Pictured: The Screaming Jets

John Morrison, John Hoffman and Jacki Cooper in concert
Local music teacher Andrew Best is very excited to announce that he has been able to organise a very special day on Thursday November 19 (tonight) commencing at 3.30pm at the Lakeside Christian Centre in Tweed Heads. The day will involve a two hour workshop involving the very talented trio of John Morrison, John Hoffman and Jacki Cooper. There will also be a concert in the evening, backed by the Australian Army Brisbane Big Band, starting at 7pm. Children are also welcome.
John Morrison has spent much of his musical life playing and recording with his younger brother, world-renowned trumpeter, James Morrison. Together they have toured the world, performing at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, and many more. Performing with his small group, he also conducted a specially formed Chinese swing orchestra in Beijing. As the driving force behind Swing City, John, who was voted Australia’s best big band drummer, led the big band in a career highlight – performing at the opening of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. In Australia, John is a well respected and highly sought after musician, recording artist, producer, jazz educator, and band leader.
John Hoffman toured and recorded for six years with the Big Bands of Glenn Miller/Buddy de Franco, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman and Harry James before settling in Australia in 1977. Artists John has performed with include Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr, Shirley MacLaine, Peter Allen, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett and Joe Williams. Since 1990 he has lived in Byron Bay, and currently teaches trumpet and directs the large ensembles in the jazz department at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. Recent recordings include the soundtrack to the films Moulin Rouge and South Pacific featuring Harry Connick Jnr.
Jacki Cooper’s career highlights include performing with international jazz greats Mark Murphy, John Clayton, Madeline Eastman and Jim Cullum. In 1994, Jacki was invited to teach jazz voice for the Stanford Jazz Workshop in California. She has sung with jazz luminaries in the USA, and performed with jazz stars in Vietnam and China. In July 2007, John and Jacki toured to Shanghai, China to perform with the Shanghai Symphony Big Band at the Oriental Arts Centre.
The workshops will give children an opportunity to hear some fabulous music and will be run in the form of a fun, learning environment where the musicians will discuss and demonstrate the beginning stages of being part of a swing, jazz style band, using certain methods that can be taken home and used to improve and create early stages of improvisation (solo playing).
The band will be performing a concert in the evening commencing at 7pm (the children are welcome to attend as well) and you will also get to hear some of the talented youth of the Tweed and Gold Coast performing with the Toe Jam’n Youth Big Band and the Gold Coast Youth Big Band. Tickets can be pre booked by calling 0439 110 255 and then paid on the day. Adults $20, children/pensioners $10, family ticket (2 adults/3 children, and/or mix of children and pensioners) $50.
Some funds will go towards the assistance of helping further develop music in the local area.

That Festival
Set in the lush grounds of the Cabarita Pony Club against the spectacular Cabarita Beach the inaugural That Festival kicks off as a one day, multi-stage music extravaganza celebrating the hottest Australian talent. With carnie rides, market stalls, side show alleys and a deluge of culinary delights, That Festival is more than just a festival; it is a prodigious and symphonious spectacle set to electrify the most boisterous festival crowd. Line up includes Midnight Juggernauts, The Beautiful Girls, Blue Juice, Pez, Ft 360, Matik & Hailey Cramer, The Fumes, Koolism, Cut off Your Hands (Nz), Philadelphia Grand Jury, The Galvatrons, Kid Kenobi & Mc Shureshock, the Aston Shuffle, Yacht Club Djs, Sampology, Nick Findlay (of the Purple Sneakers), Jono Fernandez, Stereogamous Ft Paul Mac, Sure Cut Kids, Muzi Beats, Max Judo & Concrete Street.
That Fest Cabarita Beach, Saturday November 28. See full details and grab a ticket from www.thatfest.com

Body in a jar
For over a decade Bodyjar have experienced the complete gamut of rock; from playing to three people at the humble Tote Hotel, Collingwood, to playing in front of 45,000 punters in Korea and selling out shows in Japan. Now they are calling it a day. ‘It’s been amazing,’ says frontman Cam.  ‘We’ve done so much stuff as a band… way more than we ever thought we would. As far as we’re concerned the last studio album Bodyjar made, our self-titled album, was the best of our career. It might not have sold the most copies, but it was brutally honest and it covered a lot of territory, musically and emotionally. It just feels like a good time to put a full-stop on it all. We wanna go out on our own terms. What better way to finish up than with a national tour where we crank out some old tunes one last time and say thanks to all the folks who have supported us over the years.’ And so, one last tour is happening. Bodyjar – the final tour: Coolangatta Hotel, Friday November 20.

The Screaming Jets and The Poor
Two of Australia’s finest pub rock bands team up for one classic night of party music. The Poor’s legacy was made famous with four rockin’ words, ‘More Wine Waiter Please’ and now The Poor are baaack! The Poor started out playing the pub circuit in Darwin nearly two decades ago. The plan was simple, hard rockin’ hard drinkin’ and world domination. In 1992 the band cut their debut release, the EP Rude, Crude & Tattooed, produced by Rick Brewster and Bob Spencer from The Angels and from the opening line you knew it was going to be something great – Aussie pub rock, in your face, no bullshit, straight to the point, rock’n’roll. The Screaming Jets and The Poor, Coolangatta Hotel Saturday November 21.

Black Market Rhythm Co and Rapids
Critics have compared them to Powderfinger, The Shins and The Clash, but their melodies have the hallmarks of classic 60s pop and the impossible-to-pigeon-hole grooves of a group of musicians who’ve drawn their influences from 19-30 years spent in indie record stores and the bottom drawers of their parents vinyl collections. With their first Soundlounge appearance since a sell-out show earlier in the year, BMRCo will be releasing their tasty new single from the upcoming album with a hell of a party. Watch this space for a sneak peak of the track in the lead up to November. ‘As fresh as newly-baked bread and just as easy to devour...’ The Australian 4/5* Album Review. Black Market Rhythm Co & Rapids, Soundlounge, Currumbin RSL, November 20.

