Talent

Melinda Cronin

My Musical Journey

Opportunities come in sometimes the most unlikely of places. When meeting the Women from Gendasa at the Wheatsheaf Hotel Adelaide, who would have guessed I would meet someone who would give me one of the biggest musical opportunities of my life. Enter Markita Bond.

Rewind to 1991. My musical journey started at the Goolwa Folk Festival under the auspices of Mr Keith Preston. I then appeared at SCALA on and off for a few years, until I found my love for Jazz music.

In 2014 I studied Jazz Voice at TAFE and sang in several jazz line-ups. I was lucky enough to play with the likes of Louise Messenger, Dave McEvoy, Ben Riley and the late great James Sked to name a few.

However my passion for song writing stirred me to enter the halls of Adelaide Uni and in 2017 I was accepted to study the degree in Popular Music and Creative Technology.

My love for writing continued, writing a children’s musical called Wings – Story of a Butterfly Princess (wingsbutterflyprincess.com) as well as the album Waking Up a Woman, with songs to accompany the film/documentary, ’I am Markita’.

I continue to write and am currently co-producing an album of my favourite original songs titled ’Water for the Horses’ with the wonderful Mr Quentin Eyers.

I hope you enjoy my music as much as I do.

Leonardo Orlandi

Leonardo Orlandi is an original composer bringing influences from South American rhythms and integrating them within popular and electronic music

Born in Patagonia, Argentina. Orlandi works with talented musicians to complete successful events.

Leonardo’s goal is to improve on his craft by collaborating with musicians in popular and electronic music, while also looking at traditional Latin rhythmic patterns for the addition in modern sounds.

Quentin Eyers

Quentin Eyers was a percussionist with the South Australian Symphony Orchestra before going into business as a composer, specialising in advertising and soundtrack production for films such as “Kiss” (AFI Best Short Film 2013).

He has been a songwriter and album producer for a wide range of artists through Q the Music Studio in Norwood, including Siobhan Owen (Australian Celtic Music Association Producer of the Year 2014), Akhter Jahan, Dya Singh, Brian Gilbertson, Kylie Kain and Dianna Corcoran (Golden Guitar winner).

The co-composer of the Port Adelaide Football Club Song (Power to Win) and many iconic advertising jingles, he has also found time to perform in concert on piano and guitar locally and internationally.

Julian Ferraretto

Violinist and composer Julian Ferraretto has performed with many of the UK’s most important contemporary jazz and world music bands including the Neil Cowley Trio, Eska, and Wigmore Hall’s Ignite Ensemble.

Now living in Australia, Julian continues to collaborate internationally with works premiered at the Sydney Opera House, Wigmore Hall and The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Gigs at Grainger’ series.

Angela Carter

Originally from Canada, Angela studied classical flute through the Toronto Royal Conservatory Of Music. She later studied Jazz improvisation through the Vancouver Island University and has had the privilege to perform on flute with a few Jazz legends including The Duke Ellington Orchestra (led by Duke’s Grandson Mercer Ellington), Wally Gator-Watson, Al Grey and Dianna Krall.

Angela has a Diploma in Music Composition through Berklee School Of Music Canada, and a Diploma in Music Performance (voice) through Tafe SA with the Advanced Diploma component in Music Teaching. Angela now teaches private music lessons in Adelaide’s Western Suburbs.

Jack Overall

Jack Overall began learning the cello with Ruth Saffir, and later attended Marryatville High School Special Interest Music Centre.

He has performed with with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Baroque, and as part of the Coriole Music Festival (2022) and Chamber Music Adelaide’s On The Terrace (2021). Jack has been awarded Adelaide Eisteddfod’s most outstanding string player (2018), 5MBS Young Virtuoso Finalist (2019), and is the recipient of many scholarships from the Elder Conservatorium.

Performance highlights include as soloist in Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra (2021), solo recitals for Flinders University (2021) and Recitals Australia lunchtime series (2021/22), and the Australian premiere of Lucas Debargue’s Piano Trio (2019). Jack is currently studying with Simon Cobcroft at the Elder Conservatorium.

Damien Steele Scott

Damien Steele Scott has been playing bass professionally since he was 16 years old.

Since studying jazz performance at Adelaide University from 1990-1992, he has been in demand as a session musician and sideman and, in more recent years, producer for a diverse range of artists in the contemporary music field.

Damien spent the best part of a decade travelling to the USA regularly, and has begun making a name in the songwriting/producing/recording scene in Los Angeles and Nashville. Damien has recorded music for film scores, albums, played in music theatre productions and undertaken concert tours worldwide, from folk music to jazz, pop and rock.

Damien has performed/toured with artists such as Todd Rundgren (USA), Robben Ford (USA), guitar maestros Josh Smith and Kirk Fletcher (USA), James Morrison, Australian music luminaries Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock (LRB), David Campbell, Russell Morris, The Hoax Collective (France), Jack Jones, Thelma Houston, Rhonda Burchmore, Doug Parkinson, Dale Barlow, Venetta Fields, Wendy Stapleton, Carter and Carter, Eric Bogle, Colcannon, James Muller, Felicity Urquhart, Darren Coggan and many, many more.

