Graeme Emerson Bell was born in 1914 in Richmond, Victoria,to John Alexander Bell, who had performed musical comedy and music hall on the early Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) radio, and Mary Elvina "Elva" (née Rogers) Bell, who had been a contralto recitalist in Dame Nellie Melba's company. His younger brother, Roger Bell (1919–2008), was also a jazz musician.
From the age of 12, Bell had weekly piano lessons in classical music by Jesse Stewart Young, a contemporary of his mother. His parents paid for the piano lessons for the first four years. He attended Scotch College in 1929 and 1930, where he enjoyed playing cricket and creating contemporary art including sketches for the Scotch Collegian. He left school at age 16 during the Great Depression and worked for T & G Insurance as a clerk for over nine years, and had a stint as a farm hand. He paid for his own piano lessons for two further years, and in later years he supplemented his income by teaching.
Bell was converted to jazz by his brother Roger, a drummer, later a singer and trumpeter. Roger would play 78s on the family's record player, including Fats Waller's "Handful of Keys". Bell started playing jazz in 1935 with Roger at Melbourne dances and clubs. One of his earliest gigs was at the Portsea Hotel. While performing at Portsea, he met Margot Byass. They were married for several years. Bell later said "we were victims of the war".
By 1941 he fronted his own Graeme Bell Jazz Gang. During World War II, Bell was declared unfit for active service, so he entertained Australian troops, including travelling to Mackay, Queensland in early 1943. After his return to Melbourne, Bell became a full-time professional with the Dixieland Jazz Band, which included Roger Bell, Geoff Kitchen, Adrian "Lazy Ade" Monsbourgh on trumpet, Don "Pixie" Roberts on clarinet, Lou "Baron" Silbereisen and Russ Murphy. Bell's first recordings were for William Miller's Ampersand label in 1943. In 1946, he married Elizabeth Watson (1911–2007). Their marriage lasted until 1961. Their daughter Christina was born during the band's first overseas tour.
Bell became leader of the house band for the Eureka Youth League (formerly the Communist Youth League) and established a cabaret, the Uptown Club, in 1946.After playing at the inaugural Australian Jazz Convention in December, Bell's band was renamed Australian Jazz Band and became the first such band to tour Europe. Australian Jazz Band members were initially, Bell on piano, Roger Bell on cornet and vocal, Monsbourgh on valve trombone, clarinet and vocal, Roberts on clarinet, Silbereisen on bass and tuba, with Charlie Blott, Ian Pearce and Jack Varney on banjo and guitar. They toured Czechoslovakia for four and a half months in 1947, including playing at the World Youth Festival in Prague. "The Lizard", an improvisation recorded in the studio for Regal Zonophone Records in June, was Bell's first composition. Another early recording was his composition, "Czechoslovak Journey", which was started in his studio in Bourke Street, Melbourne and recorded together with 14 other tracks for Czechoslovak Journey by Supraphon in Prague on 23 September and 13 November 1947 and released in 1981 on LP.
Australian Jazz Band travelled to the United Kingdom in early 1948 and Bell started the Leicester Square Jazz Club, playing music specifically for dancing, which continued into the 1950s. They played songs outside the standard jazz repertoire and, with their encouragement of dancing, caused concern to local jazz enthusiasts, but were popular with patrons. According to The Age, his "band's music was hailed for its distinctive Australian edge", which he describes as "nice larrikinism" and "a happy Aussie outdoor feel". The Cootamundra Jazz Band was one of many to be influenced by Bell's music.
During the early 1950s Bell periodically returned to UK and Europe from Melbourne to perform, a later line-up of Australian Jazz Band was Roger Bell (trumpet), Kitchen, Ade Monsbourgh (trumpet & alto), Pixie Roberts (clarinet), Baron Silvereisen (Bass & Tuba) with Norman "Bud" Baker (Guitar & Banjo), Deryck "Kanga" Bentley (Trombone) and Johnny Sangster (drums and cornet). On 1 May 1951 they appeared at Oxford Town Hall. On 15 September 1951, this line-up recorded a concert with Big Bill Broonzy at the Robert Schumann Saal in Düsseldorf, Germany; which was later released as Big Bill Broonzy in Concert with Graeme Bell & his Australian Jazz Band.
''The Lizard / The Woodbourne Strut'' [And His Dixieland Jazz Band] 1947 Regal Zonophone
''Shabby Gal Rag / Old Man's Beard'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1949 Parlophone
Bell was converted to jazz by his brother Roger, a drummer, later a singer and trumpeter. Roger would play 78s on the family's record player, including Fats Waller's "Handful of Keys". Bell started playing jazz in 1935 with Roger at Melbourne dances and clubs. One of his earliest gigs was at the Portsea Hotel. While performing at Portsea, he met Margot Byass. They were married for several years. Bell later said "we were victims of the war".
