Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra ft Raleigh Williams
- Live at The Count's
- The Count’s
The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts
$15 - $30
The Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra (DMJO) is a hugely important part of Australian music history, bringing together many of Melbourne’s most exceptional instrumentalists.
The ensemble began in the 1980s as the Graeme Lyall Orchestra and the Australian Showband, before rising to national prominence in the 1990s as the band for the iconic Australian television program Hey Hey It’s Saturday, under the leadership of musical director, trombonist, composer and arranger Daryl McKenzie.
Since then, the orchestra has continued to diversify its work and expand its audience, performing across jazz, commercial and corporate contexts. Their experience with international artists is unparalleled in Australian music, having backed performers such as Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Barry Manilow, Bonnie Raitt, Tommy Emmanuel and Billy Thorpe.
Just as significantly, the DMJO has sustained long‑term collaborations with some of Australia’s most celebrated performers, including Wilbur Wilde, Rhonda Burchmore, Grace Knight and Nichaud Fitzgibbon, alongside countless other artists from around the country and the world.
The orchestra has appeared at major jazz festivals, and events in the USA and Malaysia, plus performed at Melbourne and Adelaide Grand Prix. They also held a remarkable 17‑year monthly residency at The Apartment/Paris Cat Jazz Club, showcasing original Australian jazz compositions, often contributed by band members, including McKenzie, alongside international works.
The DMJO has recorded five critically acclaimed albums of original music, and has contributed to the soundtracks of iconic Australian films such as Bran Nue Dae, Two Hands and Love and Other Catastrophes. Under Daryl’s direction, members of the orchestra have also provided music for television series including Australia’s Got Talent, the Good Friday Appeal and Dancing With the Stars.
Eat & Drink
Make a meal of it! The music gets underway at 7.30pm, but arrive a bit earlier if you can. From 6.30pm, enjoy pre-show dinner and drinks at The Count’s Italian-style kitchen and bar. Reservations are not required when you purchase a ticket to a show. Order from the QR code on your table, or at the bar. View the menu.
