Beloved Play School star Judy Bailey dies aged 89
Bailey, an Auckland-born jazz musician, passed away in Willoughby on Friday.
Bailey began formal music training at the age of 10. By 16, she had received a diploma from Trinity College London.
The musician moved to Sydney in 1960, where she immersed herself into the city's vibrant music scene.
She performed at the well-known El Rocco club.
The vibrant performer soon found her way into TV, including stints on all three major networks. Tommy Tycho's Orchestra on Channel Seven, John Bamford's Orchestra on Channel Nine and Jack Grimsley's Orchestra on Channel 10.
By 1973, she was part of the founding faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music's jazz studies program, a role she was deeply passionate about throughout her life.
Bailey started working on the ABC's Radio Kindergarten program for young people. That led to her role on Play School, where she became part of the cherished program.
She later directed the Sydney Youth Jazz Ensemble, toured southeast Asia with a quartet for Musica Viva, and served as musical director for Sydney Opera House's Bennelong jazz series.
Bailey got a number of honours including the Order of Australia medal in 2004.
She also received the APRA Jazz Composition Award and an induction into the Australian Jazz Bell Hall of Fame in 2014.
Tributes started pouring in for Bailey, including from musician Virna Sanzone.
She wrote: 'I'm one of probably thousands of musicians lucky enough to have been mentored, nurtured and championed by Judy. Her generosity, energy and positivity seemed to be boundless.
'I met Judy in 1996 when I was as green as could be. Two years later, I was singing as part of her trio at the Opera House. She lovingly threw me in the deep end so many times in my early days as a singer, and I can't thank her enough for that.
'Judy taught us all so much. For one thing, I can safely say I owe a lot of my inner musical world to Judy. She taught people to listen, to really hear, deeply. What a precious gift for any musician.'
She is survived by her children, Chris and Lisette.
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Sydney Morning Herald
21 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Judy Bailey, pioneering woman of Australian jazz, dies at 89
As a youngster, Judy Bailey usually heard classical or pop music coming from the cream-coloured Bakelite radio on the Formica kitchen bench of her family's home in Whangarei, New Zealand. But on this particular afternoon, her 13-year-old ears heard something new. She recognised the song, East of the Sun, yet after the melody the band seemed to be making up the music as they went. In her three years studying classical piano with the local nuns, they'd never mentioned improvising. Bailey, who died on August 8 aged 89, was instantly enthralled, and when what turned out to be the George Shearing Quintet had finished, she dashed to the piano, and worked out that the made-up music was happening over the song's chords. A week later, the Stan Kenton Orchestra gave her an even bigger thrill, the thought of which still gave her tingles decades later. It was to set the course for the rest of her life. Bailey was born in Auckland on October 3, 1935, forsaking ballet for classical piano at the age of 10. A pioneer of women's participation in Australian jazz, she was a lyrical, imaginative and swinging jazz pianist, a composer and arranger of note, and an educator with a profound influence on three generations of Sydney Conservatorium students. At 14, she began regularly accompanying a singer on Radio Northland, through which she met twins Peter and Paul Newbury. When they weren't helping out at the family undertakers business, they ran an acrobatic troupe – yes, really – for which Bailey, 10 years their junior, became musical director. At 18, she began studying classical piano more seriously in Auckland. Once, when her teacher asked to hear her homework, and could tell she hadn't really practised, he stopped her and said, 'No. Play me the stuff you've been working on. Not the stuff I gave you.' So Bailey came clean with her jazz, only to find the teacher intrigued and supportive. Her parents, who'd assumed her future as a classical pianist was a given (after she'd pursued it with sufficient commitment to gain her Associate of Trinity College London diploma remotely) were less thrilled, but Bailey was not to be swayed. Her jazz activities included arrangements for the 16-piece Auckland Radio Band, before she sought to expand her horizons. In 1960, she left Auckland for Sydney, originally intending a six-month stopover on her way to London. She stayed for the rest of her life. In Sydney, she was waylaid by a welcoming jazz scene (recording The Wind album with reeds player Errol Buddle in 1962) and by constant work as a pianist/arranger in the TV studios, firstly for Tommy Tycho's resident orchestra at the Seven Network, and then at Nine and 10. Her jazz work centred on Kings Cross's El Rocco, the impossibly small crucible in which Sydney's hip, modernist, 1960s jazz was forged, with the likes of artist John Olsen and writer/broadcaster Clive James listening on. You & the Night & the Music, her debut album that was recorded there (with bassist Lyn Christie and drummer John Sangster) sizzles with the energy of youth and adventure, while also being sensuous, playful, heartfelt, effortless and lithe. Her own Deep Night signalled the start of an august parallel career as a composer, and such LPs became collectors' treasures in Japan, reportedly fetching four-figure sums.
