by Australia’s only authentic 1920s – 1930s singer
and his band of swingers.
It’s fast. It’s free.
And wait till you get Greg’s jokes!
“Undoubtedly Greg’s best show so far this year.”
The Illawarra Jazz Club writes:
“Back by popular demand, this consummate entertainer will have you tapping your toes, kicking up your heals and just having a bloody great time. Greg is a well loved and respected musician, entertainer, actor and genuinely nice guy. You won’t regret seeing this amazing quintet. Appearing with Greg will be his talented young son, Damon, seen recently at the School Spectacular.”
Greg is backed by his swinging band of:
Geoff Power – ARIA nominee: trumpet & sousaphone
Damon Poppleton – 2018 School Spec jazz soloist: alto sax
Grahame Conlon – TV music maestro: banjo & guitar
Adam Barnard – Makes the refrains run on time: washboard & snare.
Sweet Lorraine is a popular song and jazz standard composed by Cliff Burwell with words by the lyricist of ‘Deep Purple’, Mitchell Parish. It was published in 1928. It was recorded most famously by Rudy Vallee in 1928 and Nat King Cole in 1940.
Here is a live 30 sec clip, with SwingKatz dancers, of Greg Poppleton singing the song with his Sextet.
Enjoy! And if you’re so inclined, please give it a thumbs up on YouTube and share. Thank you.
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…
Australia’s only authentic 1920s – 1930s singer and band…
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.
IN THE GREG POPPLETON BAND: ALTO SAX
Damon Poppleton…
WASHBOARD AND DRUMS
Adam Barnard…
DOUBLE BASS
Dave Clayton, who also joined Greg in a vocal duet on ‘Yes, We Have No Bananas’.
It was especially touching to sing their especially meaningful requested song, ‘At Last’, as they made their entrance into the reception to family and friends.
Marguerite and Andrew chose the Greg Poppleton jazz deco quartet to play for their 1920s styled reception. And as the photographer said to me, “live music, well played, really lifts the vibe at a wedding. You can feel it.”
Greg Poppleton jazz deco 1920s-1930s quartet
The Greg Poppleton band played 1920s instrumentals until dinner. Then Greg Poppleton, Australia’s only authentic 1920s – 1930s singer serenaded the party with songs from the Jazz Age.
Marguerite and Andrew asked Greg to sing, ‘At Last’, for when they entered the reception to huge whistles and applause.
“At last, my love has come along.
My lonely days are over, and life is like a song…”
‘At Last’ was introduced by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the 1941 movie, Sun Valley Serenade. Etta James later recorded the most famous version. Beyonce has also sung it in an Etta James tribute.
In Greg Poppleton’s jazz deco quartet were:
– Greg Poppleton, Australia’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer
– Geoff Power, trumpet and sousaphone
– Dr Mark Pinner, clarinet, alto sax and baritone sax
– Grahame Conlon, guitar and banjo
The reception was held in the romantic Seacliff barn, overlooking Weeri Lagoon. Looking at Werri brought back happy memories for me of walking there from Kiama during a recent holiday with my family.
Werri Lagoon at dusk from Seacliff barn
For those of you familiar with the NSW Southcoast, Seacliff is the stunning white farmhouse just at the Princes Highway turnoff into Gerringong.
Initially the client wanted a big band. They’d already advertised the show as ‘Swing Era’, ‘Glenn Miller’, ‘Big Band’.
But a budget blow-out meant that the client needed a smaller band urgently – a band that could still create a big sound and a dynamic show through an energetic singer and front man.
The Solution:
Call Australia’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer – the client went for the six-piece Greg Poppleton jazz deco band.
After that, no-one in the client group, or the audience, gave the ‘Swing Era’, ‘Glenn Miller’ Big Band a second thought.
Greg Poppleton is Australia’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer and band leader.
He delivered a mix of Jazz Deco swingers and ballads in English, Spanish, German and Italian, with the following band line-up:
Greg Poppleton – authentic 1920s-30s singer
Al Davey – trumpet and trombone
Paul Furniss – alto sax and clarinet
Grahame Conlon – swing guitar and banjo
Dave Clayton – double bass
Lawrie Thompson – swing drums
SwingKatz – swing dance lessons and demonstration
The Result:
The audience sang along and filmed and laughed and danced for a two hour show including lunch.
The client said they would definitely book the band again.
Greg Poppleton jazz deco band and SwingKatz swing dancers
Sound:
Because of the size of the room and the number of guests, 130, we provided our own digital sound system.
We created a pleasant sound for the audience mixed by our engineer with ipad via a wireless connection.
This is something we can do for audiences up to 5000 people.
We filled the big band’s shoes and more. Need an exciting band?
The venue you’re playing at has been undercut by not one, but two, nearby venues.
Audience numbers are down.
What do you do?
Well, if you’re Greg Poppleton at Mosman Bowling Club today, you put on a ‘helluva’ show for the club and the beautiful people who came to see and hear us.
Greg Poppleton Jazz Deco singer channeling the spirits of the 1920s and 1930s
You put on an intimate show – singing to each of the 40 guests individually -from the stage and table by table.
You bring people together and get the audience singing.
You tell personal stories, weave in an amazing anecdote about a song or two or three, and you sing a request or two that brings a tear to the eyes of the requesters.
Greg Poppleton and an over the shoulder shot of some of the audience at Sunday Jazz in Mosman Bowling Club
And you have a swinging band:
Greg Poppleton – 1920s-30s vocals
Grahame Conlon – banjo and guitar
Dave Clayton – double bass
Adam Barnard – drums and washboard
The Greg Poppleton swing rhythm section. Adam Barnard drums and washboard, Dave Clayton double bass, and Grahame Conlon guitar and banjo
In short, you create a ‘helluva’ show with great musicians that makes everyone happy. In fact, everybody left today with a smile and a desire to come back for more. Many left clutching a Greg Poppleton CD sold to them by Bev Evans. A CHILDHOOD HERO.
Having a special occasion? GREG POPPLETON MAKES JAZZ DECO POP!
The Copasetic 1920s – 1930s Jazz Singer and Band are absolutely the Bee’s Knees. 1.17 Million Total YouTube views. We’ll make your special occasion sparkle, too. Enquire now.
Mosman Bowling Club presents a different top notch jazz band for your enjoyment on the first Sunday of every month, 2 – 4:30pm. And they welcome new players and members, too. Get in touch.
A guest photo. Greg Poppleton and Dave Clayton . double bass singing, ‘Yes, We Have No Bananas’.
MRS SPARKLE
Bev Evans was Mrs Sparkle in the Mr Sheen ads. Her talent made the ads hugely successful. As a result, she became Australia’s leading hand and placement model.
I used to watch Mrs Sparkle on TV as a very little kid and marvel at how natural she was while being incredibly precise in her movements. I’ve been in 60 TV commercials myself and looking natural while being ‘big’ as a TVC requires is a rare skill.
And I loved the music. Little did I know then that the song was ‘Mr Gallagher and Mr Sheen’, written in 1922. No, I’m not a ‘make-a-quick-buck-off-the-Great-Gatsby-movie’ blow-in. I’ve loved the music of the 1920s and 1930s eversince I first saw Louis Armstrong on TV when I was three years old.
Actor - Singer - Voiceover 