The Australian Bassist

I'll refrain from including the very talented Tal Wilkenfeld in any detail because, although she's Australian and a bass player, she's not an Australian bass player in the true sense. Whereas we have Australian bassists born overseas, such as Jackie Orszarczky and Phillip Scorgie who have contributed significantly to the Australian music industry, Tal is in her early 20s and left Australia at 16. She has developed her bass playing skills in the USA where she continues to live and perform, only returning to Australia to tour with US acts. Besides, there's already a Squidoo lens wholly devoted to her.

BIOGRAPHIES
Evans, Mark
Haywood, Nick
Hunter, Steve
McGuire, Duncan
Orszarzcky, Jackie
Scorgie, Phillip
Scott, Craig
Swanton, Lloyd
Wright, Darcy

Roy Vogt is a professional electric and upright bass player who took up the instrument at age 14, inspired by Jack Bruce, Jack Casady, Chris Hillman and Noel Redding. Roy has worked with a host of major label Rock, Country, and Pop acts in the US and has taught at Belmont University since 1983.

I thoroughly recommend Roy's fantastic bass course, "Teach Me Bass Guitar", to all bassist from beginner players through to advanced. It is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive and enjoyable bass instruction course I have come across.

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Jackie Orszaczky was born in 1948 in Budapest, Hungary. By his early twenties he went on to become a significant rock artist in Hungary. Jackie's experimental rock group SYRIUS toured Eastern and Western Europe and then Australia in 1970-71. For release in Australia and Hungary the group recorded an album in Melbourne. Jackie was invited to return to Australia to join rock-group Bakery in 1974. He remained in Australia and quickly became in high demand as a session bassist and arranger. Jackie also recorded his first solo album in 1975. His popularity saw him invited to lead Australia's first significant soul band - that of vocalist Marcia Hines. In the early 80's he played in experimental rock, soul and funk bands, such as a trio with guitarist Peter O'Mara, BLAND FRENZY, THE ALPHABETICS and THE ASTONISHED BOYFRIENDS. As his English improved Orszaczky took to singing as well as playing bass. His unique singing-style was heard with bands such as THE STANMORE GROOVERS and THE SOUL AGENTS. Arguably his most well-known band was the soul/jazz/funk band JUMP BACK JACK. As well as playing their popular local engagements they opened shows for Stevie Wonder and Al Jarreau, and played the huge dance-parties of the era. Orszaczky performed with various other bands: THE GRANDMASTERS (with partner Tina Harrod); THE GODMOTHERS; THE ORSZACZKY BUDGET ORCHESTRA and THE JACKIE ORSZACZKY BAND. Jackie wrote arrangements and orchestrations for THE WHITLAMS, YOU AM I, HOODOO GURUS, TIM FINN, SAVAGE GARDEN, GRINSPOON and LEONARDO'S BRIDE. In the early 1990s, Orszaczky developed his performance on 'piccolo' bass, a high-tuned bass guitar with light gauge bass strings. This instrument became his signature in the later years. He was also constantly in demand as a producer working with artists such as David Lane, Tibor Tatrai, and the Millers Tale. On February 3, 2008, Jackie Orszaczky died of cancer aged 60.

Surprising little biographical information can be found on Darcy considering he was given well deserved notoriety when voted one of the Top 10 jazz double bassists in the world by Rollling Stone magazine, making him a true ambassador for Australian bassists. And this is not Darcy's only claim to fame.

Darcy Wright is aged in his mid 70s and began playing bass at age 23 without any previous musical training. He had simply decided that playing the bass was for him and set about enthusiastically studying the instrument full time as a serious private student. Darcy claimed that gaining experience as a bass player in the 'early days' was relatively easy due to the lack of serious players in Australia. In the absence of amplification, the double bassist was becoming increasingly difficult to hear as popular music ensembles grew louder. Many band leaders were keen to enlist a bass player who was genuinely interested in playing rather than one who merely slapped it percussively and/or spun it around for showmanship. Darcy's commitment to playing bass as a musician quickly brought him loads of work and playing experience.

