MoJO is the Mordialloc Jazz Orchestra
MoJO is a community band that plays transcriptions of classic swing and big band tunes. At a MoJO performance you'll hear music from great artists like Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and so many more!!
There's always a chance to have a dance, so make sure you bring your best dancing shoes. Or maybe you'd prefer to just sit back, listen to the music and be transported back to the great era of the big bands. The band performs around 30 concerts per year, the highlights of which undoubtedly are the Big Bands Sunsets Festival held at the Mordialloc foreshore on each Saturday in February and the series of MoJO tea dances and Jazz-a-oke that take place throughout the year.
MoJO has a strong commitment to developing musicians no matter what stage they are at in their musical journey. Anyone can join MoJO and our members reflect an enormous diversity of professions, cultures, ages and musical experience. There is a well structured training environment where anyone can learn 'from scratch' or develop their ensemble skills in the training band. Most of all though, MoJO is renowned for its ability to bring 'fun' into the music. You will always go away from a MoJO performance with a smile on your face. Their light-hearted rapport with the audience combined with their great 'swinging' music makes them one of the most well-supported community ensembles in the country.
MoJO is proud to be situated in Mordialloc, a beautiful Melbourne bayside suburb, rich in history and surrounded by the stunning beauty of its creek, pier, harbour, beaches and its old fashioned palm tree lined shopping centre. MoJO is also proud to be a member of the City of Kingston's Arts Network.
We try and keep all the information on this website as up-to-date as possible, but if you can't find what you're looking for let us know by emailing our president, Lawrie at president@mojoswing.com.au or by phone on 0429 160 929 and he'll happily answer any questions or pass on any feedback.
There's always a chance to have a dance, so make sure you bring your best dancing shoes. Or maybe you'd prefer to just sit back, listen to the music and be transported back to the great era of the big bands. The band performs around 30 concerts per year, the highlights of which undoubtedly are the Big Bands Sunsets Festival held at the Mordialloc foreshore on each Saturday in February and the series of MoJO tea dances and Jazz-a-oke that take place throughout the year.
MoJO has a strong commitment to developing musicians no matter what stage they are at in their musical journey. Anyone can join MoJO and our members reflect an enormous diversity of professions, cultures, ages and musical experience. There is a well structured training environment where anyone can learn 'from scratch' or develop their ensemble skills in the training band. Most of all though, MoJO is renowned for its ability to bring 'fun' into the music. You will always go away from a MoJO performance with a smile on your face. Their light-hearted rapport with the audience combined with their great 'swinging' music makes them one of the most well-supported community ensembles in the country.
MoJO is proud to be situated in Mordialloc, a beautiful Melbourne bayside suburb, rich in history and surrounded by the stunning beauty of its creek, pier, harbour, beaches and its old fashioned palm tree lined shopping centre. MoJO is also proud to be a member of the City of Kingston's Arts Network.
We try and keep all the information on this website as up-to-date as possible, but if you can't find what you're looking for let us know by emailing our president, Lawrie at president@mojoswing.com.au or by phone on 0429 160 929 and he'll happily answer any questions or pass on any feedback.
MoJO Bands
MoJO - The Mordialloc Jazz Orchestra "Senior Band"
This is the full Jazz Orchestra that performs a wide range of repertoire. While instrumentation may vary slightly from gig to gig, you'd expect to see trumpets, saxes, euphoniums/baritones/tenor horns, tubas, trombones, drums, guitar, bass, vibes, piano and vocalists. MoJO uses it's distinctive 'old style' bandstands. There is always full sound & lighting provided as well as, depending upon the venue, 3 level staging. It takes about 1-2 hours to set up a MoJO gig and performances generally go for about 2 - 3 hours (including breaks). Adequate stage access and power must be available.
MoJO Senior Band rehearses every Wednesday night from 7:30pm - 9:30pm at the Jack Grut Reserve, Governor Rd, Mordialloc, except in summer school holidays
MoJO Training Band
This fabulous group can add excitement to events such as fetes, shopping centres, christmas carols, community performances such as aged care homes etc. It is made up of less experienced performers than MoJO but always has the assistance of some MoJO members to ensure that the music performed is of a high quality. The band can set up quickly as it uses portable stands and equipment and can perform from 15 - 30 minutes of music.
MoJO Training Band rehearses every Wednesday night from 6:30pm - 7:30pm at the Jack Grut Reserve, Governor Rd, Mordialloc, except in summer school holidays
No matter what level of player you are beginner, comeback player, music teacher or professional, MoJO welcomes everybody to join in the fun. There is no audition process, the only requirement is to be a team player and have a love of big band music.
