Sarabande Jazz performs in Braidwood, St Andrews
Sunday 4 November 2018
Sarabande Jazz Trio will perform a suite of ballads and songs from the American Jazz Song Book and original compositions arranged and written by professional guitarist Paul J Baker at St Andrews Anglican Church on 4 November.
“I was always in work in Sydney over 50 years because I could turn up to a recording session with whatever instruments were required, and sight read anything, but it was no easy job,” Paul said.
“I would often work in recording studios from 10am till five, then one, sometimes two, entertainment venues at night and then get up early to arrange and produce an album for a client in my own studio,” Paul said.
His career as a professional musician started at 18 in The Charades, the first Australian showband to tour overseas to Japan, Okinawa and Taiwan in 1965.
Playing bass and many guitar instruments by age 25, Paul was noted for his versatility in commercial music, working in television, radio, recording studios and entertainment venues and with both Australian and international artists including Peggy Lee, Debbie Reynolds, Al Martino, Eartha Kitt and Olivia Newton-John.
Paul played at the opening of the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1983 with a 90-piece orchestra under the baton of Maestro Tommy Tycho AOM with a star-studded line up of the very best Australian and overseas artists, including John Denver.
Paul went on to work with the ABC Showband from 1972 till 1976 where he played bass and guitar and wrote arrangements. He recorded at all the major studios in Sydney and was a First Call instrumentalists for albums, radio and television commercials. He has played on over 18,000 tracks.
Paul played guitar with the Tommy Tycho Orchestra for 25 years, and was one of the few session guitarists booked to play for Royal Variety shows, major awards and other televised events, such as the Michael Parkinson Show and the popular Naked Vicar Show. He has played on many themes on television programs, such as Home and Away, Rafferty’s Rules, The Restless Years and Country Practice.
In 1974 Paul was invited to play electric bass in Don Burrows’ first electronic band and toured nationally and internationally through to 1981 during
which they recorded some of the best albums the band produced.
At the time he also worked in the bands of Julie Anthony, Don Lane, and Barry Crocker.
In 1986 Paul was awarded “Best Studio Instrumentalist” by the Music Producers Association of NSW. In 1994 his original song Sweet and Hot (from the album of the same name) was nominated by the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) as the most played jazz composition on radio that year.
Sarah Leaver, singing teacher from Moruya who fronts Sarabande, will sing some of the most beautiful songs written. She loves to sing and play keyboard after listening to her mother who performed the rhythms and repertoire that now informs Sarabande’s direction. Sarah studied piano, music theory and voice.
“Last January was the first time I sang in St Andrews. It was the loveliest acoustics I have ever encountered. I felt vocally free to express the sentiment and musicality of a song,” Sarah said.
Sarabande has arranged the St Andrews concert around their versatility, and will perform with its third member, veteran bassist Stafford Ray and introducing Gillian Young on percussion.
WHERE: St Andrews Anglican Church, 47 Elrington Street Braidwood
DATE: Sunday 4 November, 2018
TIME: 2 – 3.30 pm
Afternoon tea included
COST:
Adult $25
Concession $20
Children $5
For further information contact: Sarah Leaver 0431 247 737
Or Paul Baker 0412 727 637