Darcy's other significant claim to fame is that he was the first person to build and play an electric bass in Australia. His prototype electric bass was copied with his permission and went into immediate commercial production. In his career, Darcy was a permanent member of many TV Orchestras including Tommy Tycho's Channel 7 Orchestra, Geoff Harvey's Channel 9 Orchestra, the Mike Walsh Show Orchestra, the ABC Radio Showband and Eric Jupp's ABC TV Showband. Darcy has played for world class artists Tony Bennett, Vic Damone, Jack Jones, Mel Torme, John Hendricks, Wayne Newton, O. C. Smith, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Diahann Carroll, Dusty Springfield, Billy Eckstine, Billy Daniels, Cab Calloway and many more. Darcy also toured with Jose Feliciano, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. He's played with international jazz artists Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Red Holloway, John Surman, Laurindo Almeida, Carl Fontana and Australian jazz stars James Morrison, Don Burrows, George Golla, Dale Barlow, John Nicol, Bob Barnard, Ricky May and Julian Lee. Stage shows include Singin' in the Rain, Mame, Chicago and numerous others. Darcy was a lecturer/teacher at the Conservatorium University of Adelaide and Edith Cowan University, Perth.

Originally from New Zealand, Phil came to Australia in the late 70's and has been working as a musician and producer in the industry for the past 30 years. His list of credits includes, as a member of CROSSFIRE, TCN 9 - Ray Martin Show, Bob James, Blossom Dearie, Lee Ritenour, and lots of local artists. Phil furthered his musical education at the Sydney Conservatorum learning Composition, Arranging and Harmony and received the 1988 Bicentennial Award for his outstanding contribution to Australian Music. Throughout the 70', 80's and 90's, he worked extensively doing studio work playing on countless projects which included film scores, jingles, television and albums. In 1982 he toured South-east Asia, performing concerts in Malaysia, Borneo, Thailand, Myanma and Indonesia for the Foreign Affairs Department with Australian Jazz Saxophone player Eroll Buddle. In 1985 he started at TCN 9 Television on the Mike Walsh Night-time Show, which led to a 10 year association with the station, including the Midday Show with Ray Martin. In the late 80's to mid 90's, Phil was involved in the corporate arena with his own 12 piece band called "The Right Stuff". In 1998 Phil produced the NCR Gala show in Singapore, which included a 14 piece band, 16 Dancers and 5 performing artists. Phillip has also composed and produced music for film production and television sound tracks.

Craig Scott began his career in 1979 with the Keith Stirling Quartet. Since then he has worked with many of Australia's best jazz performers including Don Burrows, James Morrison, Julian Lee, Kerrie Biddell, Paul MacNamara, Steve McKenna, Steve Brien, Judy Bailey, Roger Frampton, Gordon Brisker, Cathy Harley, Trevor Griffin, Jim Pennell, and many others. His recent appearances with the Judy Bailey Trio and the Craig Scott Quintet include performances at the Wangaratta, Manly, Bellingen and Melbourne festivals.

Craig has also accompanied an illustrious list of visiting international jazz artists including: Joe Henderson, Red Rodney, Urbie Green, Eddie Daniels, Bobby Shew, Joachim Kuhn, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz, Mickey Tucker, James Williams, Ronnie Scott, Frank Morgan, George Cables, Jim McNeely and Mark Levine.

Duncan McGuire was a true rock veteran (and one of the unsung heroes of Aussie music). His first band was The Phantoms way back in 1959. He was a member of The Epics (1962-64), who backed Little Pattie live and on her early Singles and first album, as well as playing with Reg Lindsay, Johnny Ashcroft, Bryan Davies, Jay Justin and Johnny O'Keefe. From 1966-68 he was a member of The Questions (Doug Parkinson's first major band) which also included Ray Burton and Doug Lavery (who later joined The Valentines and Axiom). Duncan was a founding member of the legendary Australian rock band, Ayres Rock. Duncan again worked with Doug Parkinson in his band 'In Focus' and Fanny Adams before shifting to Melbourne and playing with King Harvest and Friends. Duncan McGuire died in 1986 from a brain tumour.

Born in 1961, Nick first started playing an electric bass guitar at eight years. In 1976 he started playing the Double bass. In his mid 20's he enrolled in a Diploma of Music course at the Victorian College of the Arts and graduated in 1988.In 1999 Nick Haywood was nominated for two ARIA Music Awards: for Best Jazz recording for Sudden in a Shaft of Sunlight by Browne-Haywood-Stevens; and Best Adult Contemporary for Beat Club by The Black Sorrows. The Melbourne International Arts Festival has provided several opportunities to showcase Nick Haywood's composing and performing talents. In 2001 he performed with his band Dodge in the famous Spiegeltent. An anniversary concert of John Sangster's Lord of the Rings at the Malvern Town Hall in 2003 also featured Nick Haywood, along with many of the original musicians. Nick Haywood, along with Eugene Ball and Andrea Keller, were the nucleus to the 11 piece group, the Bennetts Lane Big Band which was formed in 2001 and has performed regularly to 2008.[5] The band has been described by the National Library of Australia as "Melbourne's premier large contemporary jazz ensemble" and "comprised of some of Australia's most celebrated improvisers and composers. A grant from the Alan C. Rose Memorial Project in 2004 enabled Nick Haywood to study in New York City with world-renowned bassists Gary Peacock and Rufus Reid. Later that year he completed a Master of Music Performance degree at the Victorian College of the Arts. Nick is also performing and recording with Bennetts Lane Big Band, Deborah Conway, Tony Gould-Robert Burke Quartet, Allan Browne Trio, Joe Camilleri and leading his own trio.