For more information about either of these groups, how to hire either band for your event or how to join us in rehearsal, please contact MoJO President Lawrie Barnes at president@mojoswing.com.au or 0429 160 929
This is the full Jazz Orchestra that performs a wide range of repertoire. While instrumentation may vary slightly from gig to gig, you'd expect to see trumpets, saxes, euphoniums/baritones/tenor horns, tubas, trombones, drums, guitar, bass, vibes, piano and vocalists. MoJO uses it's distinctive 'old style' bandstands. There is always full sound & lighting provided as well as, depending upon the venue, 3 level staging. It takes about 1-2 hours to set up a MoJO gig and performances generally go for about 2 - 3 hours (including breaks). Adequate stage access and power must be available.
MoJO Senior Band rehearses every Wednesday night from 7:30pm - 9:30pm at the Jack Grut Reserve, Governor Rd, Mordialloc, except in summer school holidays
MoJO Training Band
This fabulous group can add excitement to events such as fetes, shopping centres, christmas carols, community performances such as aged care homes etc. It is made up of less experienced performers than MoJO but always has the assistance of some MoJO members to ensure that the music performed is of a high quality. The band can set up quickly as it uses portable stands and equipment and can perform from 15 - 30 minutes of music.
MoJO Training Band rehearses every Wednesday night from 6:30pm - 7:30pm at the Jack Grut Reserve, Governor Rd, Mordialloc, except in summer school holidays
No matter what level of player you are beginner, comeback player, music teacher or professional, MoJO welcomes everybody to join in the fun. There is no audition process, the only requirement is to be a team player and have a love of big band music.
For more information about either of these groups, how to hire either band for your event or how to join us in rehearsal, please contact MoJO President Lawrie Barnes at president@mojoswing.com.au or 0429 160 929
History
MoJO spent the first 88 years of its existence as the Mordialloc City Band and then the Mordialloc Brass Band. Formed around the time of the 1st World War, the Mordialloc City Band has been an important part of their community ever since. They have provided the musical accompaniment to so many of the major changes that have taken place in Mordialloc for almost a century. As well, their history suggests that they have always been a warm and welcoming organisation who have felt the need to support people in their music making (regardless of ability) rather than constantly strive for competitive success. In the 1970's the band was lead for a considerable time by Ken Brown under whose tutelage they achieved their highest bands league ranking of B Grade. It was also in this time that Allen Hill, a fine Melbourne jazz cornetist began transcribing classic swing tunes for the brass band instrumentation. Sadly Allen passed away in 2007, he was considered by many to be the true heart and soul of the band. Allen's jazz arrangements set Mordialloc Band apart from all other bands in that Mordialloc strove to perform enjoyable, 'easy to listen to' music rather than a focus on less accessible contest repertoire.
In the 1990's the band changed its name to the Mordialloc Brass Band due to local council amalgamation. In 1992 Peter Foley, who had begun in the band in 1970, returned as musical director. New directions were taken. Instruments such as saxes and rhythm section instruments were welcomed, trumpets began to replace cornets, and in 2005 the band moved to formalise its identity as a jazz group. Thus MoJO, the Mordialloc Jazz Orchestra was born. Many factors were critical in this initiative. The overwhelming
generosity of a bequest left to the band by its much loved tuba player Ian Shedden (the specification of which was that the money was to be used to assist the band to better promote itself and move in new directions) enabled the commissioning of a whole new library of jazz standards written specifically for this ensemble. The band's current associate musical director, Dave Coughran-Lane, took on the task and the results of his work and Ian's vision can be seen in the MoJO you see today!
In the 1990's the band changed its name to the Mordialloc Brass Band due to local council amalgamation. In 1992 Peter Foley, who had begun in the band in 1970, returned as musical director. New directions were taken. Instruments such as saxes and rhythm section instruments were welcomed, trumpets began to replace cornets, and in 2005 the band moved to formalise its identity as a jazz group. Thus MoJO, the Mordialloc Jazz Orchestra was born. Many factors were critical in this initiative. The overwhelming
generosity of a bequest left to the band by its much loved tuba player Ian Shedden (the specification of which was that the money was to be used to assist the band to better promote itself and move in new directions) enabled the commissioning of a whole new library of jazz standards written specifically for this ensemble. The band's current associate musical director, Dave Coughran-Lane, took on the task and the results of his work and Ian's vision can be seen in the MoJO you see today!
