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Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Dance Band was
formed in 2003 by Greg Poppleton. We perform and
promote 1920s Hot Jazz, 1930s small group Swing and the
original crooning style of the era as exemplified by Bing
Crosby, Annette Hanshaw, Russ Colombo
& Al Bowlly. Based in Sydney, all band members
are long-time professional Jazz & Swing musicians who
have toured the US and around the World. To ensure
your occasion is a great success, Greg will put together
for you the best combination of musicians from the
available band pool of outstanding hot jazz and swing musicians.
Here are some biographies of our band members:
Authentic 1920s & 30s Vocals
Greg Poppleton is the authentic 1920s & 30s
style singer. His passion for Jazz & Swing from the
1920s & 30s began at the age of 3 in Sydney when he
saw Louis Arnstrong on a telescription. He is Australia's
longest-running Swing Jazz radio presenter. His Phantom
Dancer radio show on 2SER FM has been on air since 1985
and won Best Music Show 2007 in the national CBAA
Radio Awards. He was asked to put his first 1920s &
30s orchestra together in 1994 for the annual Pyrmont/Ultimo
Festival in Sydney. He then formed a trio playing clubs,
cafes, the art deco Grace Hotel in Sydney and even a vintage
Sydney bus for the Festival of Sydney. In 2003, Greg
created the Bakelite Dance Band and is often asked to play
at historic and deco events such as the 75th Anniversary
of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the
60th Anniversary Party for Film Australia. Greg and
his Bakelite Dance Band opened the 2007 International
Sunset Jazz series at SKYCITY Casino, Darwin. Greg has
also appeared on TV and in the movies Moulin Rouge,
Dirty Deeds, Fat Pizza, Footy Legends
and Hunt Angels (set in 1930s Sydney)
The Trumpet Pool
Bob Barnard is one of the most highly regarded
jazz musicians ever to come from Australia. Barnard
grew up in a musical family in Melbourne and started on
cornet with a local brass band when he was twelve. His first
professional job was with his mother's band at fourteen.
Introduced to jazz by his father, Bob was a founding member
of brother Len's South City Stompers in 1948. He moved to
Sydney permanently in June 1962, as a member of the Graeme
Bell All Stars, and remained with them until mid-1967.
Bob formed his own jazz band in 1974, touring throughout
Australia, Asia, Europe, and the US. The band held long
residencies at some of Sydney's popular hotels, particularly
the Orient in the Rocks area. Bob is a regularly featured
guest at festivals and concerts in the US, Britain, and
Europe, and has recorded with top American, European, and
English jazzmen
Al Davey has been called one of Australia's best
jazz trumpet exponents. His trumpet playing is described
by Jazz Critic John Shand as "being plump of
sound and sharp of line." He also doubles at events
on trombone for Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite
Damce Band. From Melbourne, Al began playing in a brass
band at 8 and in his late teens joined the 3rd Military
District Band. He moved to Sydney were he was accepted into
the jazz course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
and was tutored by many greats, including Don Burrows,
James Morrison, Judy Bailey, Roger Frampton
and Mike Nock. Since completing the course he has
been a very successful freelance musician on the Sydney
scene, playing in many jazz groups and backing many big
names in the cabaret scene. Al was the 'Festival Ambassador'
at the Clarence by the Water Jazz Festival in Hobart
in 2007 and a featured solo artist at the 2008 Thredbo
Jazz Festival.
Bob Henderson began playing trumpet at the age of
9 with the Glen Innes Municipal Band. He has since gone
on to play in dance halls, clubs, cabaret, jazz concerts
and festivals, recording, theatre, television and touring
shows. He played trumpet in one of the last bands led by
legendary 1930s Australian Swing Band leader Frank Coughlan.
