JAZZ.!!.Banjo...!!!- The Sydney Banjo band got together for a rehearsal Wed.18th January 2012 with a good line-up of players and audience ... a great evening of toe tappin' music....

Another great rehearsal for the Sydney Banjo Band the other Wednesday ( 18th January) with a solid group of 13 banjos, an acoustic guitar, supported for timing and rhythm by John Bates on Tuba ( with an occasional vocal) and Jim Morrell on snare drum.
The audience number swelled to around 30 which for a fledging group was a great fillip for the players.
If you happen on this site and can get to Club Ashfield...5 Charlotte Street, Ashfield, Sydney some 20 metres on the north side of the Ashfield Railway Station ( see a map at the end of this post) come along from around 6pm when we gather, some for a quick meal and start playing 6.45pm through to a little after 9pm. In the upstairs bistro/function area.
Talking of happening onto our site...an email late in the day from a Canadian couple, Patrick and Laura Longhurst who were in Sydney visiting relatives has made contact for a further visit to the Club when they are next in Sydney..
Look forward to meeting them. They are from the Toronto Banjo Club, in Toronto, Canada. 
The next rehearsal for the band is...
Wednesday 22nd February at Club Ashfield.
..... with a planned visit to the South Steyne former Manly Ferry, moored at Darling Harbour with some playing on the wharf beside for an hour or so on Tuesday 6th March...
So lets have a photographic stroll through the night......

A panorama of our group from several photos "stitched" together...the banjo on the seat is mine....
I was pleased that the three lads, Shardyn, Makarim and Tayzin made the night...they left the next day for the Tamworth Music festival, where they are making a name for themselves.
Tayzin who has a banjo has been learning trombone from our tuba player, John Bates and brought a double bass for the evening. Their mother Alita also played banjo with us..

One of the melody lead players on the night was Ted Gerome on an annual visitto Sydney from his home in Ligonier, Pennsylvania in the US. 
Ted is a member of the Pittsburgh banjo club where their leader and editor of the US banjo magazine, "The Resonator", Frank Rossi is a great supporter of our Club.
The photo below shows myself, DQ, Ted Gerome and Frank Rossi at a PBC concert at Bethyl Park in Pittsburgh, August 2008.

Ted with John Wilson during the rehearsal...

The other main leads were Paul Baker and Cliff Parsons...

Paul shown with a student of his, David English to his left, John Bates on Tuba and Stefan Simmonds and Ed Condran.

Cliff Parsons on lead with Ed Condran and John Packham....

A panorama of some of the audience....
One of the audience, regrettably I didn't catch his name, obviously a professional cartoonist, did a sketch of the night on a table napkin and gave it to me. I scanned it when I got home...

Hugo Pfandler brought along several harmonicas with his banjo and provided some additional lead and took a chorus with Ted on "Georgia on my Mind"

Well known Sydney guitarist who plays with "Gadjo Guitars" and the "Singers Workshop", Cameron Jones was on acoustic guitar...Gary McFetridge, beside him & to the right, played lead on several numbers, including "Washington Square", the Village Stompers version...

Where to find club Ashfield....??