Graeme Bell

When pianist Graeme Bell (1914-1912) retired in his early 90s, he was able to look back at a 70 year career, which began with gigs around Melbourne with his brother Roger (1919-2008). It was Roger who had persuaded his older brother to switch from classical music to jazz. He led his own bands from 1941, culminating in the Australian Jazz Band, featuring Roger on vocals and cornet, and multi-instrumentalist Adrian ‘Lazy Ade’ Monsbourgh. Bell was important in establishing a young audience for jazz in Australia with his Uptown Club from 1946. The Australian Jazz Band performed and recorded in Czechoslovakia as part of the World Youth Festival in 1947, which led to a successful tour of the country. They settled in Britain in 1948, with a residency at the Leicester Square Jazz Club. They recorded with Big Bill Broonzy in Germany in 1951. Bell also managed to start up a new small group back in Australia, the Ragtime Trio.

From 1957, Bell made Sydney his base. By then, the trad jazz boom in UK was well under way, and Bell would return periodically, while also branching into jazz promotion. His impact on the Australian jazz scene is recognised by the fact that the Australian Jazz Awards, founded in 2003, are colloquially known as ‘The Bells’. In the inaugural year, Bell was able to induct his long-time colleague, Ade Monsbourgh in the Graeme Bell Hall of Fame. Bell himself was awarded an MBE in 1978 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990.

Key Recordings:

Czechoslovak Journey (Supraphon 1947)