve been missing. Superb blues inspired vocals, hot guitar licks, sassy horn sounds and an impeccable backline ensured a night to remember, and got the Club off to a flying start after such a lengthy delay.
Also glad to be out of mothballs were the resident early band, The Early Birds, and you’d never have guessed that recent band practices had been in front of a mirror at home, or via video link. These boys know their business, and from the very first note it was good to be back!
If you managed to secure a seat, it was well worth a nine month wait in order to be reminded of what we’ve been missing. Superb blues inspired vocals, hot guitar licks, sassy horn sounds and an impeccable backline ensured a night to remember, and got the Club off to a flying start after such a lengthy delay.
Also glad to be out of mothballs were the resident early band, The Early Birds, and you’d never have guessed that recent band practices had been in front of a mirror at home, or via video link. These boys know their business, and from the very first note it was good to be back!
Friday 28th February 2020 - The James Street Preachers
If you like your blues raw and ‘down home’, then you either had the time of your life at our February gig, or you missed out big time. Jamie Kasdaglis and Matt Lye – aka ‘The James Street Preachers’ - served up a hailstorm of Delta delights that was so authentic that you could almost smell the bourbon.
They plundered the repertoires of just about every legendary forefather you could think of, plus a few whose names were more obscure, but they also took the time to render stuff that was more familiar to our younger (by about a hundred years) ears, such as ‘Tobacco Road’ and ‘Got my Mojo Workin’’. Altogether an amazing night that reminded us that being a poor street corner muso in the old days was almost guaranteed to bring you fame if you were prepared to wait for a century or so.
They plundered the repertoires of just about every legendary forefather you could think of, plus a few whose names were more obscure, but they also took the time to render stuff that was more familiar to our younger (by about a hundred years) ears, such as ‘Tobacco Road’ and ‘Got my Mojo Workin’’. Altogether an amazing night that reminded us that being a poor street corner muso in the old days was almost guaranteed to bring you fame if you were prepared to wait for a century or so.
Friday 31st January 2020 - Bags Of Groove
There were “good vibrations” all round for our first gig of the year, when ‘Bags of Groove’ brought their unique sound to Condong for an evening cherry picking through the repertoire of Milt ‘Bags’ Jackson, and reliving memories of the Modern Jazz Quartet with which he’ll always be associated.
The band was ably led by Dave Kemp on vibraphone, an instrument that dominated the evening both musically and physically, taking up half the stage, and looking like a hybrid cross between a barbecue and a Space Age knitting machine. It took two men to haul it on stage, but only one virtuoso to play it, expertly backed by Glen Shepherd on piano, Val Jones on bass, Peter Neville on drums, and Catharina Kemp on saxophones, clarinet and baritone clarinet.
In addition we had an intermittent master class by Dave Kemp on how the vibraphone came to be employed in jazz, and how its fuller resonance is achieved by means of a motor attached to it with the aid of a screwdriver. Modern technology met old melodies for an entrancing opening to what promises to be a great year ahead.
The band was ably led by Dave Kemp on vibraphone, an instrument that dominated the evening both musically and physically, taking up half the stage, and looking like a hybrid cross between a barbecue and a Space Age knitting machine. It took two men to haul it on stage, but only one virtuoso to play it, expertly backed by Glen Shepherd on piano, Val Jones on bass, Peter Neville on drums, and Catharina Kemp on saxophones, clarinet and baritone clarinet.
In addition we had an intermittent master class by Dave Kemp on how the vibraphone came to be employed in jazz, and how its fuller resonance is achieved by means of a motor attached to it with the aid of a screwdriver. Modern technology met old melodies for an entrancing opening to what promises to be a great year ahead.
Friday 29th November 2019 - The Session Band
A real Xmas treat to end the Club’s gig year, with the welcome return of ‘The Session Band’, led by Peter Uppman, and expanded to a seven piece line-up that played their hearts out. We almost forgave Peter his jokes in return for his skilful trumpeting and immaculate vocals, aided and abetted by the vivacious Cherryn Lomas, one-third of the Andrews Sisters Tribute line-up that Peter and his accomplices have been backing during a successful season in South-East Queensland.
His other partners in crime were the evergreen Jo Bloomfield on keys, Eddie Bray on reeds, Russell Bayne on guitar, John Conley on bass and Pat Robbins on drums. There wasn’t a music format that this talented outfit didn’t tackle, rounding off a great night of live music with their version of ‘Silent Night’ that was anything but silent.
Already looking forward to 2020. Here’s hoping for a happy and prosperous Xmas and a safe New Year.
His other partners in crime were the evergreen Jo Bloomfield on keys, Eddie Bray on reeds, Russell Bayne on guitar, John Conley on bass and Pat Robbins on drums. There wasn’t a music format that this talented outfit didn’t tackle, rounding off a great night of live music with their version of ‘Silent Night’ that was anything but silent.
Already looking forward to 2020. Here’s hoping for a happy and prosperous Xmas and a safe New Year.
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.
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