(Frank Coughlan had recorded in the UK with Jack Hylton's
Band, Fred Elizalde, Arthur Rosebery and the
New Mayfair Orchestra before returning to Australia
to lead the Trocadero Dance Band in Sydney for 35
years). He's played with the Glenn Miller Tribute Orchestra
which included Peanuts Hucko and Art Depew;
performed with Buddy Tate, Dan Barrett, John
Hoffman, Bob Coassin, Dick Montz; and
jammed with Bobby Shew, Peter Eckland, Tom
Pletcher and Leroy Jones. Bob played with the
Daly-Wilson Big Band and has toured with Graeme Bell's
All-Stars in Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Germany,
China, Hong Kong, the Phillipines, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Japan
Alto & Tenor Saxophone and Clarinet
Paul Furniss is considered one of Australia's all-time
great jazz musicians. He plays alto and tenor saxophones
and clarinet with Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Dance
Band. He also plays flute and soprano saxophone. Paul studied
music under Victor McMahon, teacher to internationally
renowned Australian jazz & swing musician Don Burrows
(who has played at the Montreaux & Newport
Jazz Festivals and with Frank Sinatra, Dizzy
Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson,
James Morrison, Tony Bennett, Stéphane
Grappelli, and Cleo Laine.) In turn, Paul studied
with Don Burrows himself. Paul played in the US in 1975
and 2008 for the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. He also
played in New York for the Sidney Bechet Society
and in San Antonio & San Francisco. Paul has also toured
the UK, France, Germany, Japan & New Zealand
The Piano Pool
Ray Alldridge is described as an Australian piano
great. Originally from Brisbane, he has played in, and recorded
for, numerous iconic jazz bands including Galapagos Duck,
was musical director for the TCN Channel Nine Sydney
Midday Show, and is also arranger and musical director
and band leader for Grace Knight & Rhonda
Burchmore. He tours Australia constantly
Peter Locke started playing piano at 10 in his hometown
of Port Macquarie and turned professional at 21. He is self-taught
and is Sydney's most in-demand classic Swing & Jazz pianist.
Peter also plays in the band led by internationally renowned
Australian trumpeter Bob Barnard (who also plays trumpet
in Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Dance Band). Peter has
toured the US twice, playing at the Bix Beidebecke Jazz
Festival in Davenport Iowa and in many mid-west towns
as well as Chicago and San Francisco
The band also calls on the services of veteran Australian
jazz & swing pianists Tony Esterman, David Levy
and Frank Watts
Guitar
Grahame Conlon was born and raised in Newcastle.
After a very short time playing in a pop band he was talent
spotted at age 20 to tour with Normie Rowe in 1968.
After basing himself in Sydney to tour with pop groups, he
moved to Adelaide and soon was in big demand for studio work,
television (including the Ernie Sigley Show) and theatre.
He also developed into a high regarded jazz guitarist. This
led to an invitation to Sydney in 1980 to join the legendary
Ricky May band. Grahame then went on to play in the
bands of multi-award winning entertainment greats, Billy
Field and James Morrison. He has played with international
jazz stars, Scott Hamilton, Eugene Wright from
the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and Don Lamond of
Woody Herman's "Herd". He has also backed USA divas,
Barbara Morrison, Ernestine Anderson and
Terry Lamond. Grahame has played at nearly every jazz
festival in Australia and toured overseas with Australian
jazz groups. He is now a highly respected and in-demand freelance
jazz guitarist
The Double Bass Pool
Dieter Vogt has played double bass all over the
world. Dieter was born in Basel, Switzerland, and began
his musical career at the age of 12 playing the trumpet.
At 17 he took up the double bass and played with the Oscar
Klein Quartet. (Oscar Klein played with Lionel Hampton
& Joe Zawinul.) He migrated to Sydney and became
a foundation member of the Daly-Wilson Big Band.
Dieter went to the USA, playing for a year with the Allan
Pennay Trio. On his return he joined Winnifred Attwell
for eight months touring Australia. Dieter toured China
and South East Asia with the Nolan-Buddle Quartet.
He also toured with Ricky May and Georgie Fame,
and again toured Australia with British jazz stars, Humphrey
Lyttleton and Alex Welsh in their Salute to
Satchmo. Dieter toured with Graeme Bell's All-Stars
around Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Germany, China,
Hong Kong, the Phillipines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia,
Brunei, Indonesia and Japan
Darcy Wright at one time was named by Rolling
Stone Magazine as one of the world’s top 10
Bass Players. He is famous as the first person to build
and play an electric bass in Australia. His bass was copied
with his permission and went into immediate commercial production.
