South Coast Jazz Festival – Goolwa

These are huge months for jazz around Adelaide and SA. The South Coast Jazz Festival at Goolwa – which was packed out last year – promises to be even bigger next weekend (14th-16th Oct 2022) as we welcome interstate bands to the Festival for the first time since borders reopened. There will be plenty to choose from, spread across four stages in beautiful Goolwa.

Pippa Wilson

One not to be missed is Melbourne’s Lady of Jazz, vocalist Pippa Wilson. Her velvety voice is a treasure. She’ll be featured at the Festival at 6pm Friday, 1pm & 7pm Saturday and 4pm Sunday.

If you can’t make it to the Festival, Pippa and her Jazz Notes band will be the feature band at the remarkable Southern Jazz Club on Tuesday 11th Oct.

I say “remarkable” Southern Jazz Club because this club meets every Tuesday at the HWY (corner Anzac Hwy & Marion Rd), and continues to thrive with a big enthusiastic crowd each week. Jazz is best enjoyed live, and the Southern Jazz Club does it so well.

Hot Foot Jazz

I’ll be playing bass with two bands at the South Coast Jazz Festival – Hot Foot Jazz and the Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra. Drummer Dave Sutton and I are celebrating two decades together in the rhythm section of Hot Foot Jazz, so we slip very easily into whatever tune is chosen from our repertoire of hundreds of 20s and 30s gems. You can read about the origins of Hot Foot Jazz here.

Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra

Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra is very different. I’ve actually had to do some solid homework, listening to classic recordings, annotating charts and rehearsing with the band. Yes, full band rehearsals! With other bands that I’m lucky enough to play in, it’s just arrive at the gig, set up and start playing.

The reason for the extra diligence is that Tuxedo is bringing back to life some of the brilliant arrangements by bands such as Chris Barber, Wilbur de Paris, The New Black Eagles and Johnny Barnes. That’s extra motivation for the band and something fresh and interesting for the audience.

Tuxedo will reprise some of the tunes we featured at our special concert in the gorgeous Ukaria Cultural Centre a couple years ago. But to keeps us on our toes our bandleader Ron Flack has added a few new tunes.

Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra coming to the Southern Jazz Club

As well as the South Coast Jazz Festival in Goolwa, Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra will be the feature band at the Southern Jazz Club on November 22nd, where we’ll play a full evening of these special arrangements. Seating at the Club is cabaret style so book yourself a table with friends. Meals start at 6 and show starts at 7:30pm.

So here are my upcoming gigs

South Coast Jazz Festival, Goolwa – Fri 14th – Sun 16th Oct. Book here.

• Hot Foot Jazz: Friday 7pm, Saturday 8pm
• Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra: Saturday 1pm, Sunday 2pm

Hot Foot Jazz – Walkerville RSL – Sunday 30th Oct 12noon lunch, 1pm show

Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra – Southern Jazz Club, The HWY – Tuesday 22nd Nov 6pm meals, 7:30pm show

I’d love to see you there!