I was born in Greymouth on the remote West Coast of the South Island of NZ. Our family had little resources or opportunity, but I grew up in an era where people would gather around the piano and sing together. From when I was very young I played piano while everybody sang along or played tea chest basses, eggbeaters, combs, violins, even an old saxophone.
I had an Auntie who played honky tonk style, and heard Winifred Atwell along with early rock n roll on our old Columbus Radio in the kitchen. Playing piano from the moment I could reach the keys, and being spurred on by my older sister and brother who both played, I studied classical very seriously, becoming a star student, passing all my grades with distinction and gaining a very prestigious place (one of 4 students from the whole of NZ) to study a 5 year classical piano degree at Auckland University. Although I loved classical music, by the end of the degree I wasn’t happy to be a concert pianist or, more likely, a piano teacher. So I cut off my hair, and moved to Wellington where I experimented with different styles of music, working in an independent theatre group and then rock bands.
In 1980 my band, “Coup D’Etat” had a No. 1 hit with the song “Doctor I Like Your Medicine”, after which I moved across the Tasman to Sydney, playing in bands and piano bars as well as writing music for films. It was some years later before I found my own voice, as a boogie piano player and songwriter. So here I am, still resident in Sydney, but constantly touring to play festivals, concerts and shows around the world, (even a recent trip to China), and I am grateful for the success and musical path I have found. I am still enormously passionate about music and have so much more to play, sing and write!
Album:
The Cool Boogie Woogie
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 86.9 MB
Styles: Piano blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front
[3:43] 1. The Cool Boogie Woogie
[2:37] 2. Tonight's The Night
[3:11] 3. Boatshed Boogie
[2:48] 4. Leavin' Town Blues
[2:42] 5. Devil Take Me Tonight
[2:48] 6. Lookin' For Things
[3:02] 7. Ivan The Cool
[3:52] 8. It's Raining In Hamburg
[3:23] 9. The Boogie Gal
[3:12] 10. Everybody Knows But Me
[3:12] 11. The Piano Has The Blues
[3:24] 12. At Marchwood
The Cool Boogie Woogie mc
The Cool Boogie Woogie zippy
Album:
My Room Of Pianos
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:47
Size: 114.0 MB
Styles: Piano blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front
[3:55] 1. Angel (Having Trouble With My Wings)
[3:54] 2. Blood From A Stone
[3:12] 3. My Room Of Pianos
[3:23] 4. Eat Chocolate And Cry
[2:44] 5. Don't Mess With My Man
[3:43] 6. Pain In My Heart
[3:52] 7. Middle Of The Night
[3:32] 8. Can't Get You Back
[3:14] 9. Out Of The House
[3:22] 10. My Mother's Keeper
[3:25] 11. Ugly Papa
[5:02] 12. The Women's Room
[4:20] 13. To Feel You
[2:00] 14. Motherless Child
My Room Of Pianos mc
My Room Of Pianos zippy