The Quintet:

This special band features Margie Lou Dyer on piano and vocals, Eugene Ball on trumpet, Cameron Robbins on clarinet, Howard Cairns on bass & Hayley Miro Browne on washboard (aka Washy).

Their inaugural album Old Digger's Picnic was nominated for Best Australian Vocal Jazz Album at the 2019 Bell Awards and the band has received multiple grants to produce music, most recently the ABC's Fresh Start Fund! which allowed the quintet to write and produce their latest album SURVIVAL DAY during the 2020 lockdown in Melbourne. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Mal Stanley at the ABC studios, South Bank.

The Quintet has prospered and developed a unique language, having had a five year residency on Sunday nights at Claypots, St Kilda, allowing them to experiment and play freely.

Sunday nights became an important Melbourne cultural institution as 'The Margie Lou Dyer Quintet' continued to draw everyone from St Kilda locals, to international tourists and compatriot musicians of all genres, who regularly dropped in and joined the band including Mat Jodrell, Gil Askey, George Garzone, Eamon McNellis, James Macaulay, Sam Anning, Barry Wratten, Aaron Choulai, John Scurry & Peter Knight - just to name a few.

Unfortunately this residency has now ceased due to COVID-19.

The Quintet has performed at MONA in the Sidney Nolan Room, the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and were the inaugural performance at the Eastern Beach Art House concert series. They are hoping to tour in Japan once the apocalypse calms down..

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You can learn more about the band members below.