Kid Kenobi
Countless accolades, awards, records, and firsts have been the hallmark of Kid Kenobi’s illustrious 13-year DJing career. It’s almost become a cliché to say that there isn’t much left for him to do. And yet perhaps the Kid’s greatest triumph of all is his ability to keep on evolving and growing as an artist. Music trends come and go, clubbers retire, scenes change, and awards gather dust but Kid Kenobi, it seems, is here to stay. It’s little wonder then that 2009 is shaping up to be Kid Kenobi’s biggest year yet. Fed up and disillusioned with the direction of dance music in 2007, Kid Kenobi realised his only salvation would come from taking responsibility for his own artistic journey and creating for himself the music he needed to hear. It was a great time of transition. Friends and family were replaced with solitude in the studio, partying was replaced with the gym and early morning starts in the studio, disappointment was replaced with inspiration, and a new chapter in the Kid’s career was born. Out of this transition was born Two Fresh – a new collaboration with his brother Hugga Thugg. Having achieved so much already, one seems a fool to expect anything less from the next phase of his artistic journey. Neverland Bar, Coolangatta Kid Kenobi Sunday November 22.

Dan Hannaford
Dan is a dreamer, songwriter, surfer and new father finding satisfaction in the simple things in life. Yet 2009 is earning him a solid reputation as the East Coast’s latest ‘star on the rise’.
American music legend Seymour Stein compared Dan’s talent to one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century, Hank Williams Sr. Reviewers have likened his stage energy to a young Billy Thorpe and INXS rocker Kirk Pengilly reckons he has found his forte in the Blues & Roots genre calling Dan ‘a great songwriter with a voice suited to the blues’.
Despite the flattery Dan is not one to be pigeonholed and pursues a sound that will capture the heart of a generation. His songs are raw, challenging and refreshingly real with true heart and soul. Combining his coastal country locale with rootsy flair of acoustic guitars, bottleneck slide, jaw harp and a backyard built stomp box. He has travelled his passionate performances extensively from coastal Australia across outback country and even to the historic city of Bath in the UK. The prolific singer songwriter has been working hard in the past few years on getting his music heard and it seems people are definitely taking notice. See him at the Ivory Tavern, Tweed Heads on Saturday.

Lipman Harp Duo
The Lipman Harp Duo, the only harp duo in Australia, is composed of two eminent harpists – Sebastien Lipman (former solo harpist of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) and Sayo Lipman (prize winner of Japan’s International Harp Competition). The husband and wife duo have performed over 80 concerts since 2006 in various venues in NSW, WA and QLD, including Brisbane City’s Main Auditorium and ABC studio for live National radio broadcasts. Their first CD Harp Fusion, released in 2006, consisting of popular classics and their second CD Scenes of Childhood, consisting of solos and duos by John Thomas, released internationally for the Naxos label in late 2007, has been featured on Australian radio stations as well as on 53 major radio station networks in 15 countries. In March of 2009, they embarked on their first world tour, performing to great acclaim, in Tokyo, Paris, Cairo, Washington DC, Toronto, and Salt Lake City. In early 2009, they released their third CD entitled Arpeggio for the Harmonious Resonance label. In July-August 2009, they performed for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. November  24,11am Tweed River Art Gallery.

John Williamson
From his musical family beginnings in the Victorian mallee, to defining the Australian character through song, John Williamson has achieved musical success and respect internationally and nationwide, writing over 400 songs and selling more than 3.8 million albums in Australia.
John Williamson, Twin Towns Services Club, November 20 8pm.

Brian Cadd and Russell Morris
Together, these two legends of Australian entertainment, Brian Cadd and Russell Morris, take you back in time. Join them on this music trip of years long gone and reignite the memories. Twin Towns Services Club, November 20 8pm.

Broadfoot
Mullum based band Broadfoot play the Cabarita Sports Club, Bogangar, this Friday starting at 8pm. Half the band are sporting ‘mos’ as part of the merry month of Movember’s festivities, and are raising awareness of men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer and depression.  A smaller version of Broadfoot – one guitarist less, will be making music at the Riverview Hotel in Murwillumbah, from 2pm Sunday afternoon. Situated on the bank of the Tweed River, the music will flow, as the river flows, as the refreshments flow. Flow on. 


Wonders of Women (WOW)
The Wonders of Women (WOW) 2010 Calendar and Art Show will showcase the creative female talent in the region and will launch this week. The works include jewellery, sculpture, photography and all forms of painting. The official launch is this Tuesday November 24 at 5pm and Maggie Ann Leybourne will be the MC for the launch. All art lovers are invited. A donation to cover the costs will be appreciated.
The goal of WOW is to increase the profile, safety and well being of women and children in our community, and to celebrate and nurture the achievements of women in the Tweed. It also aims to  affect positive change for women and children.
The Art Exhibition is open to all women artists in the Tweed and surrounding districts. The Tweed Shire Women’s Service is a community managed not-for-profit organisation, providing a range of services and programs to women and children living in the Tweed Shire.
Since 1987 the Tweed Shire Women’s Service has sought to work with women and children affected by domestic violence by providing early intervention education, crisis support and crisis accommodation. For over 15 years the Tweed Shire Women’s Service has maintained a  strong presence in Murwillumbah providing a range of services to local residents.
The exhibit is being held at Tweed Ultima Resort from Wednesday November 25 to Friday November 27. Opening hours are 9am to 4pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 9am to 3pm Friday.