Player Profiles
The Oz Big Band consists of a mix of enthusiastic pro and semi-pro musicians all of whom enjoy entertaining.
Adrian Hicks — Musical Director
Adrian Hicks (Cert.IV; Bmus) has been a Brass Tutor and Band Director for over 6 years. Besides Oz Big Band he is also currently the Musical Director for “The Chameleon Brass Band”, “The OWCA Jazz Band” and a trumpet player with the Latin Funk outfit “Funkalleros”. A graduate of WAAPA majoring in Jazz Arranging, Adrian has spent 6 years playing trumpet with the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO). Compositions of his original works have been featured on an album released by the WAAPA Big Band “Random Musings” (2005) and he was recently a finalist in the 2006 WAMI Songwriters competition. Adrian loves writing for, and playing with jazz big bands and is the main reason he took up trumpet.
Saxophones:
Andrea Foulger — Alto/Clarinet/Flute
Andrea commenced her musical eduation on the clarinet at the age of 10. She progressed to saxophone and later added flute to her repertoire. She has studied at WAAPA and gone on to achieve an A. Mus. (AMEB) on clarinet. Andrea has taught instrumental music for a number of years and also enjoys performing.
Paul Schneider — Alto
Paul began playing at school as a way to get out of PE. When school finished, he stopped playing for about 15 years, but then took it up again in an attempt to placate his growing alcohol dependency, and also so that he didn’t have to always take the rubbish out once he got married. Regrettably he didn’t like music theory so he can’t actually read music yet, and has only rudimentary understanding of rhythm but he turns up on time and doesn’t mind sticking it to the trumpet players, who he knows are failed sax players that can only cope with pushing 3 buttons, thereby leaving their other hand free to…congratulate themselves on the high notes.
Sooner or later Oz big band will realise he is a charlatan and demand he resign, or at the least pick up a much less demanding instrument, like the trumpet, recorder or triangle – but until then he mostly mimes on 2nd Alto.
Jes Grey — Tenor
Jes comes from a musical family; his father ran his own band in the UK during the 30’s. Jes started piano at 5, moved on to guitar and was gigging by 15, covering the Shadow’s, Chuck Berry and other music of the era. Soon after, he discovered saxophone, playing in motown style bands and later progressing from rock and soul to jazz and getting more into improvisation. Eventually he had to get a proper job otherwise his future wife would not marry him, but has continually evolved with differing musical trends, nowadays mainly jazz & big band. At his home it’s the kids telling dad to keep the music down.
Jesse Deane — Tenor
Ken van Lit — Boss Baritone
Ken developed a love of the saxophone at the age of 14 when he, like many people at the time, heard the screaming saxophone solo in Gerry Rafferty’s Bakers Street. Not one to do things in a hurry he decided to take up playing some 16 years later. Ken has since played in numerous bands including jazz big bands, dance, traditional Latin American and concert bands. In addition to playing baritone Ken also plays alto, soprano saxophone and his Fiance`e tenor if she lets him.
Trombones:
Katie Hodson
Nigel Dennis
Nigel learnt piano and trombone from an early age in South Australia, but you would never guess because his sporting and academic interests always seemed to take priority (not that you would guess he was any good at those either!). Nevertheless, he persevered and his musical pinnacle was joining the Oz Big Band in 1995. For his sins he is now in his seventh year as President of the band and is the main contact for all gigs and administrative aspects of the band.
Peter Younghusband
Peter’s big bass trombone tones bellow beautifully beneath the band. He is a world class act in his own right having studying Music at Salford College of Technology in England, the world’s leading college for band musicianship, and touring many corners of the globe playing solos with bands. After a tour to Australia in 1996, he was offered a position with the WA Education Department. He saw the light of how great life is in Oz and has been in WA ever since.
Trumpets:
Jarrad Marshall
Stu Ferguson
Stuart made a bee line for the Oz Big Band 2 years ago, making sure it was his first musical stop after arriving in Perth from Melbourne where he had been active in that city’s thriving music scene for 20 years.
As a youngster he developed his playing to become an accomplished soloist in brass bands and has toured internationally with several of Australia’s top bands to Japan, America and Europe.
Over the last 10 years he has played in many big bands and fronted his own small combos to develop his jazz style to go with his already formidable technique. A lover of all styles of music he had his own unique surf/swing band in Melbourne, toured overseas with a Tex-mex band and sits in with orchestras when time permits.
Alex Torrance
Paddy Fitzallan
Rhythm Section:
Yoko Clinch — Piano
Yoko grew up in Canada and has played piano since she was 4. Initially learning classical piano, she got side tracked by jazz in high school, completing a performance based Jazz Career Preparation Program (playing many hundreds of gigs) with first class honours. While undertaking a science degree in Canada in order to follow her dream of becoming a Veterinarian, she played in a small jazz combo. She had to leave piano for about 10 years while travelling and attending university in Australia, and has recently joined the Oz Big Band to rekindle her jazz spirit!
Greg Patterson — Guitar
Greg Paterson has been playing Guitar with the Oz Big Band for 12 years now. Greg’s rhythmic driving vamp underlies the Big Band Sound. Greg’s background is Rhythm and Blues with a strong influence of the sounds of players such as Clapton, Santana, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Greg’s Jazz influences include Freddie Green and Kenny Burrell.
The next time you are at an Oz Big Band gig keep an ear open for one of Greg’s solos, and enjoy the interplay between Guitar, Piano, Bass and Drums that provide the powerful rhythmic backbeat of the Oz Big Band.
Ian Catchpole — Drums
Jonathon Cumblidge — Bass
Greg Marston - Vocalist
Greg has been singing for most of his life in all sorts of bands. When his hair turned the right shade of grey, he realised Jazz was what he most wanted to sing. People say “when will you stop singing Greg?”. Or maybe they’re really saying “when will you please stop singing Greg?”. But he just keeps on anyway!
Idols, heroes and vocalists he just plain admires include Bobby Darin, Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble and of course, the “voice” - Mr. Francis Albert Sinatra!