JACK CROTTY

James Hankin (Jack) Crotty was born in Sydney in 1912. At the age of two he moved with his adopted parents to Newcastle where he later attended Cooks Hill Public School and received music tuition on the euphonium under E.J. Kerry of brass band fame. He joined the Newcastle Steel Works Band while undertaking an apprecticeship to become a bootmaker.

His professional career began at the age of 17 when he was playing with the Imperial Synchopaters under the leadership of Jack Maitlen, who was playing piano at the time; later joining up with George Shoesmith and Noel Burke.

His next assignment was with Bob Brock's Bluebirds until Olly Hollbrow persuaded Jack to join Vic McDonnel and Ray Perkins at the Palais. With the assistance of Lyn Miller Jack became an accomplished mellophone player.

He also credits his sucess to the kind interest of Billy Romaine.

He next moved on to Brisbane to join Carl Wintle's Carlton Cabaret Band and stayed on when Billy Miller took over the leadership. Then he joined the local Trocadero under Billo Smith and refused many offers to play in Sydney.

In late 1937, Billy Miller persuaded Jack to audition for the 1st trumpet with the newly formed Trocadero in Sydney. With his new bride Iris, he moved to Bondi and took up Frank Coughlan's offer.

When WW2 broke out Jack enlisted in the RAAF and was stationed at Ascot Vale where he found himself bandmaster of the RAAF Band. With musicians constantly being moved in and out of the band it was a major task to provide a cohesive brass band, but Jack managed not only to do that but to encourage some of the men to consider pursuing their musical career at the end of the war.

Jack Crotty returned to the Trocadero at the end of 1945 and remained with the band until the demise of the Troc in 1967. He was the longest serving Troc musician, having worked under Frank Coughlan, Dick Freeman, Abe Romaine and Colin Bergersen.

With the advent of television and rock and roll, and the emergence of clubs, musicians needed to find other employment. Jack Crotty was a strict teetotaler, and for years resisted playing in clubs where liquor was served. Instead he found work in several music houses including Palings and Nicholsons. However after a period of playing at the Brookvale Leagues Club, he felt the need to find a "big group" again. He joined the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and spent eight years with the W.S.O. At the age of 66, he was working a five day week at Palings and rehearsing and playing with the W.S.O. Four years later he joined the Botany Brass Band . He left Palings in 1982 and went to work for Landis Music Store. Eighteen months later he had joined the St John Ambulance Band, and was also now playing for local nursing homes and schools.

On retirement to Saratoga near Gosford, he joined the Tuggerah Lakes District Band and was still a member when he was diagnosed with cancer. Despite diabetes and his other ailments he continued to play with the Tuggerah group as well as having a small group of retired musicians who enertained at retirement villages and nursing homes. Having played the fanfare for Royalty at the Troc, he now played the Last Post at school ANZAC celebrations. He had been a lead trumpet player, deputy bandleader, arranger and composer for 72years and had been playing brass instruments foralmost 80 years. he passed away on 24th May 2001, survived by his third wife, and his two daughters Carole Ann Hayes and Sandra Jeanne Stent and sons David and Matthew .

FRANK COUGHLAN 

Australia since the second world war was quite different economically and socially to what it was prior to the war. This is particularly so on the sphere of swing and jazz music. In the mid to late forties the emphasis was on the jazz “revival” led largely by Graeme Bell and his contemporaries and the “progressive” or “bop” followers of Don Banks, Wally Normal et al. The men (and women) who had pioneered jazz here in the twenties and swing in the thirties were overlooked and ignored. Most of these had been professional musicians in the best-paid jobs available before the war. As such, they were unable to play jazz full time for a living, even though many of them would have preferred to do so, and as they were quite capable of doing. This to the “purist” jazz fans of the post war era meant they were merely commercial, or; an even worse indictment, insincere dance band musicians who sometimes hopped on the bandwagon created by the “sincere” true jazzmen. Nothing could be further from the truth. One musician who suffered this undeservedly negative reviews (from the rabid fans, not the musicians) was Francis James Coughlan.

