Leisa Keen sings with the Blamey Street Big Band. Photo: Cassidy Richens

Conductor Ian McLean and the Blamey Street Big Band at the Harmonie German Club. Photo Cassidy Richens.

Happiness is… an ecstatic conductor Ian McLean. Photo: Cassidy Richens

Saxophonist Andrew Hackwill in full flight with the Blamey Street Big Band. Photo: Cassidy Richens

Music / The Blamey Street Big Band concert. At the Harmonie German Club, May 20. Reviewed by CASSIDY RICHENS. 

THE Blamey Street Big Band’s birthday bangers brought the house down, with a gala concert of hits from Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Sarah Vaughan, and many other much-loved American standards from the big band era of the ’30s and ’40s.

A nod to the band’s 20th birthday, the gala concert, devised by conductor Ian McLean, was also a tribute to American composer and arranger Sammy Nestico. 

Billed as a musical wander through a fascinating history, “Ella Fitzgerald meets Count Basie” superbly captured the sound of early big bands, with gentle moments expanding to the lively full sound of a 20-piece jazz orchestra, bringing a touch of class to the back streets of ‘Bundah. 

McLean, recently returning conductor and founding director of the band, was clearly enjoying his post as he skilfully led the band while narrating a wonderful story of Nestico and his work with William James “Count” Basie, which earned him four Grammy Awards. 

Formed in 2002, Blamey Street is one of Canberra’s longest running community bands, playing big band music of all eras. The current line-up features lead trumpeter Mark Du Rieu and Derrick Brassington on drums. They were joined by special guests Leisa Keen (vocals) and Andrew Hackwill (alto saxophone). 

Performing polished versions of Nestico’s arrangements, the band presented all the qualities you’d expect from such a gig – complex harmonies, vocal and instrumental solos, and syncopated rhythms – in a program integrating blues, funk, and Latin sounds.

Incorporating elements of “ragtime” and brass-band marching music, Brassington’s groove kept the core sound together, providing the driving rhythm central to big band music. Switching from two beats to the bar, to a driving 4/4, then opting for more percussive “horse trotting” moments, his fully decked out kit, complete with an array of temple blocks, woodblocks, cowbells, and cymbals. Perrin Lionis (piano), Col Bernau (guitar) and Peter McDonald (bass) completed the rhythm section. They were tight, dynamic, and authentic.

The smooth groove of the horn section carved out the main body of sound with repeating riffs and simple harmonies composed and arranged for saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. 

The Blamey Street horns worked exceptionally well together and were a stunning counterpart to Hackwill’s solo performance of Nestico’s arrangement of “Samantha”, a showpiece for alto sax featuring a wide dynamic range.

Nestico, who recently passed away, also wrote for jazz giants Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, and last night Canberra’s much-loved and multi-award-winning Leisa Keen joined Blamey Street to sing some of their best and most loved tunes including “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Perdido”. 

Keen, also a classical pianist and double degree holder from the Canberra School of Music, and former musical director of the Blamey Street Big Band, also performed a collection of songs from the Count Basie and Quincy Jones libraries including “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Satin Doll”, “Strike Up the Band”, “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Moon River”. Putting every ounce of herself into the performance, Keen sang soulful renditions of these songs exquisitely. Standouts for me were “Teach Me Tonight” and “Deedle’s Blues”.

A most enjoyable concert, a great program, an outstanding musical outcome for one of Canberra’s most notable community bands and a fitting tribute to a true legend.