Zkye Compson-Harris

Zkye Compson-Harris has been a part of the professional music scene one way or another since the age of 16.

Zkye’s first solo album released in 2007, Beyond The Pane is an eclectic lyrical journey moving through the likes of the dark narrative that is “A Fairies Tale” to the biographical story of “The Vow”.

Her follow up album In This Case (2010), was recorded partly in Nashville and partly in Adelaide as she headed towards a slightly more country/rock/soul feel.

Zkye’s third original album Just The Way It Goes (2012) was produced entirely in Nashville and this time she was lucky enough to stumble upon some amazing songwriters that she simply had to record tracks from.

Since then Zkye has released two albums with her 5 piece blues/rock band Zkye Blue and is still writing and recording songs to be release as singles. She has recorded and helped write songs for folks for their own albums and has featured on a movie soundtrack and what will be the backing to a theatre show.

Mario Marino

Mario is a freelance musician and educator and has been working in the music industry for 25 years, taking him to New York, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, Malaysia and Singapore. He has recorded and performed live with local, national and international artists all around the world.

Performing in multiple musical genres and styles he has performed with Hindley Street Country Club, SingItLive, Vince Contarino, Lazy Eye, Eugene Hideaway Bridges (USA), Eric Steckel (USA), Camille O’Sullivan (Ireland), Caroline Nin (France), Lilian Boutee’ (USA), Al Blake and Fred Kaplan (Hollywood Fats Band – USA), Zkye Blue, The Brotherhood of Love, The T Bones, Romaldo Groove and Little Dirty Roots Band to name a few.

Sarah Straschko

Being born in outback South Australia but with Ukrainian roots, Sarah’s music reflects a unique mix of Australian charm and Ukrainian folk mystique.

Many have had the opportunity to witness the angelic voice of Sarah Straschko and her reputation as a charismatic and talented live performer has seen her travel to far parts of South Australia, the east coast and the USA. Going on to study a Bachelor of Jazz Performance and now pursuing her interest in Ukraine’s national instrument, the bandura (with Vodohray Bandura Ensemble, led by Ihor Kushnir), Sarah is developing a strong repertoire across many musical styles.

For this special show with Mel Cronin, Sarah is bringing together a full band: ‘Funky Pants’ Sam Moody, Barnabas Bosisto, Zed Crawford and Kyron Raiden Weetra are uniting to play as a part of Sarah Straschko and the Working Class Men.

Freddy Payne

Fred is a musician, artist, and cosmic theorist extraordinaire!

Fred was born into a prominent horse racing family in Epsom, UK. Fred was destined to become a jockey. However despite early promise he literally outgrew this calling!

At the time, his father had taken a position as a horse trainer for the legendary Sydney newspaper magnate, Sir Frank Packer (father of Kerry Packer), hence the family’s move to Australia.

No longer able to pursue a career ‘in the saddle’, Fred became an apprentice sign writer, and a lifelong love of lettering and classic fonts was born, a subject on which Fred can expound for hours!

Fred bought his first trumpet in 1957, at the age of 20 and by 1960 he was playing professionally in Sydney. He was renowned for his mercurial playing style and he featured in early ABC jazz broadcasts from the ‘Musician’s Club’ at the time.

An early highlight in his career was a seven month gig in 1968, playing in the Sydney production of the rock musical ‘Hair’.

Fred moved to Adelaide in 1973 to join a soul band, formed by singer Freddy Hampton. He later worked with vocalist Sue Barker in her band Onions, then joined Sybil Graham in Alice’s Wonderband. During this period Fred made numerous recordings, The Alice’s Wonderband recording in particular is still a very much sought after classic. Besides Sybil Graham, other artists in the band included Jerry Wesley and Dean Birbeck.

Freddy continues to ‘blow his horn’ for friends and family and occasionally sits in at the Southern Jazz Club, Marion Hotel, SA. Freddy is a much loved and revered member of the SA Jazz Community.

Grant Hutchesson

Grant has been working as a professional musician for 15+ years around Adelaide and South Australia, as well as shows interstate and overseas.

Performance wise, he has a wealth of experience – almost every kind of gig imaginable – from small intimate pub gigs, fringe & cabaret festival shows, festival of music performances, weddings, right through to corporate shows and events at venues such as the Entertainment centre, Thebarton Theatre and the Adelaide Oval.

His diverse performance formats include acoustic duos, jazz ensembles, piano accompanist for choirs/soloists, and rock/pop ensembles of all sizes.

Grant has completed a Bachelor of Music (Jazz performance) in piano and regularly gigs on keyboards, but plays guitar too.

He has played with popular artists such as Dino Jag, Amity Dry, Brian Ruiz and Hans The German (to name just a few) and even once supported ‘The Proclaimers’ whilst gigging at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dubai.