Daly-Wilson Big Band

Daly-Wilson Big Band was formed in Sydney in 1968 by Warren Daly on drums and Ed Wilson on trombone.[1] Don Raverty was asked to manage and coordinate the band and was a business partner from the beginning. Daly began his musical career in the late 1950s as a drummer in the Ramblers and then the Steeds.[2] In the mid-1960s he toured the United States as a member of Kirby Stone Four, and then with Si Zentner; later he joined Glenn Miller Orchestra (led by Buddy DeFranco).[2] Wilson had trained as a pianist before changing over to brass instruments.[3] In 1966 he joined the ABC Dance Band conducted by Jim Gussey; he subsequently played with the Sydney Symphony and TCN-9 house band led by Geoff Harvey.[3]

In August 1969 Daly-Wilson Band performed at the Stage Club with a line-up of "top jazz and session musicians" including Kerrie Biddell on lead vocals; Tony Buchanan on saxophones, harmonica and clarinet; Graeme Lyall on saxophone; Bob McIvor on trombone; Col Nolan on organ, piano and electric piano; and Dieter Voigt on flugelhorn and trumpet.[1] In September 1970 they recorded their debut album, Live! At the Cell Block, which detailed their live performance at Cell Block Theatre, Sydney.[1] It was produced by Mike Perjanik and released on Columbia Records. Additional ensemble members on the album were Mark Bowden, George Brodbeck, John Costelloe, Ken Dean, Doug Foskett, Col Loughnan, Allan Nash, Ford Ray, Don Reid, Ned Sutherland, Bernie Wilson. The album includes a cover version of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" as "Kanga", a track written by fellow Australian artist, Rolf Harris.[4]

In January 1971 the group supported the United Kingdom jazz band, Dudley Moore Trio, on the Australian leg of their international tour.[5] Michael Foster of The Canberra Times described Daly-Wilson Big Band as "an exciting two-year-old group formed by Warren Daly and Ed Wilson, drummer and trombonist respectively. It has the unmatchable sound of musicians playing mainly for their own enjoyment and has won critical acclaim at all of its relatively few public appearances."[6] He praised their live performance, especially "When the band lets go, which is often, the sound is a blast, literally and metaphorically. And Kerrie Biiddell, the vocalist, pencil-thin, freckled and animated, raises a storm somewhere deep inside."[7] Foster also reviewed their album, "[its] arrangements are lively and all are spiced with this rushing excitement of shouting horns and driving rhythm section. Use of amplification helps the volume ... the very composition of the band preserves the brassy feel of big band jazz."[8]

Live! At the Cell Block was released in the US in late 1971. They were "rapidly gathering a strong following" but by November, Daly-Wilson Big Band announced their disbandment.[9] DeFranco asked both Daly and Wilson to join the Glenn Miller Orchestra;[10] In 1972 Festival Records released The Exciting Daly-Wilson Band, which included lead vocals from Biddell.[11] Soon after recording this album, they had run out of finances and could no longer afford to tour their big band line-up.[12] Biddell resumed her solo career;[13] she told Jean DeBelle of The Australian Women's Weekly that when she joined they were "just starting to happen. I got my biggest break when I started singing with them, as the band played to huge audiences."[14]

In May 1973 Daly-Wilson Big Band reformed, with financial support from commercial patron, Benson & Hedges, and undertook another Australian tour, as well as New Zealand.[15] Their vocalists were Linda Cable, Terry Holden, Dilys Lockett and Neva Phillips.[12] They subsequently issued another album, On Tour, with Daly and Wilson joined by Ray Alldridge on keyboards; Warren Clark, Larry Elam, Norm Harris, Mick Kenny and Don Raverty on trumpets; Herb Cannon, Merv Knott, Bob McIvor and Peter Scott on trombones; Dave Donovan and Hugh Williams on guitars; Doug Foskett, Paul Long, John Mitchell, Geoff Naughton and Bob Pritchard on saxophones; and John Helman on bass guitar. It was co-produced by Daly-Wilson and Tommy Tycho for Reprise Records.[16]

From February 1974 the ensemble's lead singer was Marcia Hines – fresh from her stint as Mary Magdalene in the Australian stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar.[17] In September 1975 they toured the Soviet Union at the request of Gosconcert as part of a cultural exchange. They played venues in Moscow, Vilnius, Kaunas, Riga and St Petersburg to packed houses and local critical acclaim. The Australian ABC Network sent producer Bernie Cannon to film the latter part of the Russian tour that was later viewed in Australia. They were scheduled to play at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London but this was thwarted by British Customs who refused to release their instruments. From there they flew to Las Vegas where they performed at the Las Vegas Hilton, sharing the stage with BB King and Wilson Picket. Then to Los Angeles for two nights, again to packed houses, at a local Jazz club.

Their next album, Daly-Wilson Big Band featuring Marcia Hines (1975), had Hines' vocals on the cover songs, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?".[18] Foster felt that Hines "brings that bubbling vivacity which is her stage mark to her appearances. I like her best on 'Orleans'. She seems to get right inside this particular airing. Perhaps it evoked some [memories] of her homeland which she visited... during the highly successful world tour made by the band."[18] During late 1974 Hines had also recorded her debut solo album, Marcia Shines (October 1975).[17] She left the jazz ensemble to promote her album and focus on her solo career.[17]

In November 1976 US entertainer, Vic Damone, featured Daly-Wilson Big Band for a TV special aimed at the US market, Australia for the Fun of It, which also included Bill and Boyd, The Angels and David Gulpilil.[19] Also that year they issued another album, In Australia '77, on the Hammard label.[20] During January 1977 they toured Australia with New Zealand-born vocalist, Ricky May, fronting the group.[21]

In 1978 they issued their next album, Too Good for a One Night Stand, on Hammard. They released their seventh album, Big 'N' Brassy, in 1982. In September 1983 they disbanded. According to AllMusic's reviewer "Sponsorship had been withdrawn and finances were as strained as the leaders' acrimonious relationship."[1] During their career Daly-Wilson Big Band had "introduced jazz to a large commercial market, although some purists criticised its jazz rock approach, but there were many future jazz greats that passed through its ranks."[1]

The Daly-Wilson Big Band was Australias most successful Jazz big band, introducing many people to the genre of Jazz, but big band in particular. It is still the benchmark for excitement and excellence in this genre and over the years gave birth to many notable careers.

The alumni of the band includes saxophonists Don Burrows, Graham Jesse; trumpet players Paul Panichi, Keith Stirling, Bob Boufler, Peter Salt; trombonists Steve Powell, Herb Cannon, Mick Mulcahy, James Morrison; guitarist Mick Reid; keyboards Charlie Hull and many more very fine players.

• "Ed Wilson (left), and Warren Daly, founders of the Daly Wilson Big Band [picture]" photo taken in 1977, held at National Library of Australia