Great Art Deco Ball 2023 – Photos


Greg Poppleton returned by popular demand to the Great Art Deco Ball – celebrating 13 years, 4th February 2023 – in the timeless elegance of Katoomba’s wedding cake Carrington Hotel

Dinner, dancing and a dazzling entertainment ‘1920’s style’.

Greg Poppleton, Australia’s only authentic 1920s – 1930s singer, brings the ‘twenties’ to life with vintage glamour. With Greg in his band were Geoff Power (trumpet & sousaphone), Bradley Newman (grand piano) and Adam Barnard (washboard & snare).

A full fouse stepped out in fashion and danced the night away, a sumptuous 3-course dinner, and prize for best dressed. (won by Mary Grace).

I’ll be back with the band singing the songs of the 1920s at next year’s Great Art Deco Ball, Saturday 3 February 7 – 11pm.Tickets include a 3 course dinner, 3 hour beverage package and live entertainment by by Australia’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton.

Contact reception on 4782 1111 or carrington@thecarrington.com.au to reserve your seat today!
Carrington’s Art Deco Ball booking website

Accommodation packages available for the weekend!

Dancing to Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters

CARRINGTON HOTEL

The Carrington Hotel is a heritage-listed former spa, hotel and power station and now hotel and public bar located at Katoomba Street, Katoomba in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Kirkpatrick and Bosser in 1882; and by Edward H. Hogben with Goyder Brothers in 1911-13; and built from 1882 to 1913 by F. Drewett in 1882; and by Howie, Brown and Moffit in 1912-13. It is also known as Great Western Hotel. The property is privately owned. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

The Carrington is the only 19th century grand resort hotel still in use in New South Wales. It also retains much of the fabric of its major phases of development and continues to occupy the commanding position in Katoomba that it has done since its construction. It was built in 1883 by Harry George Rowell, a large hotel owner from Sydney, and was owned by a series of prominent families over the next century. Today it is still operating as a high class hotel providing accommodation and restaurant services.

WHERE GREG POPPLETON WILL BE PLAYING

From 1885 Carrington began to make additions to the premises including an additional wing, dining hall, two drawing rooms and a music room, resulting in 119 bedrooms and seven suites of rooms, two tennis courts and flower and vegetable gardens.. He told a newspaper reporter in 1890 of the improvements he had made. The article read,

“Among the additions and improvements to the building are the following — a wing built (in 1886) of cut stone, and having a southerly aspect, consisting of 20 single rooms, and called ‘the bachelors’ wing.’ Early in 1888 Mr. Goyder, having taken advantage of his right, purchased the hotel, and, finding the accommodation insufficient, added 50 more rooms. This addition stands in the courtyard and is joined to the main building. It is higher than the remaining portions of the hotel and adds to the imposing appearance of the pile. A music-room has also been added to the drawing room, and is separated from it by large folding doors. The floor of the music room is of polished tallow-wood, and is partly covered with Austrian rugs, which are easily removed for dancing. The piano is a Brinsmead, and is considered one of the finest grands; its tone is full and soft. The dining hall is also new; it measures 60ft, by 40ft. The floor is carpeted, and everything conducive to comfort is present. The ceiling is lofty, the lighting good, and the table decorations and menu leave nothing to be desired. This hall is capable of seating 200 guests. There are now 135 rooms in the hotel, among which are seven suites of private apartments, most comfortably furnished and conveniently situated, including one of the prettiest bridal suites to be found in the colonies.”

The Charleston: 1920s-30s Wednesdays


The Charleston. Though recorded last Wednesday, 22 April 2020, I’ve been caught out with a busy audition schedule.

Now I can happily post this – your second in the series of 1920s-30s Wednesdays – The Charleston, composed by J.C. Johnson in 1923.

While we’re self-isolating, my son, Damon, and I, will serenade you with a 1920s-30s song every Wednesday.

This Wednesday, 29 April, it’s Amapola.

Do you have any 1920s-30s songs you’d like to hear on future 1920s-30s Wednesdays? Feel free to contact us

This week’s Phantom Dancer swing jazz mix has Harry Reser as feature artist. Tune in.

Sydney Festival 2020 – ‘The Rivoli’ – Greg Poppleton and Dance Makers Collective


Sydney Festival 2020, Dance Makers Collective present the world premiere of ‘The Rivoli‘ in the beautiful, late Victorian Granville Town Hall with Greg Poppleton’s 1920s -30s Sydney Festival trio, Grahame Conlon guitar and banjo with Cazzbo Johns on sousaphone.

Come to the show: 8pm, Tues 22 Jan – Sat 25 January 2020. Granville Town Hall. TICKETS

Greg Poppleton 1920s - 1930s swing jazz trio: vocals, banjo, sousaphone
Greg Poppleton 1920s – 1930s swing jazz trio: Greg Poppleton vocals, Grahame Conlon guitar and banjo, Cazzbo Johns sousaphone

‘The Rivoli’ is a celebration of social life before social media, when to meet was to talk, laugh and move to music together.

