Meet the BJC Team
Special Mention
BRISBANE JAZZ JOINT PATRONS
Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland
Professor Graeme Nimmo RFD
Committee Members
Our volunteer committee serves and promotes the club out of passion for jazz. Every year we elect new committee members at our AGM. These people play key roles in ensuring the club’s ongoing success.
David Herbert
President
Known for his luscious grey locks and his enthusiasm for very large dogs, David Herbert has been a strong supporter of the club for many years. Having served on the committee since 2007 and seen its unique development during that time, he is proud to be a contributor to what he knows to be a wonderful club.
David recently retired after a career mainly in government service, where he held professional and management positions. With retirement comes additional time available for hanging around the club, helping in a range of areas (including maintenance and legislative compliance), as well as being a regular duty manager. You’ll also find him attending gigs, during which he’s generally propping up the bar with a glass of red in hand.
Alan Western
Vice President
Well-known as a popular entertainer, Alan’s extensive experience is evident in singing, compering, acting and songwriting for cabaret, radio and TV. Alan joined the Brisbane Big Band (BBB) as resident vocalist in 1989. He was appointed manager in 2008, joining the committee the same year. In 2014, he was appointed vice president of the club, and he remains chairman of music and events.
Apart from running the BBB and his own band, Alan’s sales and marketing roles in the business world support his tireless activity in music events and promotion of the club. In 2012, he inaugurated the first highly successful Brisbane Big Band Festival. His current focus is on encouraging youth, which is how the thriving Brisbane Youth Festival started in 2019.
Tania Mawbey
Treasurer
Brisbane Jazz Club has been supporting local and overseas artists as a ‘not for profit’ community organisation for 50+ years, surviving floods, pandemics, and changing times.
This says a lot about the culture & family that are behind the scenes of the Club and all the wonderful staff, members and volunteers that keep it going and I am proud to me a part of this, and its’s fun.
I too started as a Volunteer a few years ago and with my professional banking & finance background, stepped up to the Treasurer role in 2022, playing my part in helping live music continue at this special location by Brisbane river. Come join us, you are welcome.
Helen Abrahams
Secretary
Helen started volunteering at the club when she retired. It was the calibre of people on the management committee and other volunteers that enticed her to become an active member.
Since she thoroughly enjoyed volunteering, she was happy to take the step up to join the management committee when asked. Her knowledge of government and council processes is useful in club administration and liaison.
Carol Edlin
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Carol moved to Brisbane in 2016 from Christchurch NZ, where she was well-known as a band singer, to live closer to her family.
In 2018 she started volunteering at the BJC after singing one night in the JSJN. Like many other singers she ‘absolutely loves this club’ which she believes is world-class and has so much to offer Brisbane.
Carol proved her worth as a Volunteer to the extent that she was welcomed to join the BJC Committee where she feels very privileged to use her talents to co-ordinate Volunteer activities.
Hamilton Westley
Committee Member
Hamilton has been a dedicated member of the Club since 2015, and his involvement deepened when he joined the committee in 2017. With a rich history of 30 years in Brisbane, he has been an enthusiastic advocate for the thriving live jazz scene. Before making Brisbane his home, he resided in Sydney and frequented renowned jazz venues such as Soup Plus, Pier One, and the Basement, to name just a few. Originally hailing from South Korea and adopted in his childhood, he grew up in Sydney. Hamilton’s professional background primarily encompasses Banking & Finance as well as Business Workout & Turnaround. His unwavering passion, energy, and unwavering commitment to the Club make him a natural fit to steer the Club’s growth for many years to come.
Cameron Jeffs
Committee Member
Cameron began volunteering at the club in 2013. He was a member of the advisory committee overseeing club renovations in 2019. He has bachelor’s degrees in commerce, economics and the arts and has years of experience in audit and project management.
Cameron became a jazz fan after hearing Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew as a teenager. Since then, he’s been a patron at jazz clubs throughout Australia, Europe and the USA.
“Nothing beats the vibe of live music performance. I want to see Brisbane Jazz Club maintain its position as Brisbane’s premier jazz venue, and provide a conduit for artist development.’
Irene McLeod
Committee Member
Starting as a volunteer in 2008, Irene joined the BJC committee in 2011. What she lacks in height, she makes up for with her enthusiasm for the musical experiences that make up the very heart of the Brisbane Jazz Club.
Being retired means she has more time to spend, as an active committee member, on the various duties associated with club involvement, including Duty Managing and other volunteer activities. After 5 years of being volunteer co-ordinator, she now is involved with the weekly production of graphics for BJC facebook, web site, lightbox posters, festival graphics, print and digital media production.
Singing is a passion for her, starting out as a folk singer in her native Scotland. She has performed at the Jazz Club, and she continues to sing and participate in musical happenings around Brisbane.
