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B.J. Ferrier is a talented multi-instumentalist, singer/song-writer and composer who has entertained all over Australia, and in Europe and the UK. An accomplished acoustic and electric guitarist, Dr. Baz also turns his hand to boogie and swing style piano, zydeco accordian, flute and Irish whistles, and the 13 string Japanese Koto.
Described as 'the Charles Bronson of swamp blues' by someone who ought to know better, Barry has some fascinating music industry credits to his name.
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Beginning his career as an Apostle of the Lord in the original Aussie production of "Jesus Christ Superstar", Baz enjoyed a wealth of early career experience in music theatre. He toured nationally with Steve J. Spears' "Africa: the Savage Musical", later playing 'Potiphar' alongside Mark Holden in "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" (Seymour Centre, Sydney). He has written 3 stage musicals ('Magical Frank', 'The Boy Who Dared to Dream', 'Goodnight World') which have been produced & recorded, as well as an opera based on the bizarre life of Melbourne's Depression-era mob boss Squizzy Taylor. He worked as music director/composer and installation/video artist for several years at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane. This stint included devising and directing a ground-breaking big-budget multimedia performance art event in the Brisbane Concert Hall entitled "Dreams & Machines". He also composed and conducted an orchestral piece for Robyn Archer's epic "Three Legends of Kra". He composed 17 quadraphonic soundtracks for the hi-tech QANTAS "Light Fantastic" animatronic parade at Brisbane's Expo' 88. His music industry experience is as diverse as playing bass with chart-topping 70's pop group the Ferrets and as band leader and guitarist for Eartha Kitt on her 1996 Aussie Tour. As an acoustic artist he has opened for blues legend John Hammond, and (with partner Cammie Lindon) for Ry Cooder & David Lindley (Palais Theatre, Melbourne). With his 5 piece pop/rock group 'Giant Steps' he appeared as support for many eminent Aussie acts including Cold Chisel, Icehouse, Dragon, the Black Sorrows, & the Divynals.
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In recent years Doctor Baz has returned to his roots and has concentrated on acoustic music. He has toured Norway three times since 2004, playing at the Sjyrock Music Festival and the Sement Blues Festival in the arctic north, and has performed in Ireland & London with the Delta Blues outfit 'Slim Pickens & Dr. Baz'. In this incarnation he has also performed several times at the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival at Byron Bay, Blues on Broadbeach at the Gold Coast, Queensland's Gympie Muster and the Tamworth Country Music Festival. His latest tour to Europe was with a new latin/flamenco guitar & vocal trio 'The Poco Loco Project'.
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Barry Ferrier has been one of the originators of creative music in the Byron Bay region since the early 80's.
He was a pioneering musician at the famous Railway Friendly Bar and also John "Strop" Cornell's Beach Hotel.
He has won five local North Coast Entertainment Industry Association's "Dolphin" Awards, including 2 for Best Blues Artist and the 2008 award for Jazz, as well other national awards for theatre, community radio and film soundtracks.
Dr. Baz continues to deliver his warm and funky acoustic rhythm & soul on his home town circuit, especially at the Hotel Brunswick at Brunswick Heads, where he has now entertained regularly for over 25 years.
In his solo show he plays guitar & piano, offering a unique selection of pop classics, swamp blues, r 'n' b, reggae and jazz songs, in a warm, accessible style, ...but his greatest strength is his a swag of finely-honed original songs with distinctively strong lyrics.
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His early experimental work with music technology and video art in the 80s led to a PhD scholarship from SCU and a late-blooming career as an academic, lecturing in all aspects of multimedia. As Barrington Ferrier, he has completed a doctorate in multimedia, producing two major works of interactive art and experimental animation ("The Machine" & "Take Your Space Now") and worked as Assistant Professor of Multimedia at Bond University, 1999 - 2003. Visit www.barringtonferrier.com for further detail about this side of Barry Ferrier's professional life. This site includes an in-depth photo collection from over a dozen trips to the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and the Tiwi islands , where he has worked on many music, theatre & documentary projects with indigenous people.
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©2006 B.J.F
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