From the early 1930s to the late 1960s, the Rivoli Dance Palace on Church St, Parramatta was Western Sydney’s favourite dance hall. It was demolished in 1973 to make way for an office development. Now nothing remains of ‘The Riv’ except the stories of the people who danced there.

Dancers rehearsing a routine with band instruments in background
Dancers rehearsing a routine with band instruments in background

Dance Makers Collective brings those stories to life in a tribute to the rituals of social dance and the human drive toward belonging and togetherness.

Staged in the heritage-listed Granville Town Hall, The Rivoli invites you and your favourite dance partner to be swept into an immersive exploration of mid-century nightlife, desire and social connection.

The show includes performances by the Greg Poppleton Trio: Greg Poppleton (vocals) Cazzbo Johns (sousaphone) Grahame Conlon (guitar and banjo)

Dance Makers at rehearsal
Dance Makers at rehearsal for ‘The Rivoli’ in Granville Town Hall with the band instruments in the background

SYDNEY FESTIVAL

Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia’s largest city, Sydney that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists and includes contemporary and classical music, dance, circus, drama, visual arts and artist talks. The festival attracts approximately 500,000 people to its large-scale free outdoor events and 150,000 to its ticketed events, and contributes more than A$55 million to the economy of New South Wales.

The Festival has a history of presenting Australian premieres and many of Australia’s most memorable productions such as Cloudstreet have resulted from Sydney Festival’s commitment to nurture local artists. It has brought many of the world’s great artists to Sydney for the first time including: Ariane Mnouchkine and Thèâtre du Soleil (Flood Drummers), Robert Wilson (The Black Rider), Robert Lepage (Far Side of the Moon, The Andersen Project, Lipsynch), George Piper Dances, Netherlands Dance Theatre, James Thiérrée (Junebug Symphony, Au Revoir Parapluie), Philip Glass, Ian McKellen (Dance of Death), Batsheva Dance Company, National Theatre of Scotland (Black Watch, Aalst), Christopher Wheeldon Company, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Al Green, Katona Jozsef Theatre, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, The National, Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsom.

Come to the show: 8pm, Tues 22 Jan – Sat 25 January 2020. Granville Town Hall. TICKETS

My Blue Heaven – Live Clip


Greg Poppleton and band specialise in Tin Pan Alley jazz and swing from the 1920s and 1930s.
Website https://www.gregpoppletonmusic.com.
Apple iTunes https://music.apple.com/us/album/20s-…

In this clip, filmed in Penrith for a Saturday Jazz Concert, Greg sings the 1927 Walter Donaldson song, My Blue Heaven.

With Greg Poppleton in the band are:
Damon Poppleton – alto sax
Geoff Power – sousaphone
Grahame Conlon – guitar

“FIVE STARS. Poppleton’s vocals capture the essence of the 1920s- 1930s with uncanny accuracy”- John Gilbert, eJazzNews (U.S)

Press Release – New Album ’20s 30s Tin Pan Alley Volume 1′


PRESS RELEASE
Greg Poppleton Releases Volume 1 in his Three Part Album Series,
‘20s 30s Tin Pan Alley Vol. 1’

Greg Poppleton 20s 30s Tin Pan Alley Volume 1

Greg Poppleton has released the first volume in a three album series called, ‘20s 30s Tin Pan Alley’  as a limited edition CD and downloads.

Listen to ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ in German and English as a thank you to the band’s may online fans in Germany…

Available now at
Bandcamp: https://gregpoppleton.bandcamp.com/album/20s-30s-tin-pan-alley-vol-1

CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/gregpoppleton

Apple iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/20s-30s-tin-pan-alley-vol-1/1477720009

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5CckWNaTr68d3Bdo0gH03G

Greg describes himself as an authentic 1920s – 30s singer. “While I wasn’t alive in the 20s and 30s,” Greg says, “I fulfil all the other qualities of authentic for this style of vocal jazz and swing.”

  1. When he was 3, he saw Louis Armstrong on TV and fell in love with the music. He was hooked on 20s jazz and 30s swing from then on and is a rarity in that to get to this music he didn’t migrate from some ‘youth’ music genre. I’m totally uninfluenced by other music.
  2. Vocalists in the 20s and 30s needed strong voices to be heard. Greg’s a classically trained singer. His coach had been taught by Tito Schipa and Lauritz Melchior.
  3. He’s not a jazz instrumentalist holding a tune while putting on a megaphone voice.

The nine songs on the album include a special German and English version of ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ as a thank you to the many fans Greg has in Germany.

Greg Poppleton 20s 30s Tin Pan Alley CD

  • Website: https://www.gregpoppletonmusic.com
  • Tour schedule:
    October 12 – One Enchanted Evening – magic & music show Sydney
    November 9 – Saturday Jazz – Penrith
    January 18 – Saturday Jazz – Penrith
    February 1 – Great Art Deco Ball – 1920s Festival Katoomba
    March 15 – Jazz At The Pines – Dural
    August 12 – Bondi Pavilion
    October 20 – Private Event
  • Album release details:
    Greg Poppleton – 1920s – 30s vocals
    Al Davey – trumpet and trombone
    Paul Furniss – alto sax and clarinet
    Grahame Conlon – guitar, banjo and ukulele
    Geoff Power – sousaphone
    Rod Herbert – sousaphone (song 6)
    Adam Barnard – washboard and snare
    Lawrie Thompson – drums and washboard (songs 2, 6, 8)

    Recorded by Peter Gage, Paul Mirtschin and Peter O’Malley, Sydney.
    Phil Punch and Jem Hoppe, Electric Cave.
    Mixed by Phil Punch and Jem Hoppe, Electric Cave, Sydney.
    Mastered by Bob Scott, Bob Scott Audio Design and Recording, Sydney.
    Artwork by Michele Tenaglia, Turin.

