Think Peggy lee, Doris Day and Julie London, think Sinatra, Sammy and Dino, think Louis Prima, Brian Setzer, Glenn Miller and Count Basie – it’s all here in the same generous dollop of the créme of Perth’s jazz musicians. The contagious rhythms of The Theme from The Blob and Perhaps, Perhaps will have you cha-cha-cha-ing all the way to Carioca-ville! Raucous blues numbers or slick swing tunes made famous by the likes of Shirley Bassey, Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones will see you bopping and shuffling ’til way past last Martinis.
Led by award-winning jazz vocalist Libby Hammer, the fourteen piece ensemble swings in straight from the big band era with a truly BIG sound, boasting four saxophones, three trumpets, two slide trombones, a groovy guitar, tinkling piano, the booming double bass, pounding drums and the jazz chanteuse herself. And when this veritable hatful of young talented musicians gets together, the number one item on the agenda is fun!
THE HIP MO’ TOAST BIG BAND was formed in 1998, specifically to play at the Perth Zoo’s Centenary Celebrations and they soon found themselves in demand at parties and venues around town, landing a Friday residency in the hazy surrounds of the Greenwich Bar beneath His Majesty’s Theatre. Following the closure of The Greenwich, they took their roof-raising antics to the Varga Lounge, staying for an unbelievable 15 months and recording their first EP, “Hip Mo’ Toast Big Band Live”, a perfect testament to the vibe this band creates. After five years lighting up Perth stages, the party got into full swing with the release of the full-length Mischievous Girl, a raucous collection of recordings, both original and traditional, full of jazz standards, cha-chas, mambos, and magnums full of mischief.
HIP MO” TOAST won the Perth Jazz Society Award in recognition of “artistic excellence in performance and outstanding contribution by a group in the area of innovation and jazz advocacy”. The quintet won the Western Australian Music Academy Industry Association Awards for Best Original Jazz Act for six consecutive years. As well as it’s two record-breaking residencies, THE HIP MO’ TOAST BIG BAND’S sought after blend of sophistication and playfulness has been presented at the Perth Jazz Society, The Fly By Night Club, Victory In The Pacific Day and for repeat performances at the Nocturnal Industry Ball and Joondalup Festival as well as numerous gala events, outdoor concerts, festivals and for many distinguished private clients.
