The four string banjo in Sydney, NSW...Jazz banjo.....The Sydney banjo band rehearsing at Club Ashfield in Sydney...details of the last two rehearsals...27th March 2013 and 17th April 2013...and future dates.

Ted Gerome, our yearly US visitor from the Pittsburgh Banjo Club was at the March Sydney Banjo Band rehearsal...Wed. 27th March and then flew back to the USA for summer in Pennsylvania and regular rehearsals with the PBC... 
perhaps we'll see him again later in the year if he visits Sydney again....

The rehearsal was really well attended with 13 banjos, 2 ukeleles and two acoustic guitars...John Wilson as well as banjo had his trumpet for some leads, Jim Morrell again on snare drum with John Bates on tuba  kept the rhythm and timing under control...

Melody lead was shared with Ted, Cliff, Bill, Gary, John Bates and myself....

Cliff, John and Ted....

The rehearsal on the Wed. 17th was a much quieter affair with Bill Maclean taking the major melody lead, with Gary McFetridge and myself assisting and David English bringing some tunes in.... Barry Graham and John Bates sang in some tunes and John Bates covered the melody on tuba on some others....

 Hugo and Bill......

Michael...

New visitor, Steve....

Ed.....

Hugo, Bill, Gordon and Steve....

Colin and Gary....

Barry sings "Fine and Dandy".....

Future Rehearsals......
29th May ( changed from 22nd May)
26th June
31st July
28th August
2nd October.....note none in September as DQ is o'seas,back Wed.25th Sept. 
All at Club Ashfield.....
In the first Floor bistro/function area, we get there around 6pm for some socialising, a drink or a light meal, with the rehearsal starting at 6.45pm through to 9pm....
All welcome...free admission... 
Beginners through to advanced players....
We provided the chords for the music played on the night...

Banjos in Sydney-Sydney Banjo Band....next rehearsal....Wed.20th July 2011

The next rehearsal for the Sydney Banjo Band is on Wed. 20th July 2011 at Club Ashfield in the first floor bistro area.

Many of us meet for a meal there at 6pm with the rehearsal starting at 6.45pm and running through to 9pm.
We'll have chord charts for all to accompany and this rehearsal will be led by Paul Baker and Cliff Parsons on Vega plectrum banjos playing chord melody.....
John Bates will provide tuba accompaniment and sing the occasional song.
Jim Morrell will be on snare drum and high hat cymbal.
Plenty of opportunity for those just interested to come along for an evening of toe-tapping music from the 1920's onwards....you can sing with us if you know the tunes or...there's no excuse, sing anyhow as I'll have song sheets...
Left click on images to enlarge....

Paul Baker, playing a Vegavox Ultra, one of the last made, on the Sydney Jazz Club's Australia Day Harbour cruise, 26th January 2010....Paul leads on the 20th..
Care to hear "PB" play....?
The following is during a Sydney Jazz Club monthly picnic at Berry Island...
Trev Rippingale's "Jazz Rippers" had the gig...Dennis Quinlan "sitting-in" on a Vegavox 4 plectrum banjo....
The tune.... "I'm nobody's sweetheart now"...
Click on the URL...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Z9DL1elMw

Cliff Parsons accompanies Paul Baker as melody lead on the 20th....pictured during one of his weekly gigs at the Fortune of War Hotel, lower George Street, Sydney...Sundays 3pm-6pm...the band is The RobbersDogs Jazz Band.

Where to find Club Ashfield....as you can see it's on the immediate northern side of Ashfield Railway station...trains run frequently....

John Bates, more well known for his trombone playing, plays tuba on the night and is pictured at a SJC Berry Island Jazz picnic.

Jim Morrell plays snare drum and high-hat cymbal for us on the night...he is pictured on the last night he regularly played with the Bridge City Jazz Band...he retired into casual drumming after that.

When he's available, Bill Dudley plays some muted trumpet melody for us and hopefully will be along on the night....

Three plectrum banjos in action, two Vegavoxs and a Doole....Peter Allen, Dennis Quinlan and Paul Baker..Kevin Goodey to the far left on clarinet...Kevin's gig at the SJC Berry Island picnic.

During a rehearsal on 12th January 2011...


Club Ashfield has become a well known traditional Jazz venue..with the resident band every Friday evening the Bridge City Jazz Band and the Sydney Jazz Club featuring special concerts on the last Wednesday of various months...