BOB BERTLES

Bob Bertles (born 1939) is an Australian jazz alto, tenor and baritone saxophonist and bandleader. A self-taught musician, Bertles in the late 1950s and early 60s was a member of the developing modern jazz scene that grew out of venues like the Mocambo in Newtown and the El Rocco Jazz Cellar in Sydney's Kings Cross. Active in clubs, on TV, as a session musician and on the pop-rock scene, he toured with Johnny O'Keefe and The Dee Jays between 1958 and 1963. Bertles led a quartet with Keith Barr and Brian Fagen and Barry Woods, which played at Melbourne's equivalent of Sydney's El Rocco, the Fat Black Pussycat in Toorak.

In 1967 Bertles joined Sydney-based rock-soul band Max Merritt & The Meteors. Only weeks after joining, Bertles, Merritt and drummer Stewie Speer narrowly escaped death after their van collided head-on with a truck on the way to a country dance; all three were seriously injured and Bertles was left with a permanent limp. He recorded two albums with the band ' Max Merritt & The Meteors' (1970) and 'Stray Cats' (1971). In 1972, Bertles left the Meteors while in London, tired of the attitude of the band's manager. "But it all turned out fine for me," he stated, "Because the Nucleus thing came out of that." Four rewarding years followed in this British-based jazz-rock band led by the trumpeter and Miles Davis biographer Ian Carr.

When Bertles returned to Sydney in 1976, he again landed on his feet, slotting into the Col Nolan Quartet for two years. In more recent years Bertles has toured Europe extensively, joined the orchestra for the Australian production of the stage musical Chicago, where he met his future wife, theatre performer Nancye Hayes.In addition to regular concerts, festivals, session work, and touring, Bertles' recent projects include recording and live performances with Sydney's renowned Ten Part Invention. He has released a few albums 'Misty Morning' (1980), 'You Must Believe In Spring' (1985), 'Rhythm of the Heart' (1995 nominated for best jazz album at the ARIA awards) 'Cool Beans' (1998) and 'Moonlight Saving Time' with Toni Lamond in 2000.

ALBUMS

Bob Bertles Moontrane 1979 Batjazz
Misty Morning [with Paul McNamara] 1980 Battyman
You Must Believe In Spring' 1985 Larrikin
Rhythm Of The Heart 1995 Rufus
Cool Beans 1998 Rufus
Moonlight Saving Time [with Toni Lamond] ABC 2000

References

Bob Bertles’ Meteor, Nucleus and Ten Part Quadruple Threat – AustralianJazz.net