Album Notes

THE BIRTH OF FINE TUNES
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1938 A son Mark is born to Percy and Margaret Whitty in Melbourne Australia.

1947 Boys primary school, joins choir and learns to sing. Gets to love singing.

1948 Heard Graeme Bell Dixieland Jazz Band rehearsing. "This is my music!" says Mark.

1952 Commences trade course in electronics. Singing jazz at every opportunity in Melbourne. Bought 78 rpm 12" record, Fats Waller on piano:- Ain't Misbehavin'. Now a Fats fan forever.

1956 Off to Sydney to sing in pubs and clubs. One occasion with Graeme Bell.

1960 Back to Melbourne bought trumpet after hearing Louis. Now a fan of all black jazz stars.Many gigs in Big bands, Brass bands and Jazz bands all over Melbourne follow. Mark meets The Tortoise, Des "Bear" Edwards, Les "State Trooper" Cooper, and many other jazz musos.
A funny story about Mark's career in this period:-
Mark goes into The Ritz Hotel St Kilda (A strip-tease joint).
Mark, "I wanna see the boss".
Big fat guy comes downstairs, "Yair, whaddya want?" Mark,
"I sing, play trumpet, piano, and I can also take off Louis Armstrong!"
Fat guy, "I gotta dozen sheilas here who take off everything!"

1968 Love arrives with marriage to Isabel.

1970 Leave Melbourne for Narooma NSW. Annabelle two weeks old.

1971 Patrick born.

1972 Richard born.

1977 Patrick brings home a recorder from school. Dad says, "That will give you an embouchure like a dustman's navel". Buys him a clarinet. Richard wants to play too. Dad hears him playing his trumpet. Top tone!!! Buys him a trombone. Annabelle is learning classical/ragtime piano.
[Her Grandfather Percy Whitty was an excellent dance band piano player in 1912].

1980 Doctor Jazz and Sons band formed. Many trips to Sydney for clarinet/trombone lessons.

1982 Band has enough tunes to record an album. "Jazz BBQ At Narooma" on audio cassette.
Another boy, Mark ii born.
Doctor Jazz and Sons are sensational Stars at Manly Jazz Carnival. Many other famous dates are performed all around Australia.

1988 Patrick joins Australian Army band. Doctor Jazz and sons fold.

1989 Richard passes high school with honours. 100% in all three mathematics units. 7th in NSW.
100% in music. Trombone/guitar.
(1) Own composition on Guitar.
(2) A Joe Satriani piece on guitar.
(3) Ory's Creole Trombone
(4) Rimsky Korsakoff Trombone Concerto.

1991- 1994 Dad has top gig playing on a private train going from Canberra to Melbourne with
220 passengers a trip to the "Phantom Of The Opera" in Melbourne. A nice three day trip every six weeks. Sydney muso, Bruce Hyland on Bass.

1995 Mark ii starts playing drums with Dad on gigs.

2000 "Under The Influence", 15 of Mark's originals, is put on CD.
Richard plays 14 tunes on guitar, and is producer-mixer.
Patrick plays 7 tunes on Tenor sax/Clarinet.

2001 "Jazz BBQ At Narooma" digital remaster off 10" reels.
Seven tracks added with live drums [Allan Smith].
Two guitar tracks added [Bruce Clarke].
Richard does wonderful job of mixing and production.

2005 Here It Is Jazz Lovers!!!
CFT4 Jazz album.
THE "COMPLETE FINE TUNES" OF "THE WHITTYS of OZ"
ENJOY!!!

Hot News!!! Mark has added the fabulous Hammond B4 with new ground-breaking touch-screen parameters adjustment and foot- controlled Leslie speed integral with stereo volume pedal to his compliment of axes.
His latest album CD-Book set, CDBS5 is out now at CD baby! A book with fifty fun-filled years of a Melbourne Jazz Muso.

[See the single CDs. for detailed reviews]