Nick Haywood has been a music lecturer in the Performing Arts Department at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) since 2001. With the establishment of the Bachelor of Australian Popular Music course at NMIT in 2007, Nick became Head of Program/Senior Lecturer in the Department of Music at NMIT. He also teaches privately, and conducts master classes at festivals and institutions around Australia and internationally. A 2005 agreement between NMIT and the Beijing Midi School of Music, a private music school in Beijing focussing on modern music genres, resulted in Nick establishing a ten week music program and teaching the Advanced Diploma of Music Performance to students in Beijing, as well as the opportunity to perform in various Beijing Jazz clubs. He was one of the prominent performers at the 2005 Beijing Jazz Festival.

Mark Evans featured as an ACDC bassist on the albums T.N.T, High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and '74 Jailbreak. Evans' first TV appearance with the band was on the Australian "Countdown" programme, in which they played "Baby, Please Don't Go". He also appeared in several promotional videos, including the "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" and "Jailbreak" film clips. After the recording of Let There Be Rock, Evans experienced personal differences with lead guitarist Angus Young and was replaced by Cliff Williams. At the time, Evans stated, "Both me and the band are better for it." After his departure from AC/DC, Evans played in a number of bands including Finch and Contraband. He joined Heaven briefly in 1983 as a guitarist but the group broke up almost immediately. Mark has been performing with ex-Buffalo singer Dave Tice for many years in various versions of his bands and he was a member of The Party Boys in the early 90s.

Steve was born in 1960 and took up double bass at age 15. He begun song writing almost immediately. Steve is self-taught and intially influenced by bands and artist such as 'Weather Report', Miles Davis, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin and Tony Williams. He formed his first electric jazz oriented group in 1978 with drummer Tony Buck and has led a band ever since. Steve has played and/or recorded with (in alphabetical order): Atma-Sphere, Robyne Archer, Dale Barlow, Beacastuff, Bubaca, the Bay City Rollers, Erroll Buddle Quartet, Billy Cobham, Kate Ceberano, Chick Corea, D.I.G., Virgil Donati, Robyne Dunn, Dwiki Dharmawan, Vince Genova, Andy Gander, Renee Geyer, Hey, Hey It's Saturday (TV Show), Tamaya Honda, Mark Isham, Ken James Quintet, Jack Jones, Yusef Komunyaka, Guy Le Claire Group/s, Indra Lesmana, Ted Lo, Mark-Almond Band, Jon Mark, Bernie McGann, Steve McKenna, Matt McMahon, Paul MacNamara, Gayle Moran, James Muller, Mark Murphy, Maxine Nightingale, Carl Orr Band/s, Eugene Pao, Doug Parkinson, Daryl Pratt, Bobby Previte, Mark Simmonds Freeboppers, Phil Slater, Guy Strazzullo, Ulf Wakenius, Ren Walters, Sean Weyland and many other talented artists and bands. Steve also co-led the groups 'Playdiem', The Jack Jones / Steve Hunter / Virgil Donati Trio, 'Hong Kong Meeting' and 'Tree'(with Kevin Hunt and David Jones).

Lloyd Swanton was born 1960. In 1987 he co-founded The Necks and in 1991 also formed his own group, The Catholics. He has also performed solo improvisation concerts on double bass. Swanton has also performed with The Benders, Clarion Fracture Zone, Sydney Symphony, Vince Jones, Alpha Centauri Ensemble, the Mighty Reapers, the Seymour Group, Tim Finn, Stephen Cummings and Wendy Matthews. He is also a long-serving member of the Bernie McGann Trio and the Bernie McGann Quartet.

As well as music for his own bands, Swanton has composed several film soundtracks. Swanton hosts the radio show Mixed Marriage on Eastside Radio in Sydney, a weekly program looking at crossings of jazz with other musical styles.