FROCK
JAZZ. AUSTRALIAN. ORIGINAL
Meet the band
Dave Beck
Dave has honed his drumming skills in New York and L.A. and is very familiar with many top name national and international talents of our times (especially their back views), including Tina Arena, Marcia Hines, Faith Hill, Chubby Checker, Little Richard, Danni Minogue, Delta Goodrem and Joan Rivers. When he's not providing key percussive soundscapes for smash-hit musical theatre shows (Priscilla, Dirty Dancing, Shout, Sweet Charity, Crazy for You, The Boy from Oz, Wicked), he's often found recording and playing with local and international jazz legends including Barbara Morrisson, Joe Chindamo, Paul Grabowsky, and Hans Ulrich.
One of the most in-demand drummers of the Australian music scene, Dave is a first call session player, theatre pit musician and Jazz ensemble member.
Dave is endorsed by Premier drums, Zildjian cymbals (USA), and Vater sticks. He has performed with the cream of Australian and International artists including Keb Mo, Randy Crawford, Vennetta Fields, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow, Olivia Newton John, Don Burrows, Hans Ulrich, Joe Chindamo, Barbara Morrison, Grace Knight, Tina Arena, Marcia Hines, Faith Hill, Chubby Checker, Little Richard, Danni Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Joan Rivers, Christine Sullivan and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
He has recorded many sessions and soundtracks for film and television and has also played in the Melbourne productions of Priscilla, Dirty Dancing, Shout, Sweet Charity, Crazy for You, The Boy from Oz and Wicked.
Adam Starr
Adam completed his PhD in Composition at the University of Melbourne in 2011, also receiving Associate Representation with the Australian Music Centre at the same time. He also has a Masters in Composition for the Screen (Royal College of Music, London 2005). Adam has scored 5 feature film scores (Fast Food, Wil, 5 Moments of Infidelity, The Man
Who Souled the World and Life Before Death), over 30 short films, all music for television series Living with Footballers (2001-2005, Foxtel Footy Channel, Australia), jingles and music for theatre.
Adam has had numerous performances of his works internationally (US, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Austria, Germany, Singapore, Australia), with his compositions and arrangements appearing on over 20 CDs. Boker Or (for string quartet) was recorded by Grammy-award winning ensemble Orchestra of Our Time in 2011 and also came Runner Up in the Clefworks Composition Competition (2011).
As a performer, Starr has played guitar with the Australian Jewish Music Ensemble (toured Israel, performed throughout Victoria) and
the Ashes Quartet (Germany, UK). Adam played guitar and banjo in Melbourne Productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Dolly and Anything Goes, and has performed with Dave Samuels (US), Stan Sulzmann (UK), Omri Mor (Israel) and Anat Cohen (Israel).
Craig Beard
Anthony Schulz
One of the more unique and individual voices in Australian improvised music, Anthony Schulz has developed and expanded a sound world that shatters all preconceptions of the Piano Accordion. In 1996 he was a founding member of the groundbreaking ensemble Frock, a group that speaks through the meld of disparate cultures, historical displacement and a vision for the future that is both hopeful and challenging. Frock’s ongoing exploration of improvisation, form and ensemble relationship has led them to produce seven albums and perform their music throughout Australia, Europe and Asia.
“The sense of space evoked by these musicians – even when all six were playing together – gave much of the concert an intimate, chamber-jazz feel. But Frock’s infectious energy and humor also propelled the music into unexpected moods of playful celebration.” (Jessica Nicholas, The Age)
At one point thrashing his accordion in the dissonant expressionism of Berg’s Wozzeck and to the next improvising freely with ECM icon Barre Phillips; he then re-appears in a contemporary jazz performance with the noted jazz vibraphonist Dave Samuels or renowned guitarist Doug DeVries. In 2007, Anthony was awarded an ARIA for his work with Zulya and the Children of the Underground (Best World Music Album - Three Nights)
“…The original songs are built mostly around Anthony Schulz’s inventive Piano Accordion playing" (Dave Curry, Canberra Times).
Anthony’s performances have been described as, "... surprising, beautiful, somewhat mysterious music... often, simultaneously, ancient, modern, intricately constructed & improvisatory." (Doug Spencer, The Planet) and “Anthony Schulz stands out on accordion, with his sophisticated use of harmony and countermelody.” (Rootsworld).
Simon Starr
Simon Starr is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and performer who has specializes in double and electric bass. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and Monash University, Simon has performed throughout the world since 1993 with a wide variety of groups and styles.
Highlights have included performing with Mark Levine, Greg Hutchinson, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kevin Mahogany, Eli Degibri, and appearing at the People's Great Hall in China with Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Simon also toured and recorded with Australian icon Joe Camilleri from 2000 - 2005. In addition to playing on over 50 albums as bassist, Simon has released 3 albums of his own songs, and composes and performs with Frock, AJME, The Omri Mor Trio among many others.
Craig has been one of the main stayers of vibraphone in Australia; honing his skills and creating an individual voice on the instrument by pushing the boundaries of phrasing and his own compositional style.
He has also been teaching vibraphone and percussion during the same 30 years at various schools and Universities throughout Melbourne.
Frock has been his main performing and composing project over the past 15 years but he has been actively performing and recording with other ensembles and artists such as The Movin’ and Groovin’ Orchestra, in duo with classical guitarist Ken Murray, Gemma Turvey’s New Palm Court Orchestra and with the Aaron Searle Quintet.
He has performed throughout Europe, including at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Singapore Jazz Festival and with his own quartet, playing at Live in August in Noumea, New Caledonia (1999), returning to tour throughout New Caledonia in 2002 with local hammond organist Michel Benibig.
He has recorded over 15 CDs with a variety of ensembles, many featuring his own compositions, as well as soundtracks for such films as Two Hands and Strange Fits of Passion. He hopes to produce a CD under his own name in the not too distant future featuring all his own compositions and perhaps one or two surprises........