Frank Coughlan was born on September 10, 1904 in the small village of Emmaville in the northern tablelands of N.S.W His father Bill was bandmaster and later at neighbouring Glen Innes, so it was only natural that Frank and his four brothers became members of the local brass band. All became professional musicians, but undoubtedly Frank was the most successful. Whilst the slide trombone became his major instrument, he played every instrument in the band from soprano cornet to the double Bb bass - experience on Bb and Eb instruments which was to stand him in good stead later on. In 1922 Frank moved to Sydney, and soon fell under the spell of jazz, as found in the grooves  of records by the Cotton Pickers and the Original Memphis Five (little else was available then) – and the slide trombone of Miff Mole on those records had a great influence on Frank, as indeed it did on many aspiring trombonists in the USA. Coughlan’s first major job in the dance band business was with Bill James at the Bondi Casino - a cabaret, not a gambling joint. In December, 1923 J.C. Bendrodt brought to Sydney from San Francisco Frank Ellis and his Californians to play at the Palais Royal dance hall out at the Showground. ‘The best band ever to visit Australia” was Coughlan’s opinion in 1937. The Californian’s trombonist Monte Barton might not feature in many jazz histories, but he had a great influence on the young Coughlan. When Barton returned to the USA, Coughlan left Bill James to join the Californians, now led by saxophonist Walter Beban and it was with this group that he made his first recordings. In July, 1926 the Columbia Graphophone Co. commenced recording in Sydney; acoustically at first, and the 14th master cut at Homebush was That Certain Party by the Palais Royal Californians, and both Frank Coughlan on trombone and his compatriot from Melbourne, Ern Pettifer, on baritone saxophone, are well featured. The local boys are far from overshadowed by the four Americans still in the band. The vocal has long been ascribed to Frank’s brother, Jack, but Joan Ford (Frank’s daughter) points out that at the time Jack was a fifteen year old schoolboy and his presence is doubtful. The vocalist might be the drummer Danny Hogan.

On trumpet was Eddie Frizzle who became a good friend and musical partner with Frank in the thirties. Coughlan then joined Carol Loughner’s Palm Grove Orchestra, also from California, at the Palais de Dance, St. Kilda for a six months season starting November 29, 1926. Then after about 18 months with other groups in cabaret and on Fuller’s circuit, he took Eddie Frizelle’s advice and went to London, where he arrived on December 20,1928. With letters of introduction from Frizelle (who had played at the London Savoy Hotel with Bert Ralton) he toured the night spots and picked up a couple of casual dates, making a favourable impression upon the London musicians, Melody Maker described him as “a real find - one of the ‘hottest’ men on this instrument heard m the West End for many a long day”. Rhythm magazine said he was “a very talented trombone player, who immediately fixed up a series of record sessions”.

There’s A Blue Ridge Round My Heart Virginia was recorded at one of these sessions, with Arthur Rosebery’s band with which he was playing at the Kit-Kat Club. Coughlan plays the introduction and gets a two bar break on this title but his free flowing accompaniment to the ensemble is what stands out most. This Kit-Kat band was owned by Jack Hylton, who heard Coughlan play on a radio broadcast. Hylton wired Coughlan to join him in Hamburg, and they also played Brussels, Paris, Liege. However the wiry Australian found touring the Continent in winter too cold, and too expensive. Hylton released him from his contract on their return to London, and Coughlan joined Fred Elizalde’s Orchestra at the Savoy Hotel.

Elizalde had quite a progressive group for its time, and included in his personnel were such illustrious American jazzmen as Chelsea Quealey; Bobby Davis, Fud Livingston and Adrian Rollini. Coughlan was hired to replace Rollini who had to return to the States for a couple of weeks. This was the first time a trombonist had been in this band. Elizalde said: “There has really been no room for one, Adrian Rollini has always played trombone parts and has been worth any six trombone players of which I know. I really took Coughlan on to fill in while Adrian was in America, but he is so good that I shall keep him on. It will mean re-orchestrating a great deal of nearly all our numbers, but it will be worth it.” Quite an accolade! Singapore Sorrows was the only title Coughlan recorded with Elizalde. A pity they didn’t make a few more hot sides, but the lean Australian has a sixteen bar solo towards the end of the number. At the end of Elizalde’s engagement at the Savoy, Coughlan went into Al Collins’ Orchestra at Claridges -it seems that this group also went into the Savoy Hotel, but the details are a bit sketchy. What we do know is that Ray Noble used the brass team of Max Goldberg and Bill Shakespeare on trumpets and Frank Coughlan trombone from Collins’ band for his famous recordings by the studio group known as the New Mayfair Orchestra. When The Real Thing Comes Along is an example of Noble’s dance band work that eventually took him to America, Coughlan can be heard in the arrangement. Adrian Rollini wanted Coughlan to go to America with him, assuring him that he would do well there, but the difficulties of the US quota system ruled this out and Coughlan left London on December 10,1929 for a job in New Zealand, but the deepening depression altered the promoter’s mind, and Coughlan landed back in Sydney in January;

1930. So whilst Frank Coughlan didn’t record any “hot jazz classics” while overseas these selections show how he was at home with the best of England’s, and some of America’s, top hot dance band musicians.  The experience of playing beside these men, being accepted as a musical equal, and learning much from them and the advanced arrangements they played was to stand him in good stead back home. Not that this experience and knowledge was put to the test immediately -only three months after the Wall St. crash unemployment, particularly amongst musicians, was already rife and what jobs there were not discarded lightly. Fortunately for us, Beryl Newell, MD at the Parlophone Co., picked him for a couple of recording sessions with Des Tooley, the rhythm girl.

Frank’s first major engagement back in Svdnev was with Al Hammett at the Palais Royal; in March, 1931 he became leader at the Carlton Hotel in Brisbane. Mid 1932 saw him at Romano’s (Sydney) with Harry Whyte and in early 1933 he was with Ern Pettifer at Melbourne’s Palais de Dance. After that he played under Don Rankin, then Art Chapman and Benny Featherstone. Back in Sydney, after a short spell with Sam Babicci, he took his own band, highly praised but never recorded, into the Bondi Esplanade.

