Band Personnel

Ross Anderson

Bass player and Leader of the band, Ross began playing around 1952 in a quartet based in Echuca in northern Victoria. He joined the RAAF in 1956 and for a period of 12 years continued playing in a variety of groups in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Townsville. Back in Melbourne, in 1968 he fronted a jazz trio that played for 9 years at the Dorset Gardens Hotel in Croydon. Ross joined the famous Storyville Allstars in 1974 and played with them until 1981, when he left to form The New Melbourne Jazz Band. In 1984 he took this band to the USA to perform at the prestigious Sacramento Jazz Festival where they were a resounding success, and since then The New Melbourne Jazz Band has made 14 trips to the USA and Canada to perform at major jazz festivals. In 1997 Ross was appointed musical director of The Marvellous Melbourne Jazz Festival. When not playing music, Ross (a carpenter by trade) uses his wood crafting skills to design and build the Anderson Travel Bass.

Bob Venier

Recognised as one of Australia's leading trumpet players, Bob has been in constant demand as both a studio session musician and a jazz soloist for the last three decades. He started his career in Ballarat playing dixieland, mainstream and big band music with local bands, before moving to Melbourne where he played with Smacka Fitzgibbon at "Smacka's" for 3 years. Bob joined The Garry Hyde Tradition quartet in 1967 (playing brass and percussion as well as singing) and for 6 years played with them in Australia, England, Europe and Asia and on cruise ships sailing between New York and Bermuda. In the early 70's, Bob joined the ABC Orchestra where he played percussion for 2 years before moving to the brass section for a further 10 years. In 1978 he joined the modern jazz quartet Pyramid and performed at the Montreaux and North Seas Festivals. As first trumpet he toured Australia and the USA with the Bi-Centennial Australia Jazz Orchestra in 1988, and also featured as flugelhorn soloist with Don Burrows and James Morrison. During the 80's and 90's, Bob was a regular musician on leading TV shows including The Don Lane Show, The Bert Newton Show, Young Talent Time and The Steve Vizard Show. He has also been the featured soloist on albums by various artists, most notably The Little River Band track, Reminiscing.

Mike Edwards

A multi-instrumentalist, Mike started playing trumpet when he was 14. He played and recorded with The Red Onion Jazz Band before moving to Sydney where he played with The Olympia Jazz Band, filling in for Geoff Bull while he was overseas. Returning to Melbourne he took up saxophone and during the 60's played on the pop scene with such well-known groups as The Ram Jam Big Band, The Pink Finks, Jeff St. John's Yama, and The Party Machine. Influenced by the country/rock music of the early 70's, Mike took up guitar and played and recorded with Quinn, Sundown and The Cherokees. In 1971 he made a major tour of Vietnam, singing and playing guitar as part of the show-band Phoenix. Returning to the jazz scene in 1973, Mike played guitar and banjo with Frank Traynor's Jazz Preachers. After a brief period in the folk scene where he played mandolin and tin whistle, Mike played guitar in reception bands until the mid 80's when he again returned to the jazz scene. In 1991 Mike joined Radio Days playing clarinet, saxophones, flute and guitar. In 1994 he joined Steve Waddell's Creole Bells and for 8 years performed with them at venues and festivals around Australia. During this period the band also made 4 trips to the USA to perform at jazz festivals on the west coast.

 

Doug Holberry

Doug studied brass and piano as a young teenager and first played jazz trombone at high school. As a young man he joined The Royal Australian Navy Reserve Band where he rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, Bandmaster while furthering his musical studies to include arranging. During this time he also played piano in small dance groups at R.S.L’s, Lodges and private functions.After retiring from the Navy Reserve, Doug decided to concentrate on playing jazz trombone.He reformed the High Society Jazz Band (which had been active in the 1970’s) and played trombone or tuba with many other bands, including the
Riviera Jazz Band, Maurie’s Jolly Rollers, The Balled Eagle Jazz Band, The Red Hot Jigglers and The Total Fire Band. Doug, with his trombone, is a familiar sight at major jazz festivals throughout Australia.

 

Charley Farley

Banjo playing Charley was born in England and migrated to Australia when he was 13 years of age. Taking up banjo at 17, he started his musical career in the folk scene in 1966 with the Witney Green Singers. Charley then switched to jazz and in 1970 joined the legendary New Harlem Jazz Band which appeared in the movie Squizzy Taylor, and also played on the sound track. In the mid 70's he played with well-known bands LaVida, The Nick Polites Jazz Band and Poppa Cass Dixielanders. In 1978 he was one of the original members of the Creole Bells and played with them for 18 months until joining The Cotton Club and The Cairo Club Orchestras. In the early 80's Charley rejoined the New Harlem Jazz Band which later transformed itself into the popular jazz orchestra Radio Days. He stayed with them until 1992 when he joined The Maple Leaf Jazz Band. Charley joined the New Melbourne Jazz Band in 1997 playing banjo and guitar and singing in his unique vocal style. An authority on the banjo, Charlie plays a selection of classic instruments, including a Majestic from 1927, which is one of only 3 in the world.

 

Richard Opat

Richard has been a drummer for almost 40 years and in that time has played in some of Melbourne's best known jazz bands. Starting at 16 in the rock and blues field, he played with the likes of Dutch Tilders and Tinsley Waterhouse. In 1968 he was a founding member of legendary New Harlem Jazz Band which, for twenty years, was one of Melbourne's most successful bands, making numerous recordings, television and concert appearances, as well as featuring in the classic Australian movie "Squizzie Taylor". The band also performed with Spike Milligan during one of his Australian tours. When New Harlem disbanded in 1988, Richard and other members of the band formed the very popular Radio Days, which specialized in playing nostalgic jazz of the twenties and thirties. In 1997 he toured Europe and Britain with Herb Jennings' Golden City Jazz Band and upon his return to Australia was invited to join The Creole Bells, with whom he has recorded 3 CD's, played at jazz venues and festivals around Australia as well as making 3 trips to the USA to perform at major jazz events in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.