  • Discography:
    (2006) The Phantom Dancer
    (2012) Doin’ The Charleston
    (2013) Sweet Sue
    (2016) Back In Your Own Backyard
    (2019) 20s 30s Tin Pan Alley Vol. 1

BIO
Greg Poppleton has been leading bands singing the songs of the 1920s – 30s since 1994. He began his present band in 2002. Since then, Greg has played jazz festivals and venues in Australia and the Waiheke International Jazz Festival in New Zealand. Two of Greg’s albums have been played on Sydney commercial radio. Greg has also been an award-winning jazz broadcaster since 1985. His Phantom Dancer radio show is heard on over 20 radio stations across Australia and online.

“FIVE STARS. Poppleton’s vocals capture the essence of the 1920s- 1930s with uncanny accuracy.”
— John Gilbert, eJazzNews (U.S)

“Last year at the Melbourne Jazz Festival and the Thredbo Jazz Festival I saw some great acts. I made Greg Poppleton an offer [to play at the Waiheke International Jazz Festival] on the spot.”
— John Quigley, Director Waiheke International Jazz Festival

“Captures the 1920s – 1930s vocal style to perfection.”
— Kevin Jones 102.5 Fine Music FM

“Absolutely flooring. Greg Poppleton’s 1920s – 1930s jazz and swing always hits the spot.”
— Women’s Vintage Radio (U.S)

“Greg Poppleton was considered a little eccentric growing up in the mid-‘70s, rifling through the back shelves of music stores looking for recordings from the Swing Era”
— Sue Javes, Sydney Morning Herald

“Greg nails the 1920s vocal stylings.”
— Bill Lawson, Radio Adelaide

“Awesome. Totally fun.”
— Jesse Miner – ‘Hey, Mr Jesse’ Swing Podcast (US)

“Poppleton and company get inside each tune with their complete commitment to the style.”
— Budd Kopman, All About Jazz (U.S)

“Hi Greg. I “met” you (not in person) during your Friday evening performance at the Waiheke Jazz Festival. I live my life on purpose and in the moment, rarely missing a calling / opportunity. However, during your performance I totally froze when you made eye contact, and I could not bring myself to talk to you afterwards. I regret not telling you that your music has moved and inspired me. Thank you for giving of yourself so generously! With best wishes for your future,”
— W.T.  NZ

’20s 30s Tin Pan Alley Vol. 1′ available now at
Bandcamp: https://gregpoppleton.bandcamp.com/album/20s-30s-tin-pan-alley-vol-1

CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/gregpoppleton

Apple iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/20s-30s-tin-pan-alley-vol-1/1477720009

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5CckWNaTr68d3Bdo0gH03G

Greg Poppleton

Greg Poppleton Makes Jazz Deco Pop! Sydney Rowers 22 April


On Sunday, Australia’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer, Greg Poppleton, returned with his Jazz Deco music to Sydney Rowing Club. And we’ll be back at there, Sunday 5 August.

Enjoy these photos from the Greg Poppleton Sydney Rowers show. And join the band Mailing List at the end of this article for the free  monthly newsletter…

Greg Poppleton makes jazz deco op

SUNDAY JAZZ

By the beautiful Parramatta River…

Sunday jazz greg poppleton sydney rowing club 22 april

GREG POPPLETON MAKES JAZZ DECO POP!

Australia’s only authentic 1920s – 1930s singer and band…

greg poppleton sydney 1920s 1930s jazz singer

ALL ABOUT SWING

Cody and Lexie from All About Swing strutted their stuff on the dance carpet.
Other couples joined in when we went Latin with songs like Amapola, El Mansiero, Tea for Two and South of the Border.

all about swing dancers cody and lexieCody and Lexie dancing to Greg Poppleton 1920s 1930s swing jazz band

IN THE GREG POPPLETON BAND: ALTO SAX

Damon Poppleton…

Damon Poppleton alto sax

WASHBOARD AND DRUMS

Adam Barnard…

Adam Barnard drums and washboard

DOUBLE BASS

Dave Clayton, who also joined Greg in a vocal duet on ‘Yes, We Have No Bananas’.

Dave Clayton double bass

GUITAR AND BANJO

Grahame Conlon…

Grahame Conlon guitar and banjo

BOOKINGS

Book Greg Poppleton for your club, special occasion and party.
Website: gregpoppleton.com
Email: tony@ozmanagement.com
Phone: 61 407 941 263

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See you next time, Sunday 5 August, at Sydney Rowing Club, 613 Great North Road, Abbotsford. 3 – 6pm. FREE!