He had indeed “paid his dues” and was ready to accept the position for which he is best remembered. On April 3, 1936, J.C. Bendrodt and his partners opened the palatial Trocadero, Sydney’s first purpose built

ballroom, with Frank Coughlan leading the Orchestra. Contrary to the penny pinching practices of many entrepreneurs, Bendrodt allowed Coughlan to pick the best men available for the band, and rehearsed them daily, on full pay, for six weeks before the opening.

The orchestra was a great hit with the public and the rest of Sydney’s musicians, and broadcast live over 2BL and other radio stations.

However, whilst in the opinion of those lucky enough to hear it this was the best swing band we ever had in Sydney die business at the time it did not reflect this nor the expectations of the management and shareholders. The Depression was still biting.

At the end of 1937 a number of musicians were replaced, the swing policy changed, and sweeter music was demanded. The attendance promptly dropped another 900 per week.  Still a mixture of swing and sweet became the norm. In May, 1937 Rex Shaw recorded the Coughlan Orchestra for his Prestophone label, but of the hot sides only At The Darktown Strutters Ball was released.

Swing had hit the world late in 1935 and by 1936, Australian groups from trios upwards were describing themselves as swing bands. Swing clubs sprang up in Sydney. Newcastle and Melbourne, at first playing records to the assembled enthusiasts, but later engaging musicians to play at monthly jam sessions. Members of the Trocadero band were prominent at these sessions, and I Want To Be Happy and Blues are typical of the Jazz heard at these gatherings - proof enough that many of the professional musicians of the day knew and appreciated jazz, even if they weren’t all straight out “dixielanders”.

Coughlan finished at the Sydney Trocadero on August 31, 1939, and spent the next four years leading bands at the Bondi Esplanade, New Romano’s, Prince’s in Brisbane and Melbourne Trocadero. In June, 1943 he joined the Army, led the Ninth Division concert band, later took a dixieland unit to the New Guinea and Solomons battle areas.

Prior to that he made an appearance on Army On Parade, a radio series featuring at that stage Wally Portingale’s Orchestra. Along with his brothers Jack on vocal and Tommy on trumpet from the Portingale band, he was featured as Coughlan’s Ragtime Band (showing that the Muggsy Spanier Ragtime Band discs had reached down under by then) on Basin Street Blues. After the war Coughlan played a short season at Rose’s before resuming the leadership at the Sydney Trocadero, and with the “jazz revival” under way, was able to feature nightly a bracket or two by his eight piece dixieland group.

BARBARA JAMES

Born in 1908, Barbara James was Australia’s most popular vocalist for three decades. Although she was not specifically a jazz singer she could certainly sing jazz. She sang everything that was popular in the dance and popular music field, and when swing became the rage in the middle thirties, she showed that she could swing with the best of them.

Barbara James was born into a family that was not only musical, but also a part of Sydney’s live theatre circuit. In the early years of the 19th century her parents had a double banjo act on the vaudeville theatre circuit. In the 30s her father became a bandleader at the Bondi casino dance hall – giving the young Frank Coughlan his first professional job.

Barbara spent four years singing at the Blue Mountain’s holiday guesthouses and here she met pianist and bandleader Reg Lewis who she married. In 1927 she won ‘Maid of the Mountains’ – the local equivalent of the Miss Australia Quest.

In 1930 she travelled to Brisbane where she became known as the ‘Personality Girl Saxophonist’ with Tommy Kane’s orchestra. She travelled Australia, became a regular on ABC Radio and made several recordings, with most of Australia’s leading jazz orchestras and bands.

She was a regular at the Trocadero where she performed regularly with Frank Coughlan’s orchestra.

Barbara James lived most of her life at Potts Point and died in 2004.

GRAEME BELL

Graeme Bell (born 1914) and his All-Stars hold a special place in Australia’s jazz history as they were the kings of traditional jazz styles. Trad Jazz, as it was known, was the dominant jazz style for the listening audiences of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. It was highly influenced by the New Orleans style of jazz and highly infectious fun music. There was a time, sadly way gone, when the pubs of Paddington, Sydney, and the old Ironworker’s Union Building in George Street, Sydney, (where I first met Graeme) rocked to the swinging sounds of ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and other standards. Bell and his musicians brought something else to this music – they brought an Australian sound, some much-needed cultural relevance. Here were musicians playing a music born in America but with an Australian sound and, wherever possible, an Australian song. He was a prolific composer and recording artist. He was also a rarity in early Australia – a musician with a strong political stance. He toured the All-Stars to Europe in the 1940s and in itself this was seen as a statement supporting the extreme Left. He is a humanist and, as I write this in 2006, he is still playing piano.

This list would include Dick Hughes, John Sangster, Bryan Brown – and please add to this list!