When creating songs I see myself as the one making pencil drawings. Then all my wonderful musician friends come and add colors. I just need to tell them where to put which color. Then a sound technician arranges for highlights, levels of intensity, soft and warm backgrounds. At the end, thanks to all those talented musicians and technicians, we have a colorful piece of work for others to enjoy.
Pete Hill on Base
Pete has played guitar, bass and keyboards in loads of pub bands since the mid 70s. This has been mainly to provide a valid excuse to family and friends for his spending an inordinate amount of time in licensed premises. Pete’s eclectic influences include Santana, the Bondi Cigars, Stephen Cummings & Geoff Achison. His little studio was home to a week of recording bass, several guitars and keyboard.
Steve Bedford on lead guitar
Steve is a very versatile and tasteful guitar player covering almost all genres (e.g. rock, blues, funk, jazz, country, folk). Steve started playing guitar over 40 years ago and has played in covers and tribute bands ever since. His early influences were Santana, John McLaughlin and Jeff Beck as well as Rush and the Doobie Brothers. Steve was later influenced by jazz players such as Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour. During the ’00s he was the lead guitarist in a Santana tribute band before forming the Little Steely Brothers ten years ago. Steve has recorded one instrumental guitar-based album.
Clare Carrigan on keyboard and vocals
Clare is a real professional from Brisbane. She holds an Associate Diploma of Performing Arts in Jazz and Contemporary Music and has a long history of performances as a soloist and in rock bands. Clare has an excellent musical ear and assists with song arrangement and harmonies. Currently she is also a member of the QPAC choir.
Nigel Pegrum on drums
Nigel Pegrum is a born Welsh covering two main fields: He is a drummer who also plays oboe and flute. And he records and produces music since many years, including this album. Both careers started more than 30 years ago. As a drummer he was band member of The Small Faces and Uriah Heep. Then he joined Steeleye Span for 16 years. The band had a number 2 hit in the UK and #1 hit single in five European countries. Nigel lives and works in Cairns and is a member of several local bands. His experience and talent at the drums gave the rest of the team a safe basis to lay down their tracks.
Nikki Doll backing vocals, harmonies
Nikki is a very highly respected singer in FNQ. She has been a guest singer with a number of ‘A’ team musicians on the ‘corporate’ gig circuit as well as having her own ensemble who have headlined at The Tanks arts centre in Cairns. Nikki is also a member of ‘Tribe of Jubal’ a PNG indigenous band led by ex Yothu Yindi drummer, Ben Hakalitz. Nikki has recorded her own CD of latin jazz tracks supported by a host of renowned Sydney musicians. This is the 2nd time Nikki contributes to an album of Frank.
Libby Brockenshire backing vocals, harmonies
Libby has for many years fronted well known corporate entertainers ‘Tectonic’ but has also worked with a range of notable musicians in her home town of Port Douglas. Libby’s CD was one of the first recordings at Nigel Pegrum’s Select Sound studios in Cairns. Since then Libby has been featured on many of Nigel’s productions including all of the Seaman Dan CDs including his two ARIA winners. When not singing Libby drives a massive earth moving truck on Queensland mining sites. She has contributed my previous album “Yarmouk” too.
Kirk Steel on keyboard and accordion
Kirk Steel did accordion and keyboard tracks for this CD. He too is part of the team that has contributed to my previous album “Yarmouk”. Kirk lives in Cairns since the early 90’s, is semi-retired and still does the projects and gigs he likes. He toured with dozens of Country Music shows and artists including Slim Dusty and Graham Connor. Kirk still plays Tamworth every year with a number of artists. He plays with a variety of local bands from Latin to rock to country to folk.
Simon McMenamin on violin
Simon is a regular contributor to my albums.
Simon studied violin at the Brisbane Conservatorium. He also plays Viola (sounds almost like a Cello). He often works for and with Nigel as studio musician. Simon is a member of The McMenamins, a folk/country sibling duo. He also teaches music at several schools in Cairns.
Mike Rivett on saxophone
Mike Rivett is a highly creative and sought-after jazz saxophonist. Most recently, he was awarded first place in the National Jazz Awards (Australia). This award is regarded as Australia’s most prestigious jazz award.
In 2015, Mike was a finalist in the Freedman Fellowship and performed at the Sydney Opera House.
Mike has performed extensively in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA, where he was based for 2 years. While in New York, he completed a Master of Music Degree at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. At Manhattan School, he spent a lot of time with master saxophonist, George Garzone. From March 2011 to present Mike has held a teaching position in the jazz department at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Russel Harris on trumpet
Russell is a multi instrumentalist: Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Guitarist. He is also a songwriter and singer. Russell is fronting one of Australia’s most versatile cover bands Tectonic and his own Russell Harris Band. Russell’s career spans 20 years as a professional musician, songwriter and performer. He has completed 2 solo albums of original material entitled Simple Life and Survivor and has been main artist on the Naked Melody album (Australian Sun Records) which features the Flugelhorn.
Russell has played on many other Australian artists albums including renowned indigenous performer David Hudson, Songwriter Andy Collins, Aria winner Seaman Dan, Drewz and Tribe of Jubal albums.
Shirley-Ann Rowley on Ukulele
This was Shirley’s first time in a professional recording studio but she did a great job on Little Pacific Island which turned out a much better song than expected. Her uke is giving it the right island feel touch. Shirley is well known in the Cairns Ukule world.