By 1941 he fronted his own Graeme Bell Jazz Gang. During World War II, Bell was declared unfit for active service, so he entertained Australian troops, including travelling to Mackay, Queensland in early 1943. After his return to Melbourne, Bell became a full-time professional with the Dixieland Jazz Band, which included Roger Bell, Geoff Kitchen, Adrian "Lazy Ade" Monsbourgh on trumpet, Don "Pixie" Roberts on clarinet, Lou "Baron" Silbereisen and Russ Murphy. Bell's first recordings were for William Miller's Ampersand label in 1943. In 1946, he married Elizabeth Watson (1911–2007). Their marriage lasted until 1961. Their daughter Christina was born during the band's first overseas tour.
Bell became leader of the house band for the Eureka Youth League (formerly the Communist Youth League) and established a cabaret, the Uptown Club, in 1946.After playing at the inaugural Australian Jazz Convention in December, Bell's band was renamed Australian Jazz Band and became the first such band to tour Europe. Australian Jazz Band members were initially, Bell on piano, Roger Bell on cornet and vocal, Monsbourgh on valve trombone, clarinet and vocal, Roberts on clarinet, Silbereisen on bass and tuba, with Charlie Blott, Ian Pearce and Jack Varney on banjo and guitar. They toured Czechoslovakia for four and a half months in 1947, including playing at the World Youth Festival in Prague. "The Lizard", an improvisation recorded in the studio for Regal Zonophone Records in June, was Bell's first composition. Another early recording was his composition, "Czechoslovak Journey", which was started in his studio in Bourke Street, Melbourne and recorded together with 14 other tracks for Czechoslovak Journey by Supraphon in Prague on 23 September and 13 November 1947 and released in 1981 on LP.
Australian Jazz Band travelled to the United Kingdom in early 1948 and Bell started the Leicester Square Jazz Club, playing music specifically for dancing, which continued into the 1950s. They played songs outside the standard jazz repertoire and, with their encouragement of dancing, caused concern to local jazz enthusiasts, but were popular with patrons. According to The Age, his "band's music was hailed for its distinctive Australian edge", which he describes as "nice larrikinism" and "a happy Aussie outdoor feel". The Cootamundra Jazz Band was one of many to be influenced by Bell's music.
During the early 1950s Bell periodically returned to UK and Europe from Melbourne to perform, a later line-up of Australian Jazz Band was Roger Bell (trumpet), Kitchen, Ade Monsbourgh (trumpet & alto), Pixie Roberts (clarinet), Baron Silvereisen (Bass & Tuba) with Norman "Bud" Baker (Guitar & Banjo), Deryck "Kanga" Bentley (Trombone) and Johnny Sangster (drums and cornet). On 1 May 1951 they appeared at Oxford Town Hall. On 15 September 1951, this line-up recorded a concert with Big Bill Broonzy at the Robert Schumann Saal in Düsseldorf, Germany; which was later released as Big Bill Broonzy in Concert with Graeme Bell & his Australian Jazz Band.
Whilst touring through Germany, Bell encountered ardent fans: in the band bus, girls, German girls would hide in the band bus behind the seats, and when the band would take off, in the middle of the snow, on these long journeys, they'd reveal themselves [...] some of them would wear wedding rings so that they could get into the hotels with the members of the band and pose as their wives, and they'd purposely speak bad German.— Graeme Bell, 21 August 2006
After returning to Australia for another national tour Bell met Dorothy Gough in Brisbane in 1955 and she convinced him to relocate to Sydney in 1957. Aside from playing, Bell was one of the leading promoters of jazz in Australia, bringing American performers such as trumpet player, Rex Stewart to Australia. There was some opposition from the Australian Musicians Union to foreign artists joining Australian bands, so Stewart had to play standing a metre (3 ft) in front of them to be classified as a soloist.
After relocating to Sydney, Bell played commercial music and taught piano to supplement his income. Bell and Dorothy married in 1961. In the 1960s, a trad jazz boom in UK encouraged Bell to form the Graeme Bell All Stars and tour there. This band included, Monsbourgh on clarinet, trombone, alto saxophone and second trumpet, and Bob Barnard on trumpet. Bell recalled his approach with the band: ''I inherited some of my parents' showbusiness ability to operate from the stage, talk to the audience that was the creative period of my life, really. And I learnt how to try and get the best out of musicians to produce a band and produce a sound. My own piano playing became quite secondary to the whole thing.''— Graeme Bell, 21 August 2006
After returning to Australia for another national tour Bell met Dorothy Gough in Brisbane in 1955 and she convinced him to relocate to Sydney in 1957. Aside from playing, Bell was one of the leading promoters of jazz in Australia, bringing American performers such as trumpet player, Rex Stewart to Australia. There was some opposition from the Australian Musicians Union to foreign artists joining Australian bands, so Stewart had to play standing a metre (3 ft) in front of them to be classified as a soloist.
