Nichaud fitzgibbon biography channel

The Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra is an Australian cultural icon, bringing together Melbourne’s most exceptional instrumentalists to perform original jazz music as well as accompany some of the country’s finest local and international performances across multiple genres and mediums. 

The DMJO is a hugely important part of Australian music history. The ensemble began in the 1980’s as the Graeme Lyall Orchestra and the Australian Showband. It was in the 1990’s however that the orchestra began to hit its stride as the band for the iconic Australian TV show ‘Hey Hey its Saturday’, under the leadership of musical director, trombonist, composer and arranger Daryl McKenzie. Since this time, the orchestra has continued to diversify and broaden its audience to include the jazz-going public as well as commercial and corporate contexts.

The DMJO’s experience with international artists is unparalleled in Australian music. They have backed artists as significant as Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Barry Manilow, Bonnie Raitt, Tommy Emmanuel and Billy Thorpe.

Just as importantly, they have sustained long working relationships with some of Australia’s finest performers over the past 20 years. Such artists include Wilbur Wilde, Rhonda Burchmore, Grace Knight and Nichaud Fitzgibbon. They have performed with countless other artists from across the country and the world.

They have performed at various jazz festivals, including in the USA and Malaysia, and major Australian events such as the Melbourne and Adelaide Grand Prix. They have also held a 17-year monthly residency at The Apartment/ Paris Cat Jazz Club, performing original Australian jazz compositions, often by band members including McKenzie, as well as international works.

The DMJO has recorded five critically acclaimed albums of original music, and also recorded sections of the soundtracks for iconic Australian films such as Bran Nue Dae, Two Hands and Love and Other Catastrophes. Members

Mark Fitzgibbon ,Jazz pianist

was born into a strong entertainment tradition.
He is the son of well known Melbourne entertainer Graham “Smacka” Fitzgibbon nephew to actress \singer Maggie Fitzgibbon and grandson to pianist \ vaudevillian Min Fitzgibbon, his sister Nichaud is a famed jazz vocalist.

A piano student of Fred Thomas, Marie Driscoll and Trevor Barnard he also studied alto sax with Peter Clinch.
Mark worked with many leading Melbourne bands in the 80’s including the Vince Jones band and Wilbur Wildes “Blowout”.

In the 80’s moved to UK and performed throughout Europe and UK
In London worked as a freelance pianist regularly performing at the 606 club, Pizza Express and Ronnie Scott’s jazz clubs.
Notable bands included Tommy Chase Qt, Alan Barne’s Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet, Clarke Tracey Gerard Presencer qt, Jean Toussaint, Ruth Rogers Wright Moontwist, The Moodists, Bryan Spring trio, Don Weller ,Art Themen , Henry Lowther qt , Tina May and Claire Martin.
Mark returned to Australia in the 90’s and won the Wangarratta jazz festival piano prize.
He has performed throughout Australia with many leading Jazz Artists such as Dale Barlow, Bernie Mcgann,  James Morrison, Grace Knight.

A highly regarded jazz pianist, Mark has continues to be demand within Australia as a solo artist, accompanist, composer and recording artist on stage, TV and radio.
He has accompanied American jazz stars Scott Hamilton, Lee Konitz, John Stubblefield  and vocalists Mark Murphy ,  Veronica Swift and Patti Austin on their Australian tours

Mark  currently performs in Melbourne with his jazz  trio ,  and is accompanist for many of Melbourne’s best vocalists.

He was artist in residence at WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, WA in 2009 lecturing in jazz and piano studies and his  quartet CD “Closer” is available on Jazzhead records.

Mark is currently jazz piano lecturer at VCAAS and Ivanhoe Grammar school.

“Mark Fitzgibbon is one of the most under rated talents in the cou

Graham Francis "Smacka" Fitzgibbon (12 February 1930 – 15 December 1979) was an Australian banjoist and vocalist in the trad jazz idiom. He was a publican in country Victoria and restaurateur in Melbourne.

Biography

Early life

Fitzgibbon was born at Mordialloc, Victoria, the son of Francis Michael Thomas "Frank" Fitzgibbon, clerk, and pianist Minnie "Momma" Fitzgibbon, née Mitchell (died 1989), and nicknamed "Smacka" by Roy Youlden, a bookmaker friend of his father. The actress–singer Maggie Fitzgibbon (30 January 1929 – 8 June 2020) was a sister.

Educated at St Bede's College, he began playing ukulele at an early age before switching to the banjo; his earliest influences were Bing Crosby, Al Bowlly and Louis Armstrong.

Career

In 1951 he began playing with "Frank Johnson’s Fabulous Dixielanders", before forming his own band, "The Steamboat Stompers"; his first album was Frisco Joe's Good Time Boys (1953). His party records on the Melbourne "Paramount" label sold well.

He started working at age 14 as a mechanic, then gained hotel-keeping experience in country Victoria as an employee of the Darnum Hotel. With help from his parents, he became licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Warragul, then after the death of his father, Smacka and his mother took over the Royal Mail Hotel, Wycheproof, In 1967 he opened Melbourne's first jazz restaurant "La Brochette" (Studley Park Road, Kew) and in May 1971 "Smacka's Place", 55 Chetwynd Street, North Melbourne which became a Melbourne institution; his recipe for an enjoyable night out was an ample supply of "good food, good liquor, and good entertainment". Described as "Plump and smiling with a warm and friendly, genial personality", Smacka was a much loved entertainer, a rare breed who left a smile on everyone's face. He was a regular performer on Melbourne television shows, notably Sunnyside Up, In