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Perth music duo celebrate milestone

Source: Stateline WA
Published: Friday, May 28, 2010 11:21 AEST
Expires: Thursday, August 26, 2010 11:21 AEST

June and Lew Smith are veteran musicians of the Perth jazz scene and are holding an event in honour of a shared milestone, their 80th birthday.

ELIZA BLUE, PRESENTER: Now to another creative duo who certainly prove that age is no barrier to success.

Veterans of WA's jazz scene, June and Lew Smith, have been charming Australian audiences since they emigrated from the UK in the 1960's.

This weekend, Perth's jazz fraternity will take to the stage en masse to pay tribute to the couple who're celebrating a shared milestone.

Claire Moodie caught up with them ahead of the big event.

JUNE SMITH, JAZZ MUSICIAN (singing): One, two, a one, two, three, four.

Don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing,

doo wah doo wah doo wah doo wah, doo wah, doo wah.

LEW SMITH, JAZZ MUSICIAN: I thought she was a great personality, so versatile playing the trumpet, and a bit of comedy and

certainly hit me between the eyes.

JUNE SMITH: In those days we were still under a certain amount of rationing, you had to have a ration book and Lew's got a sweet tooth, you see. And he used to, he made passes at the girl who worked in the local lolly shop. So, it was a toss-up between me and this girl in the lolly shop.


JUNE SMITH (singing): It's wonderful, it's marvellous...

CLAIRE MOODIE: It's nearly 60 years since June and Lew Smith began making music together.

But the pair still have vivid memories of meeting in 1951, when they were playing in different bands at an English tourist spot.

JUNE SMITH: He invited me home to meet his parents because they only lived a short distance away, and Lew told me afterwards his father had said to him, "What is it you like about this girl?" And Lew said, "I can talk to her."

So there you go.

Now he can't get a word in edgeways.

CLAIRE MOODIE: She was a trumpet player and vocalist from Edinburgh.

He was a Yorkshire lad, a multi-instrumentalist, whose early career in the London Palladium Orchestra featured some big names.

LEW SMITH: I was able to back people like Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, it was a great experience to see them live.

JUNE SMITH: (singing) It's wonderful, it's marvellous, that you should care for me

It's awful nice, it's paradise, it's what I long to see...

CLAIRE MOODIE: It's a musical journey that's spanned two continents and a myriad of bands and styles.

Emigrating to Melbourne in the 1960's, and later moving to Perth with their family,

June and Lew smith discovered a surprisingly vibrant music scene, with some unexpected invitations along the way.

JUNE SMITH: I got this phone call out of the blue and somebody said, "Oh we were wondering if you would be interested in singing at the first prom concert?"

And I said are you kidding me? First of all, and this voice says "Oh no, no, we're serious", and he says "we can't pay much though", I says "Oh that's alright I'd do it for a peanut butter sandwich!"

CLAIRE MOODIE: Since moving to Perth in 1974, they've become veterans of Perth's growing jazz scene.

The Apple Band and the Jazz Divas among their many collaborations.

And as founding members of the club, Jazz Fremantle, they've nurtured many of WA's new generation of musicians.

JUNE SMITH (singing): I don't, I don't...


Oh I think I first met Graham, I can't remember what age he was. Oh, he was only a teenager and I says I think I'll have to adopt you as my, as a grandson.

JUNE SMITH: Do I have to beat it in?

GRAHAM WOOD: I can just start if you want, but I quite like it when you beat it in

JUNE SMITH (singing): A one, a two, a one, two, three, four.

Don't mean a thing...


He listens, you know, he's always there.


The human little faults that you do have, they just make me love you more

CLAIRE MOODIE: Graham Wood who oversees the highly successful jazz program at WAAPA, will be among about 30 musicians performing at a special event in Fremantle this Sunday.

GRAHAM WOOD, ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB: I think that they're just, you know, really dedicated to the music and they're really swinging, you know serious jazz players and it's great to see, you know, to keep that kind of flame alive.

CLAIRE MOODIE: The event's being held to celebrate a shared milestone, June and Lew's 80th birthdays.

LEW SMITH: Well I've been awarded the OBE...

JUNE SMITH: What was it?

LEW SMITH: Over bloody eighty!

JUNE SMITH: Yeah, that's right!

LEW SMITH: But you're still the younger woman aren't you?

JUNE SMITH: That's right yeah, 40 days younger. I won't let you forget THAT.


It's what I long to see,

you make my life so glamorous,
you can't blame me for feeling amorous,

It's wonderful, It's marvellous...

CLAIRE MOODIE: Not that their age will be holding them back.

The couple say music keeps you alive.

So for how much longer will they be gracing the stage?

LEW SMITH: Till we keel over I suppose.

JUNE SMITH: Til the saxophone gets too heavy to hang round his neck.


Just come on, come on, come on, come on...

Give it everything you've got.


I once saw a wonderful program and Joan Sutherland was being interviewed, when she used to sing at the Opera House in Sydney. And the guy said to her, "You what happens when the voice goes? or something and she says "Oh the voice doesn't go, it's the knees!"

Tags: music, jazz, perth-7300, wa

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