After relocating to Sydney, Bell played commercial music and taught piano to supplement his income. Bell and Dorothy married in 1961. In the 1960s, a trad jazz boom in UK encouraged Bell to form the Graeme Bell All Stars and tour there. This band included, Monsbourgh on clarinet, trombone, alto saxophone and second trumpet, and Bob Barnard on trumpet. Bell recalled his approach with the band: ''I inherited some of my parents' showbusiness ability to operate from the stage, talk to the audience that was the creative period of my life, really. And I learnt how to try and get the best out of musicians to produce a band and produce a sound. My own piano playing became quite secondary to the whole thing.''— Graeme Bell, 21 August 2006
His recording output was significant and he released many singles and albums under the following: Graeme Bell's Australian Jazz Band, Graeme Bell And His Skiffle Gang, Graeme Bell And His Dixieland Jazz Band, Graeme Bell And His All Stars, Graeme Bell's Original Jazz Band. The labels he recorded on were Columbia, Parlophone, Swaggie, Festival, W&G, Zyp Jazz and others.
After researching for five years, Bell wrote his autobiography Graeme Bell, Australian Jazzman that was published in 1988. It contains a discography compiled by Jack Mitchell. Bell was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 1997 with The Bee Gees and Paul Kelly. By 1999, Bell had made over 1,500 recordings and performed in thousands of gigs in Australia and internationally. The Australian Jazz Awards, or "The Bells", which commenced in 2003, are named in his honour. At the inaugural ceremony on 28 August, Bell inducted his former band member from 60 years earlier, Ade Monsbourgh, into the Graeme Bell Hall of Fame. Bell died on 13 June 2012 after a stroke, aged 97.
After researching for five years, Bell wrote his autobiography Graeme Bell, Australian Jazzman that was published in 1988. It contains a discography compiled by Jack Mitchell. Bell was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 1997 with The Bee Gees and Paul Kelly. By 1999, Bell had made over 1,500 recordings and performed in thousands of gigs in Australia and internationally. The Australian Jazz Awards, or "The Bells", which commenced in 2003, are named in his honour. At the inaugural ceremony on 28 August, Bell inducted his former band member from 60 years earlier, Ade Monsbourgh, into the Graeme Bell Hall of Fame. Bell died on 13 June 2012 after a stroke, aged 97.
SINGLES
''Tessa's Blues / South'' [And His Dixieland Jazz Band] 1947 Regal Zonophone''The Lizard / The Woodbourne Strut'' [And His Dixieland Jazz Band] 1947 Regal Zonophone
''Shabby Gal Rag / Old Man's Beard'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1949 Parlophone
''Czechoslovak Journey / Is That The Way?'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1949 Parlophone
''Chicken And Almonds / Free Man's Blues'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1949 Parlophone
''Chicken And Almonds / Free Man's Blues'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1949 Parlophone
''Jumbuck Jamboree / Ole Miss'' [and His Orchestra] 1950 Swaggie
''Wolverine Blues / Sobbin' Blues'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''Irish Black Bottom / At A Georgia Camp Meeting'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate / Fidgety Feet'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Wilco
''Mississippi Mud / Play It A Long Time Papa'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''My Baby Just Cares For Me / Maple Leaf Rag'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''Rocking Horse Rag / Black And Tan Fantasy'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1952 Parlophone''Big Walkabout / Nullabor'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1952 Parlophone
''Gamblin' Man Skiffle Board Blues'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''Don't Rock Me Daddy-O / John Henry'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''Sweet Georgia Brown / Freight Train'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''The Gospel Train / Come Skiffle Chicken'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''Wolverine Blues / Sobbin' Blues'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''Irish Black Bottom / At A Georgia Camp Meeting'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate / Fidgety Feet'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Wilco
''Mississippi Mud / Play It A Long Time Papa'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''My Baby Just Cares For Me / Maple Leaf Rag'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1950 Swaggie
''Rocking Horse Rag / Black And Tan Fantasy'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1952 Parlophone''Big Walkabout / Nullabor'' [and His Australian Jazz Band] 1952 Parlophone
