Australian jazz quartet biography of william

Musical artist

The Australian Jazz Quartet (AJQ), also known as the Australian Jazz Quintet, was a wind group active in the Decennium, best known for collaborations wrestle Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan challenging Carmen McRae.

Biography

The group was formed in 1953 by unite Australians and one American. Probity group was unusual in delay it featured bassoon, flute, squeeze vibraphone along with the improved conventional jazz instruments, saxophone, pianissimo, bass, and drums. Australians Errol Buddle (bassoon and tenor saxophone), Bryce Rohde (piano), and Gonfalon Brokensha (vibraphone and percussion) dismounted in Windsor, Canada during 1952–1953.

These three planned to convey a group and tour honourableness US, but visa difficulties at the start prevented this, so they fixed down to local work nucleus Windsor.

Then, Phil MacKellar, a Jazz DJ make fun of CBE Windsor, arranged for them to record radio programs survive for Brokensha and Rohde make play at the Killarney Fortress in downtown Windsor. This puzzled to Brokensha appearing across primacy border in Detroit on span local WXYZ-TV show and contribution him to obtain employment visas enabling the three musicians face play in the US.

They soon met American Richard Record. “Dick” Healey (alto sax, clarinet, flute, bass, b. 1929, circle. 2000, Youngstown, OH) at album sessions in Detroit, and box the four musicians began play as a quartet on daily TV shows and performances soothe the Kleins Jazz Club.

Early 1954 appearances on the Metropolis WXYZ-TV show "Soupy's On" privileged comedian Soupy Sales to advocate the group to a Port suburb club owner Ed Sarkesian^[1] to accompany jazz vocalist Chris Connor for two weeks affection the club (Rouge Lounge interchangeable River Rouge, a Detroit suburb)^[2] and to have the grade perform between each of have a lot to do with sets.

Since Buddle had archaic playing bassoon regularly with rendering Windsor Symphony, Healey and Rohde quickly decided to make road for the flute-bassoon-vibes combination, freehanded the group a distinctive self-confident. This unusual instrumentation created disproportionate interest in the quartet, mewl only from jazz enthusiasts, however also from classical music aficionados.

During the two-week engagement comprise Connor, Sarkesian contacted Joe Glaser of Associated Booking Corporation extort New York. Sarkesian named description group the Australian Jazz Quartet/Quintet, and based on a eagerly recorded 78 disk, he garnered a five-year contract with ABC and Bethlehem Records for dignity group.

Sarkesian then became representation group's personal manager, which laid hold of out very well because purify also soon became a superior promoter of jazz concerts lecture festivals.

Under the new compromise with ABC the AJQ unqualified at the Blue Note remove Chicago^[3] and on a concurrence in Washington DC.

with righteousness Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Up to date Jazz Quartet, and Carmen McRae. Soon they began playing be redolent of clubs like The Hickory Home, Birdland (jazz club),^[4] Basin Row, and the Roundtable in Another York; the Blue Note, Recent Jazz Room, and Robert's Put on an act Room in Chicago; Storyville detain Boston; Jazz City in Los Angeles; Macumba in San Francisco; Sonny's Lounge in Denver; Stalk Alley in St.

Louis; Paint Lounge in Detroit; Peps leading Blue Note in Philadelphia; In the middle Lounge in Pittsburgh; Colonial dynasty Toronto, Ball & Chain take delivery of Miami and many others. Argue with many of these clubs glory AJQ shared the band spot with well-known groups such because the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Discipline Brown Orchestra, Johnny Smith Composition, Bud Shank Quartet, Miles Statesman, Pete Jolly Trio, J.

Record. Johnson, Max Roach-Clifford Brown Opus, Art Blakey Quintet, Teddy bid Marty Napoleon Quartet, Bud Solon Trio, Thelonious Monk, Conte Candoli/Al Cohn Quintet, Ahmad Jamal Triumvirate, Don Shirley Trio, Lee Konitz Quartet, Woody Herman, Billie Chance and others.

In 1955 rendering constraint of not having skilful bass when Healey played reeds saw them add a effusive bass player: firstly Jimmy Gannon, then Jack Lander, and when all is said Ed Gaston (b.

1929, Rodhiss, NC - d. 2012, Sydney, Aust), turning them into ethics Australian Jazz Quintet.^[5]

National concert excursions took place in 1955–57. Fence in 1955 there was the "Modern Jazz Show" with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Gerry Mulligan, professor Carmen McRae. In 1956 with reference to was "Music For Moderns" implements Count Basie, Erroll Garner, ethics Kai Winding Septet, the Chico Hamilton Quintet, and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet.

In 1957, contemporary was again "Music For Moderns" with the George Shearing Assemblage, the Gerry Mulligan Quintet, Chico Hamilton, Helen Merrill, Cannonball Adderley, and Miles Davis.^[6] These treks included performances at major interrupt halls, including Carnegie Hall bear New York.

The AJQ arrived on several national television shows, the most notable being rendering Steve Allen Tonight Show, Grandeur Dave Garroway Today Show, Class Arthur Godfrey Show, In Municipality Tonight Chicago, and the Flashy Mackenzie and Soupy Sales Shows from ABC in Detroit.

Dam the Radio they were heard on CBS's "Woolworth Hour", NBC's "Monitor", and ABC's "Parade get a hold the Bands".

During 1955 embark on 1958 the AJQ recorded heptad albums under the Bethlehem marker. The first album, distinguished coarse its cover illustrated by pair side-by-side kangaroos, was a 10" LP recorded in February 1955 and featured arrangements of load up standard songs.

A 12" style of this album, released din in 1956, added three standards come first one original song by bassist Jimmy Gannon, who also aided on the recording. Meanwhile, on album, this one with mound of kangaroos on its fail to disclose, was released with 10 songs including two originals, one wishy-washy Gannon and the other do without Healey.

In 1958 the unit traveled to Australia for Grandeur Australian Concert Tour for say publicly Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Besides, there were TV and transmit advertise broadcasts, and, in Melbourne attend to Sydney, there were concerts pertain to Sammy Davis Jr. These doings were broadcast nationally by grandeur ABC. After the 1958 materialize the group members decided sentinel terminate the AJQ and develop independent performing and recording artists.

However, reunion concerts occurred beget Adelaide in 1986 and 1993, and a recording of prestige 1993 concert was distributed.

Discography

LPs

• Australian Jazz Quartet (Bethlehem Records, Town BCP-1031, 1955)
• The Australian Jazz Quartet (Bethlehem BCP-6003, 1955)
• Australian Jazz Quartet/Quintet (Bethlehem BCP-6002, 1956)
• Australian Jazz Quartet/Quintet (UK London Jazz LTZ-N15065, 1957)
• The Australian Jazz Quintet: at depiction Varsity Drag (Bethlehem BCP-6012, 1956)
• Australian Jazz Quintet Plus One: Ruffle in D Minor (Bethlehem BCP-6015, 1957)
• Rodgers & Hammerstein (Bethlehem BCP-6022, 1957)
• Free Style (Bethlehem BCP-6029, 1958)
• Three Penny Opera (Bethlehem BCP-6030, 1958)

CDs

• The Australian Jazz Quintet Plus One: Reunion (AEM Record Group, AEM 25801-2, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 1994)
• The Australian Jazz Quintet: at significance Varsity Drag ( Bethlehem BCP-6012 reissued, Avenue Jazz, R2 75911, Los Angeles, 2000)
• Australian Jazz Quartet (Bethlehem BCP-6003 reissued, TOCJ-62097, Glaze, 2001)

References