She is passionate about keeping live music happening at the club, and committed to promoting and working with her fellow committee members, to continue to ensure that Brisbane Jazz Club, retains its rightful place as Brisbane’s No.1 live jazz venue.
It is a great privilege to be a part of the Brisbane Jazz Club committee, and Irene hopes to be able to continue as an active member, jazz enthusiast, and passionate promoter of live music for a few years yet!
Bob Drumgold
Committee Member
Bob was born in Rutherglen (Scotland) in 1950. He left school at the age of 15 and worked in the clothing industry for 50 years.
After working in Glasgow for 15 years, he moved to England to work and then to Hong Kong, Belgium and France. He then retired to Australia in January 2023.
As a teenager of the 60’s, Bob’s musicality was framed by the “Tamala Mowtown” movement, and his preferences now include Jazz, and classical.
Bob is happy to be embraced by the jazz club family, and hopes to make a positive contribution to the club.
Ian Lock
Committee Member
Ian has a passion for live music. He embraces a broad range of music styles, with a particular fondness for soul, blues and jazz.
Stepping away from the demands of full-time employment, Ian started volunteering at the club. There he found a wonderful family made up of musicians, fans and the BJC team.
After a short period of volunteering, he joined the committee in September 2020. His goals are to support and promote live music in Brisbane and, more specifically, to help keep Brisbane Jazz Club a premier live music venue.
Michael Osmond
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Michael joined as a volunteer in 2019 and the committee in 2022, after many years of attending the club. Michael’s introduction to jazz was through a cassette of Bireli Lagrene’s Routes to Django, and it was Oz Manouche that brought him to the Jazz Club. Michael’s enthusiasm for the Brisbane Jazz Club comes from the live music, the variety and quality of the talent in Brisbane, and the people who make up the club.
Darren Baker
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Darren moved to Brisbane in 2014 and one day heard our amazing jazz music from across the river and had to investigate. He immediately became a member and regular attender, and in 2021 joined the volunteer team. He joined the Management Committee in 2023. Darren has many years of management experience with the Commonwealth government and is now a senior advisor to a large multi-national company. Darren is proud to be part of the BJC family, and contribute to seeing the club continue to be one of the top entertainment destinations in Brisbane, and a place to develop the next generation of jazz musicians.
Operational Roles in the Club
A select few paid positions serve as our investment into quality sound, events and customer service. The show must go on, and these people are instrumental in making that happen.
Malcolm Wood
Artistic Director
Mal enjoys the responsibility of securing world-class jazz acts for the club, in which artists paint their live jazz story. He has over 20 years’ experience as a professional musician, band leader and educator. He works to uphold the traditions and integrity passed down from the wonderful jazz musicians and jazz lovers who have established the club as one of the world’s warmest swinging jazz venues.
Every day Mal reviews and responds to applications for performances at the club. Communication with past, present and future jazz artists is essential in achieving a balance between established and emerging jazz styles. Researching and negotiating, he engages live jazz bands from all over the world.
Mark Smith
Sound Engineer
Controlling and producing the sound of the music is an important feature of shows at the club. Mark uses skills from his long-term experience as a musician and sound specialist to produce quality sound. He is well-regarded by musicians, vocalists and patrons alike.
Mark celebrated his 10th year at the club in September 2014. A member of the music & events subcommittee, Mark looks after all the club’s musical, sound and lighting equipment. Mark led the production of the club’s CDs, High Tide I and II. Under his business name, Real Productions, his first-class recordings for artists and bands are always in demand, both at the club and in his own studios.
Rachel Grant
Administration Manager
Rachel has been based in Brisbane for most of her life and has always had an interest in the music scene. With a passion for the industry, this saw her move to London for two years where she developed a background in events and extended her knowledge of business operations. Rachel is excited to bring a fresh approach to the team, as she focuses on identifying opportunities and creating efficiencies. Being passionate about the music scene, Rachel hopes to encourage the next generation to get involved with Jazz and be a part of the Brisbane Jazz Club community.
Lisle Kelly
Bar Coordinator
Lisle first visited the club as a patron in 2014 and loved the atmosphere. He got more involved when he had the opportunity to join the team behind the bar in August 2018. In the years since, he has been coordinating staff and service at the bar.
‘I have seen countless incredible musicians grace the stage and have worked alongside some truly wonderful and passionate people. I feel privileged to have made even a small contribution to the legacy of this Brisbane music scene institution.’
Brad Esbensen
Musical Director: Brisbane Big Band
Brad is a Brisbane-based trumpet player, arranger, composer, copyist and educator. His association with the club stretches back to 1986, including involvement in jazz workshops with Rick Price and as president of the erstwhile Brisbane Junior Jazz Club set up under John Morris.
Among other things, he is currently the musical director for both the Brisbane Big Band (involved since 1987) and Herb Armstrong & the Royal Street Krewe. Both groups perform regularly at the club.