The tradition lives on....
In Tamworth The PUB’s Jazzer Quest 2010 has been won by a brilliant 17 year old singer/songwriter from Kirkham Meadows, New South Wales – Christie Lamb.
Once again The Pub was packed for the Friday night, January 22nd, Grand Final of The Jazzer, as it’s popularly known, where MC Rebecca McCarthy (RUM Entertainment), announced the winner.
Christie, a very popular winner, won the generous cash prize of $2,000 from The Pub, and a fabulous red Fender acoustic/electric guitar, provided by Fender Australia.
The Pub also provided the hotly contested Second prize of $1000, to Kiera Smith from Mildura, and Third prize of $500, to Melissa Thomson from Eaglby in Queensland.
Additionally, the encouragement award (Fender acoustic/electric guitar) winner was Dayleford, Victoria’s singer/songwriter Archer Broughton.
Of great interest to eligible contestants aged 18 and younger, The Pub also provided a $2000 scholarship to Tamworth Camerata (annual youth Country Music school) and this was won by 13 year-old Andre Drysdale, from The Gold Coast. Camerata, now part of CMAA Academy of Country Music, runs for 6 days in July, and in 8 years has graduated 144 top performers and players from all over Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Many of these graduates are now becoming stars on the Country Music scene.
There were 12 Jazzer Grand Finalists who performed a 2 song set each, selected from four hotly contested heats and a Semi-Final, enjoyed by large audiences every day, as more than 100 competitors, approx 1/3 first-time Jazzer entrants, vied for a Grand Final berth. A wonderful backing band of great musicians was available to all competitors, namely Brett Dallas on guitar, Terry Phillpot on drums and Glenn Skarratt on bass. During the heats and Grand Final, judges included Sam Burgess, Penelope Somerville, Simon Johnson, Roxanne Kiely, Paul Wilson, Aleyce Simmonds, Grant Card well, Nicki Gillis, Clay Algie, Sally-Anne Whitten & Liam Brew.
At the completion of the Grand Final, while points were being tallied, the large audience was treated to some very special entertainment, in the form of 2009 Jazzer/Camerata scholarship winner Ashleigh Dallas, and 2006 Jazzer winner Ryan Sampson, who both had the crowd enthralled.
The Jazzer Quest, brainchild of the much loved Jazzer Smith, who died in 1987, has been discovering new talent at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival since 1981, originally in the Kmart complex. It’s been continued in Jazzer’s honour till the present day, with several organisers, the latest of which is Greg Williams, who has carried out this valuable task for the past 18 years, the last 6 years at The Pub, who show great industry support by staging this major event at a cost in excess of $12,500.
GRAND FINALISTS
The Rumour Mill band
Andre Drysdale – Camerata scholarship winner
Katie Giddings
Nathan Lamont
Jordan Watene
Georgia White
Kiera Smith – 2nd
Jacynta’lee Glaspy
Archer Broughton – encouragement award
Christie Lamb - FIRST
Melissa Thomson – 3rd
Daniel Cosgrove
