John Leigh Calder
INTERNATIONAL VOCALIST/DOUBLE BASS PLAYER/SONG WRITER/RECORDING ARTIST.
Performing dynamic Jazz/Blues from sophisticated smooth Jazz to up tempo swinging Funky feels.
John started his musical career playing with school friend, Billy Taitoko (Billy T James). He subsequently travelled throughout the country with other national musical identities, before moving overseas.
While based in Sydney and London, he also worked throughout the UK and in Europe, where he performed and featured top UK musicians in his line-ups. These included; John Critchinson (Ronnie Scott's pianist), Colin Wood (Acker Bilks Pianist) and many more.
Currently, he is spreading his work between London, Sydney and New Zealand and he is available for bookings.
Credits include: “Record of the week,” BBC Radio 1, Power Play Radio Luxembourg, BBC Radio and Television, Tyne Tees TV, Wembley Arena, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Hippodrome Theatre Birmingham, Theatre Royal Norwich and many others.
John was a regular guest at London’s famous jazz haunts such as the Pizza Express Jazz clubs, Pimlico Jazz Wine Vault, Booties Jazz Bar, along with numerous festivals and corporate jazz events both in the UK and Europe.
In Australia John has always featured with the cream of Sydney’s top musicians such as Col Nolan, Errol Buddle, John Morrison, Hamish Stuart, Kevin Hunt, Ray Aldridge, Alan Turnbull, Andrew Oh, Col Loughnan, Kerrie Biddell, Evan Mannell, Toby Hall, Matt Baker, Adrian Cunningham along with vocal appearances with Galapagos Duck and others.
He has performed at numerous major festivals, including Manly International Festival, Darling Harbour Jazz Festival, Bellingen Jazz Festival, Wollongong Easter Jazz Festival, Morpeth Jazz Festival, Burwood Festival, The Mackay Jazz Festival, Canada Bay Jazz Festival, Goulburn Blues Festival and New Orleans at The Rocks.
John is also well known in New Zealand through his performances at the Bay of Islands Jazz Festival and the Akaroa Jazz Festival, to name but a couple.
He has worked extensively throughout Europe and Australasia and was featured on the ABC's broadcast of the opening of the Soup Plus in Sydney where he was a regular guest. Sydney venues where he has been booked include: the Vanguard Basement, the Opera House and the Brisbane Jazz Club.
John has also composed music for and appeared in the feature film ‘Bitter and Twisted,’ starring Noni Hazlehurst and Matt Newton. His original music also featured in the 3D film ‘Stood Still’ which was hosted by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, last year and he has just now finished a long residency at Sydney’s Low 302 Volume.
He has recorded four albums of his own and worked on many others
John Leigh Calder Vocals / Double Bass ... Matt Watson Keys .... Roger Mannins Tenor ...Matt Hennessy Drums.
Door Charge:
Members and Students with ID $5.00
Non Members $15.00