''Gamblin' Man Skiffle Board Blues'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''Don't Rock Me Daddy-O / John Henry'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''Sweet Georgia Brown / Freight Train'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''The Gospel Train / Come Skiffle Chicken'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''Gamblin' man / Skiffle Board Blues'' [and His Skiffle Gang] 1957 Columbia
''The Pub With No Beer / Bouquet For The Bride'' [with Johnny Ashcroft] 1958 Golden
''South / Ugly Child'' [And His Dixieland Jazz Band] 1961 Columbia
''In A Persian Market (#82) / Memphis Blues'' [And His All Stars] 1962 Festival
''Paper Doll / Melancholy Baby'' [Original Jazz Band] 1962 W&G
''Rag Trade Rag (#32) / South'' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
''African Waltz / Cedars Of Lebanon'' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
''Hernando's Hideaway / Down By The Riverside'' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
''Just A Gigilo / Balthazar'' [And His All-Stars] 1964 Festival
''Barley Charlie / Quiz Kids Theme (Comedy Cocktail)'' [And His All-Stars] 1964 Festival
''Put On A Happy Face / In A Persian Market'' [All Stars] 1972 Festival
''Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose / Mrs. Johnson's Happiness Emporium'' [All Stars] 1973 Festival
''Black And White Rag / Mississippi Mud'' 1974 Festival
''At The Darktown Strutters Ball / 12th. Street Rag'' [And Mr. Bones (Trevor Allen)] 1982 Sea Horse
''The B.V.D. Song / Bluin' The Blues'' Studio 20
'Graeme Bell's Australian Jazz Band' 1959 Swaggie
'Graeme Bell And His All Stars' 1962 Marchants Jazz
''The Pub With No Beer / Bouquet For The Bride'' [with Johnny Ashcroft] 1958 Golden
''In A Persian Market (#82) / Memphis Blues'' [And His All Stars] 1962 Festival
''Paper Doll / Melancholy Baby'' [Original Jazz Band] 1962 W&G
''Rag Trade Rag (#32) / South'' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
''African Waltz / Cedars Of Lebanon'' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
''Hernando's Hideaway / Down By The Riverside'' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
''Just A Gigilo / Balthazar'' [And His All-Stars] 1964 Festival
''Barley Charlie / Quiz Kids Theme (Comedy Cocktail)'' [And His All-Stars] 1964 Festival
''Put On A Happy Face / In A Persian Market'' [All Stars] 1972 Festival
''Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose / Mrs. Johnson's Happiness Emporium'' [All Stars] 1973 Festival
''Black And White Rag / Mississippi Mud'' 1974 Festival
''At The Darktown Strutters Ball / 12th. Street Rag'' [And Mr. Bones (Trevor Allen)] 1982 Sea Horse
''The B.V.D. Song / Bluin' The Blues'' Studio 20
EPs
'Graeme Bell's Australian Jazz Band' 1956 Swaggie'Graeme Bell's Australian Jazz Band' 1959 Swaggie
'Graeme Bell And His All Stars' 1962 Marchants Jazz
'The Bell Band' [Original Jazz Band] 1962 W&G
'Series 1 Featuring Graeme Bell And His All Stars' 1962 Zyp Jazz
'Graeme Bell And His All Stars Volume II' 1962 Zyp Jazz
'In A Persian Market' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
'That's A Plenty' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
'Hernando's Hideaway' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
'(Graeme Bell and Canada's Climax Jazz Band) Live In Toronto' 1975 Interfusion
'Series 1 Featuring Graeme Bell And His All Stars' 1962 Zyp Jazz
'Graeme Bell And His All Stars Volume II' 1962 Zyp Jazz
'In A Persian Market' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
'That's A Plenty' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
'Hernando's Hideaway' [And His All Stars] 1963 Festival
ALBUMS
'A Programme By Graeme Bell And His Australian Jazz Band' 1952 Parlophone
' Rex Stewart With Graeme Bell And His Australian Jazz Band' 1954 Swaggie
'Piano In Ragtime' 1954 Parlophone
'Graeme Bell At The Sylvania' 1960 Parlophone'Trad Jazz' [and His All Stars] 1962 Festival
'Rag Trade Rag + II' [and His All Stars] 1963 Festival'At The Chevron - Live' 1964 Festival
'Corroboree in Dixie' [and His All Stars] 1967 RCA
'Best Of Bell' [and His All Stars] 1972 Calendar
'Pop Goes Graeme Bell All Stars' 1973 Festival
'Pop Goes Graeme Bell All Stars' 1973 Festival
'Down By The Riverside' [and His All Stars] Universal 1974
'The Music Of Graeme Bell (Featuring Ragtime, Jazz & Cakewalks)' 1974 Festival
'Downtown With Graeme Bell' 1974 Festival
'Graeme Bell Live In Concert' 1975 Festival'Downtown With Graeme Bell' 1974 Festival
'(Graeme Bell and Canada's Climax Jazz Band) Live In Toronto' 1975 Interfusion
'On The Road' 1978 Sea Horse
'Jazz' 1980 Sea Horse
'Hold That Tiger' 1983 Sea Horse
'Graeme Bell's 90th Birthday Celebration' 2004 B&W
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Bell
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
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