The Australian Jazz Quintet

The Australian Jazz Quintet, was a jazz group active in the 1950s, best known for collaborations with Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan and Carmen McRae.

The group was formed in 1953 by three Australians and one American. The group was unusual in that it featured bassoon, flute, and vibraphone along with the more conventional jazz instruments, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums. Australians Errol Buddle (bassoon and tenor saxophone), Bryce Rohde (piano), and Jack Brokensha (vibraphone and percussion) arrived in Windsor, Canada during 1952–1953. These three planned to form a group and tour the US, but visa difficulties initially prevented this, so they settled down to local work in Windsor. Then, Phil MacKellar, a Jazz DJ at CBE Windsor, arranged for them to record radio programs and for Brokensha and Rohde to play at the Killarney Castle in downtown Windsor. This led to Brokensha appearing across the border in Detroit on a local WXYZ-TV show and for him to obtain employment visas enabling the three musicians to play in the US. They soon met American Richard J. "Dick" Healey at recording sessions in Detroit, and together the four musicians began playing as a quartet on weekly TV shows and performances at the Kleins Jazz Club.

Early 1954 appearances on the Detroit WXYZ-TV show "Soupy's On" led comedian Soupy Sales to recommend the group to a Detroit suburb club owner Ed Sarkesian to accompany jazz vocalist Chris Connor for two weeks at the club (Rouge Lounge in River Rouge, a Detroit suburb) and to have the group perform between each of her sets. Since Buddle had been playing bassoon regularly with the Windsor Symphony, Healey and Rohde quickly decided to make arrangements for the flute-bassoon-vibes combination, giving the group a distinctive sound. This unusual instrumentation created much interest in the quartet, not only from jazz enthusiasts, but also from classical music aficionados. During the two-week engagement with Connor, Sarkesian contacted Joe Glaser of Associated Booking Corporation in New York. Sarkesian named the group the Australian Jazz Quartet/Quintet, and based on a quickly recorded 78 disk, he garnered a five-year contract with ABC and Bethlehem Records for the group. Sarkesian then became the group's personal manager, which worked out very well because he also soon became a major promoter of jazz concerts and festivals.

In 1955 the constraint of not having a bass when Healey played reeds saw them add a dedicated bass player: firstly Jimmy Gannon, then Jack Lander, and finally Ed Gaston turning them into the Australian Jazz Quintet.

The Australian Jazz Quintet appeared on several national television shows, the most notable being the Steve Allen Tonight Show, The Dave Garroway Today Show, The Arthur Godfrey Show, In Town Tonight Chicago, and the Ed Mackenzie and Soupy Sales Shows from ABC in Detroit. On the Radio they were heard on CBS's "Woolworth Hour", NBC's "Monitor", and ABC's "Parade of the Bands".

During 1955 to 1958 the Australian Jazz Quintet recorded seven albums under the Bethlehem label.

The Australian Jazz Quintet

The Australian Jazz Quintet Plus One

The title of this collection of the latest musical offerings by the Australian Jazz Quintet is significant in quite a few ways.

First, it serves as part of the visual pun that is the cover of the album. The extra, "+ 1" member naturally being the omnipresent kangaroo that Dick Healey is drawing (the Australian marsupial now being identified with the quintet to the extent of becoming their visual trademark). To be truthful, a live kangaroo was to be included on the cover but it was discovered that an emergency meeting of the board of directors of The Cleveland Zoo could not be arranged to facilitate the matter. 

Another significance of the album title is that it points out that the Australians are a group of five and not four. To clear the matter up again: the group was a quartet; when they recorded they usually hired a drummer so that Jack Brokensha, the regular drummer on the job, could play vibes. Now that the group is a quintet, with the addition of Jack Lander on bass, they are still recording in the same manner — adding a drummer in order that Brokensha can play his colorful vibes. 

This brings us to another big plus on this album; the added drummer, or the "+ 1", is Osie Johnson. His well known abilities fit perfectly into the well-organized and perfectly swinging essence that is the Australian Jazz Quintet. 

The material chosen by the group for this set is broken into contrasting lengths and feelings: first, on side A is Bill Holman's long composition "Jazz in D Minor"; on side B are a fine variety of shorter, typical Australian Jazz Quintet specialties. 

The Australian Jazz Quintet have carved their niche in the field of modern music. Listen to this album and you'll know why. *Joseph Paul Muranyi (liner notes)*

Jazz In D Minor Suite

(Bill Holman)

1 - Part I: Medium

2 - Part II: Slow

3 - Part III: Medium

4 - Cubano Chant

(Bryant)

5 - In A Sentimental Mood

(Ellington)

6 - Star Eyes

(Raye, DePaul)

7 - I'll Be Around

(Wilder, Regent)

8 - You'd Be Nice To Come Home To

(Porter)

Dick Healey (flute, alto sax), Errol Buddle (bassoon, tenor sax), Bryce Rohde (piano), Jack Brokensha (vibes), Jack Lander (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 1957.