The Tracey Roberts Combos - biographies:

Tracey Roberts - vocals / piano Tracey is a talented and versatile singer-songwriter with a wide variety of vocal styles. Her repertoire ranges from smooth, elegant ballads to more contemporary jazz, folk and popular genres. She also performs her own songs. Tracey is charismatic and eloquent and sings in an easy, warm, relaxed manner balanced with a great sense of fun. With a wealth of singing experience in bands, duos and trios she has also recorded three solo studio CDs in Holland and Australia (including promotion on TV and radio) and performed throughout the Dutch small theatre circuit (klein kunst). Most recently she released her live CD with her jazz quartet - "Live at DIZZY's". She has sung as a cabaret artist in Europe and Asia, and as a singer-pianist in five-star hotels, clubs and restaurants in Sweden, India, the UK and Australia. As well as performing her original material at concerts and festivals, Tracey performs popular music at weddings, parties and corporate functions. She has had a number of residencies in five-star hotels in Melbourne including The Hotel Windsor, The Carlton Crest Hotel, The Heritage Hotel and Hotel Sofitel (formerly The Regent).

 

Lachlan Davidson - saxes, clarinet, flute Lachan is one of Melbourne's finest saxophonist and woodwind players with a musical style that is smooth, tasteful and highly professional. His knowledge and understanding of musical arrangements in many genres is to be admired. He has appeared on TV and radio and has performed in shows with Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He is also head of the Jazz Department at PLC.

Peter Whitford - drums, percussion One of the most joyful and talented drummers around, Peter has played in many different types of musical genres including musical theatre, rhythm and blues bands, jazz bands and recorded music. Artists with whom he has performed include vocalists Dusty Springfield, Annie Ross, Marcia Hines, Jane Clifton and Vince Jones. He has also worked with Don Burrows, George Golla, Julian Lee, Joe "Be-Bop" Lane and Tom Baker. He has done several seasons with the MTC and also performed in the shows "The Entertainer", "Three Penny Opera", and "High Society". He has played in the feature films Anzacs, Phar Lap and The Petrov Affair and is currently drummer with The Cotton Club Orchestra.

Julia de Jonghe Julia is an exceptional violinist with an evocative, passionate style and performs in a wide variety of musical arenas. She is musically extremely versatile, and performs in many genres from classical and chamber music through to contemporary music and jazz. Few violinists are capable of improvisation to this level and span this range of material. Her orchestral experience includes the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Victorian State Orchestra, the ABC Melbourne Showband and the Australian Pops and Philharmonic Orchestra in venues all over the country. Julia is often in the recording studios recording music like the Fern Gully CD and music for the Crown Casino foyer. She has also performed with well-known artists such as Cleo Laine, Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Bassey, Henry Mancini, Dionne Warwick, the three tenors, Cliff Richard and Dame Kiri te Kanewa. Her hotel residencies (with the Windsor Salon Ensemble) include The Hyatt, The Windsor and The Carlton Radisson. She has also performed in Jazz after Dark, Music in the Foyers ( Victorian Arts Centre) and at a large number of private functions.

 

Linda O'Brien Linda is an intelligent, accomplished pianist with an enormous repertoire of musical styles ranging from classical through to contemporary music, folk and jazz. She has performed for many years as both a soloist and as a member of a wide variety of musical combinations including chamber ensembles, jazz groups and orchestras. She is the resident pianist for the Australian Pops Orchestra and former repetiteur for dance at the Victorian College of the Arts and The National Theatre Ballet School. Linda is also an accompanist for soloists, exam candidates and choirs including The Australian Girls Choir, Victorian Brass Band League and The Melbourne Welsh Male Voice Choir. She has performed in Hotel Australia, Menzies at Rialto, The Parkroyal Hotel and held residencies in The Savoy Park Plaza, The Windsor and The Carlton Radisson hotels. Linda lived in France for five years performing in a wide range of classical, jazz and folk groups, as well as in nightclubs accompanying French singers.

 

David Abiuso David is an extraordinarily talented bass player. His versatility extends from jazz, folk and classical to rock music. He has performed with The Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Australian Pops Orchestra and The Moomba Jazz Festival Band as well as The Anne and Johnny Hawker Big Band, The Camelia Quintet at the Night Cat Club. He has held residencies with The Windsor Salon Ensemble at The Hotel Windsor and The Carlton Radisson Hotel. He has experience as the Associate Principal with The State Orchestra of Victoria and regularly performs with the alternative folk-rock-jazz band, "My friend The Chocolate Cake", including performances at The Edinburgh Festival.

 

John Perri John Perri is one of Melbourne's most versatile and talented drummer / percussionists whose energetic style is sophisticated, innovative and creative. His experience with well known artists is impressive - he has performed with Marcia Hines, Debra Byrne, Doug Parkinson, Davy Jones (The Monkeys), Judith Durham (The Seekers), The Drifters, Diana Trask, Lisa Edwards and Vanetta Fields (John Farnham's band), The Drifters, Wendy Stapleton, Karen Knowles and Normie Rowe to name but a few. He has also performed on shows such as The Little Shop of Horrors, Pippin and The Gang Show. He has done session and jingle work, performed with the Channel 9 Band and has had many outstanding reviews in reputable drum magazines including Skinfull, National DrumScene, Rhythm Magazine UK and DRUM (USA). John conducts Latin, jazz and pop drum clinics and percussion workshops. He continues to regularly perform with many of the cream of Melbourne's musicians in leading hotels, at concerts, and private and corporate functions.

 

Maria Forde One of the most talented Irish Australian singer songwriters in Melbourne is Maria Forde. Maria's love of music was inherited from her Irish parents and she is continuing the tradition of Irish folk music by regularly visiting Ireland where she is also making a name for herself. A regular favourite at venues and festivals around Victoria, as well as numerous TV and radio appearances, Maria has also supported international artists such as the Fureys, Christy Moore, Foster and Allen, Dedannan, Paddy Reilly and Daniel O'Donnell, amongst others. Her first album 'Will you dance With Me' immediately attained high rotation on Melbourne radio and continues to do so. The title track has become enormously popular as a wedding song all over Australia and beyond. Maria's second album, 'Dark Island' was written in a monastery in Ireland where Maria was living during one of her visits. This album was more successful becoming 'Album of the Week' on Melbourne's 3MP and Ireland's 2FM. 1997 saw the release of 'Dark Island' in Thailand and South East Asia. Her third album 'Follow the Call' shows yet another side of Maria's music. Featuring a more rhythms sound than her previous albums, it shows her as an artist always looking for new means of expression. 'Follow the Call' won an Australian Song writers Award in 1996 and was released in Japan in January 1998. As a songwriter Maria's future is assured because of her ability to detail everyday experiences with inspiration, passion and melody. Presently, Maria is promoting her fifth album 'Next' and continues to perform regularly in concerts and festivals around Australia. Add a beautiful tuneful voice and you have a combination that is a listening pleasure - Maria Forde.

 

 

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