Nichaud Fitzgibbon
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Australia’s finest jazz singer, Nichaud Fitzgibbon was born in the small country town of Wycheproof in North Western Victoria. Known for its "King of the Mountain" potato sack race, Nichaud is now its most famous export. Her mother, Faye Hommelhoff, grew up there and comes from a family with Danish and French heritage. Nichaud is a fourth generation performer and it goes without saying that as a member of the renowned jazz and showbiz Fitzgibbon family, music is in her fiesty Irish blood. At an early age Nichaud was surrounded by music of the 20s and 30s that played nightly at the club run by her father Smacka Fitzgibbon. The beloved Australian jazz musician and entertainer started his career playing banjo with Graeme Bell and Len and Bob Barnard. Smacka's Place was to become Melbourne's most famous jazz club in the 1970's. Grandmother Minnie was a 'soubrette' - a child performer in vaudeville. She was also a wonderful stride pianist who encouraged Nichaud and her three brothers to play music. Nichaud's aunt, Maggie Fitzgibbon, started her career as a soprano in the Tivoli theatre and then moved to London to star on television and in West End musicals. Nichaud's brother Mark is one of Australia's finest jazz pianists and is her collaborator and musical director. |
Nichaud's musical destiny can not only be put down to a natural family inheritance but also to the fact she was lucky enough to sit on Louis Armstrong 's knee at the age of three! Smacka and his band were there to greet Pop's at the airport when he first came to Australia. Nichaud's earliest memory of music was hearing her mother playing a Billie Holiday record and the song she loved most was 'What A Little Moonlight'. Her father's record collection was a big influence. She listened to the sounds of The Boswell sisters, Louis Armstrong, Al Bowly and The Chocolate Dandies and later developed her style while listening to Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Anita O'Day, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Nichaud started performing with her brother Mark in the early '80s and worked at all the regular jazz venues and festivals around town. Vince Jones gave Nichaud her first television appearance when he invited her to be his special guest on 'The Don Burrow's Jazz Series' for the ABC. In 1985 Nichaud moved to London and during her three year stay performed at various clubs and festivals, a highlight being an impromptu performance with legendary tenor saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders at Ronnie Scott's jazz club. After returning to her hometown she then worked extensively on television shows including The Big Gig series on the ABC and Tonight Live with Steve Vizard under the musical direction of Paul Grabowsky. Nichaud has also appeared on Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton and the ABC's The Pulse jazz series which showcased Australia's finest jazz artists live in concert. During the '90s Nichaud became a founding member of the sixteen piece bigband The Moovin' and Groovin' Orchestra lead by arrangers Gavin Cornish and Ken Schroder. She worked with popular bands including R&B outfit The Swinging Sidewalks, The Gospel Soul Train, Ladysoul-60s soul revue and started the band So Nice with Jane Clifton which celebrated the music of Sergio Mendez and Brazil '66 and songs by Burt Bacharach. |
Nichaud released her debut jazz CD “After Hours” in 2001, which received rave reviews. She was also personally commissioned by Barry Humphries to record 3 Gershwin songs for his collection of rare songs. She has had a huge success with her Peggy Lee tribute “You Give Me Fever” performing at the Famous Speigeltent for the Melbourne International Arts Festival October 2003 and “Remembering Smacka” a tribute to her late great father Smacka Fitzgibbon (beloved Melbourne entertainer) at the Victorian Arts Centre, Hamer Hall. Continues NEXT |