Darcy was a permanent member of many TV Orchestras including
Tommy Tycho's Channel 7 Orchestra, Geoff Harvey's
Channel 9 Orchestra, the Mike Walsh Show Orchestra,
the ABC Radio Showband and Eric Jupp's ABC TV
Showband. Darcy has played for world class artists Tony
Bennett, Vic Damone, Jack Jones, Mel
Torme, John Hendricks, Wayne Newton, O
C Smith, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington,
Sarah Vaughan, Diahann Carroll, Dusty Springfield,
Billy Eckstine, Billy Daniels, Cab Calloway
and many more. Darcy also toured with Jose Feliciano,
Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. He's played
with international jazz artists Scott Hamilton, Warren
Vache, Red Holloway, John Surman, Laurindo
Almeida, Carl Fontana and Australian jazz stars
James Morrison, Don Burrows, George Golla,
Dale Barlow, John Nicol, Bob Barnard,
Ricky May and Julian Lee. Stage shows include
Singin' in the Rain, Mame, Chicago and
numerous others. Darcy was a lecturer/teacher at the Conservatorium
University of Adelaide and Edith Cowan University,
Perth
The band also calls on the services of veteran Australian
jazz & swing double bassists Stan Valacos, Dave
Ellis and Tony Buckley
The Drums Pool
Joel Davis has been drumming since the age of 8,
first playing in his father's Tamworth band, The John
Davis 4. He has led his own jazz quartet in Australia
and Dubai and is also an important drummer in the
Western Swing scene. Joel has studied jazz drums casually
with Joe Morello in New York, Johnny Vidacovich
in New Orleans and Laurie Bennett in Sydney. He has
specifically studied 1920s drumming techniques with Lawrie
Thompson
Lawrie Thompson was born in Melbourne of a musical
family and studied piano before taking up drums. In 1963
Graeme Bell invited him to join his Sydney 'All Star'
band. Returning some years later from England, Lawrie backed
local and overseas artists in Bill Burton's Orchestra
and then freelanced, working in bands lead by Judy Bailey,
Ricky May, John Nicole and touring with Billy
Eckstine. After a short stint with Galapagos Duck,
he joined the Don Burrows Quartet touring Japan and
Asia and recording the award winning album 'Don Burrows
live at the Sydney Opera House'. The following two decades
Lawrie toured Europe, Asia and the USA twice with the famous
Bob Barnard Jazz Band, and worked on daytime television
in the Channel 9 Orchestra for 11 years. Lawrie backed
the great Larry Adler on his last Australian tour
Laurie Bennett comes from a musical Sydney family.
He has played in the bands of Don Burrows, Johnny
Nicol and Judy Bailey to name a few. He was a
long time member of Geoff Harvey's TCN Channel 9 Midday
Show Band. Laurie has played on many tours throughout
Asia, New Zealand, Great Britain & Europe and has performed
throughout Australia. He has backed many international Jazz
artists including Richie Cole, The Toshiko Akyoshi
Orchestra, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis,
Buddy Tate, Eddie 'Lockjaw Davis, Joe Newman
and has played for many local and international cabaret
performers including Buddy Greco, Harry Secombe and
Liza Minnelli
The band also calls on the services of veteran Australian
jazz & swing drummers Andrew Dickeson (Principal
Lecturer of Jazz Drums at the University of Sydney Conservatorium
of Music, at the same time being one of the country's
most sought after jazz drummers) and Ron Lemke
Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Dance Band's song
list covers Hot Jazz and Swing from the 1920s & 30s.
You'll hear songs from the pens of such classic composers
as George & Ira Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael,
Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers &
Hart, Dorothy Fields & Jimmy McHugh, Harold
Arlen, Jerome Kern, Harry Warren, Walter
Donaldson, James P Johnson and many others who
contributed to the popular jazz and swing music of the 1920s
& 30s
Greg Poppleton has recorded one CD and one EP
* "The Phantom Dancer: 14 Swing Songs of 1926
- 1939 in Radio Review" (2006) - CD
14 songs with Greg Poppleton (voc) Bob Henderson
(tp) Paul Furniss (as, ts, cl) Peter Locke
(p) Matt Baker (p) Dieter Vogt (b) Joel
Davis (d)
Tracks: If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight),
Do Do Do, My Blue Heaven, Love Me or Leave
Me, Star Dust, On The Sunny Side of the Street,
Would You Like to Take a Walk?, Night & Day,
It's Only A Paper Moon, Anything Goes, East
of the Sun, Bel Mir Bist Du Schoen, Two Sleepy
People, South of the Border
* "Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Broadcasters"
(2002) - EP-CD
4 songs with Greg Poppleton (voc), Don Hopkins
(p) and Joel Davis (1920s drums & temple blocks)
Tracks: Ain't Misbehavin', Guilty, Just
One More Chance and When the Red, Red Robin Comes
Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along
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