The Age
21 hours ago
- The Age
Judy Bailey, pioneering woman of Australian jazz, dies at 89
As a youngster, Judy Bailey usually heard classical or pop music coming from the cream-coloured Bakelite radio on the Formica kitchen bench of her family's home in Whangarei, New Zealand. But on this particular afternoon, her 13-year-old ears heard something new. She recognised the song, East of the Sun, yet after the melody the band seemed to be making up the music as they went. In her three years studying classical piano with the local nuns, they'd never mentioned improvising. Bailey, who died on August 8 aged 89, was instantly enthralled, and when what turned out to be the George Shearing Quintet had finished, she dashed to the piano, and worked out that the made-up music was happening over the song's chords. A week later, the Stan Kenton Orchestra gave her an even bigger thrill, the thought of which still gave her tingles decades later. It was to set the course for the rest of her life. Bailey was born in Auckland on October 3, 1935, forsaking ballet for classical piano at the age of 10. A pioneer of women's participation in Australian jazz, she was a lyrical, imaginative and swinging jazz pianist, a composer and arranger of note, and an educator with a profound influence on three generations of Sydney Conservatorium students. At 14, she began regularly accompanying a singer on Radio Northland, through which she met twins Peter and Paul Newbury. When they weren't helping out at the family undertakers business, they ran an acrobatic troupe – yes, really – for which Bailey, 10 years their junior, became musical director. At 18, she began studying classical piano more seriously in Auckland. Once, when her teacher asked to hear her homework, and could tell she hadn't really practised, he stopped her and said, 'No. Play me the stuff you've been working on. Not the stuff I gave you.' So Bailey came clean with her jazz, only to find the teacher intrigued and supportive. Her parents, who'd assumed her future as a classical pianist was a given (after she'd pursued it with sufficient commitment to gain her Associate of Trinity College London diploma remotely) were less thrilled, but Bailey was not to be swayed. Her jazz activities included arrangements for the 16-piece Auckland Radio Band, before she sought to expand her horizons. In 1960, she left Auckland for Sydney, originally intending a six-month stopover on her way to London. She stayed for the rest of her life. In Sydney, she was waylaid by a welcoming jazz scene (recording The Wind album with reeds player Errol Buddle in 1962) and by constant work as a pianist/arranger in the TV studios, firstly for Tommy Tycho's resident orchestra at the Seven Network, and then at Nine and 10. Her jazz work centred on Kings Cross's El Rocco, the impossibly small crucible in which Sydney's hip, modernist, 1960s jazz was forged, with the likes of artist John Olsen and writer/broadcaster Clive James listening on. You & the Night & the Music, her debut album that was recorded there (with bassist Lyn Christie and drummer John Sangster) sizzles with the energy of youth and adventure, while also being sensuous, playful, heartfelt, effortless and lithe. Her own Deep Night signalled the start of an august parallel career as a composer, and such LPs became collectors' treasures in Japan, reportedly fetching four-figure sums.
The Australian
2 days ago
- The Australian
Popular Play School star and jazz icon Judy Bailey dies at 89
Beloved Play School star and jazz and blues pioneer Judy Bailey has died in Sydney. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Bailey underwent formal piano training and earned a performance diploma from Trinity College London at the age of 16, before moving to Sydney in 1960. She died on August 8 at the age of 89. Judy Bailey (right), has died at the age of 89. Pictured with musician James Morrison. Performing at the Sydney iconic jazz club El Rocco, Bailey became immersed in the jazz scene. Her expansive career saw her working with greats including Graeme Lyall and John Sangster, and making television appearances on major networks including Channel 7's Tommy Tycho's Orchestra, Channel 9's John Bamford's Orchestra and Channel 10's Jack Grimsley's Orchestra. Jazz pianist Judy Bailey was inducted in the Australian Jazz Hall of Fame in 2014 She joined the founding faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music jazz studies program in 1973. That same year, she became the pianist for the ABC children's program, Kindergarten, before taking on a cherished role on Play School. Her expansive career led her to directing the Sydney Youth Jazz Ensemble and serving as the musical director of the Sydney Opera House's Bennelong jazz series. She also toured Southeast Asia with the musical quartet Musica Viva before earning an Order of Australia Medal in 2004, the APRA Jazz Composition Award, the Distinguished Services to Australian Music award and an Entertainment Industry MO award. The jazz icon joined the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Sydney in 1973. She was awarded several achievements in her expansive career, including an Order of Australia in 2004: Picture: Supplied In 2014, she was inducted into the Australian Jazz Bell Hall of Fame. Tributes have flowed for the late musical pioneer, including from composer and producer Ross James Irwin, who described Bailey as a 'wonderfully generous educator' and 'supporter of young musicians'. Singer Virna Sanzone said Bailey's 'generosity, energy and positivity seemed to be boundless'. 'Judy taught us all so much.' she wrote in an online tribute. 'For one thing, I can safely say I owe a lot of my inner musical world to Judy – she taught people to listen, to really hear, deeply. 'What a precious gift for any musician.'
