THEY'RE "Royal" for their level of dressing up and "High Jinx" for their lively style.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Four-piece Melbourne-based band The Royal High Jinx definitely lives up to its name.
Firstly, playing impromptu gigs and, eventually, taking the Australian festival circuit by storm, the band has performed together for almost a decade.
In 2011 Jennifer Hawley invited Terry Cole and Sarah Busuttil Palmer to co-conduct the Footscray Gypsy Orchestra with her.
They soon became friends and, along with Silas Palmer, formed The Royal High Jinx.
Musically, they share a depth of knowledge and understanding of European traditions, especially Gypsy jazz; there is also a real feel for Latin that pops up in their original repertoire.
Busuttil's animated antics, on and off stage, belies her violin playing prowess.
Her experience with Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra and Melbourne Opera Orchestra as well as a fist full of folk and contemporary Australian bands has proven to be the perfect prelude for her role in this outfit.
On guitar, Hawley has spent her career exploring the spaces between jazz, blues and world music.
Palmer's contribution must be seen to be fully appreciated; he aptly takes on the role of drummer, bass player, pianist and vocalist, simultaneously.
Cole, on mandolin and vocals, fits the band's persona like a hand in a glove.
As an actor, circus performer and playwright, he has toured Australia and worked venues such as The Playbox Theatre, The Spiegeltent and La Mama.
They have four CDs: Your Place or Mine 2014, Wheel of Poor Choices 2015, Gone, Gone, Gone 2018 and the latest offering, Murder Motel.
The Royal High Jinx is the first of four shows in the 2020 Cafe Culture Series in Albury.