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Brian Ford

Songwriter

About Me

My Jazz Story

A modern jazz quartet has been formed from some of the most talented musicians on the Coast. PlanB jazz specialising in jazz standards written by the great composers of the 20th Century such as Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Miles Davis and many others – these songs capture the essence of a bygone, yet not forgotten age of phenomenal musical output. The quartet’s unique style derives from the culmination of years of collective experiences from Blues, Rock, Reggae, Steel Bands, Folk and of course Jazz. Anna Q on vocals, brings a new dimension to Plan B Jazz with her interpretation of some of the best-loved jazz standards. Anna is a university-trained singer and dancer; and reveals those qualities in her performance. Brian Ford (piano) brings a self-styled mix from a previous life in the Navy where any opportunity to jam ashore in foreign ports was always tantamount. He has at last come in from the cold, sharing his enjoyment of jazz with others. David Merry (tenor sax, soprano sax and flute) since the 70’s, has played Rock, Reggae and Jazz in a wide variety of bands, contemporary jazz being his main love. While living overseas for a number of years, he played in a rock band and a modern jazz group. Ken Gibson (bass) is also adept at piano and steel pans. He has performed with The Platters, Barry Crocker, Frank Ifield, Little Pattie, John Sangster, John Nicol and Robben Ford. He’s also performed at the Noosa Jazz Festival, Australian Jazz Convention, Big Day Out, Woodford Festival as well as in the USA, Canada, UK, NZ, and all states in Australia. Ken was awarded “Best Bass Player” at the coveted Musicians Institute (Los Angeles) in 1981. Noel Bowden (drums/vocals) studied drums with the late Jackie Doogan before moving to Canberra where he completed a tertiary Diploma in Jazz Studies at the Canberra School of Music (ANU). He has always worked as a music teacher, musician, singer and conductor. In the last few years Noel has been the pit drummer for several musicals including ‘The Full Monty’, ‘The Producers’ and ‘The Boy from Oz’.