From Bargain Bin Discovery to Swing Revival

Story: Lizzie Macaulay, Bigger Pictre Business Solutions. Photo: Supplied

It all started with a dollar.

Twenty-five years ago, Brad Turner made an impulse purchase at a bargain-bin store—a Frank Sinatra CD that would ignite a lifelong love affair with swing and jazz. That little disc didn't just change his musical taste; it paved the way for something quite unexpected later in life.

"I had no idea that little disc would send me spiraling into a full-blown obsession with swing and jazz," Turner laughs, describing how he quickly amassed a mountain of CDs featuring Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. "I couldn't just listen to them. Oh no. I had to become them."

That obsession with swing and jazz has now evolved into something rather more sophisticated. Scaramouche, a six-piece swing ensemble formed in 2024, will transport Morning Melodies audiences back to the golden age when they perform at the Brolga Theatre on Thursday 21st August.

The band's genesis came through lead singer Turner's other project, Fools Errand, an 80s pop nostalgia group that began sneaking jazzier tunes into their sets. "That's when the lightbulb flickered on: 'What if I started a new project focused entirely on swing and jazz?'”, Turner recalls.

Recruiting fellow musicians proved surprisingly easy, though Turner is modest about his own abilities. "I quickly realized I was the musical weak link," he laughs. "Playing swing and jazz on guitar felt like trying to cook a soufflé when you've only ever made toast."

The missing piece came when Turner approached Maddison to handle female vocals. "I've known her for years and have always said she has the prettiest voice I've ever heard," he shares. Now Turner and Maddison share vocal duties, with Turner admitting he tends to hand more songs to Maddison—"not out of laziness, but mostly because I love listening to her sing."

The ensemble brings together Turner on guitar and male vocals, Sam Maddison on female vocals, Kyle Downes on keys, John Murphy on drums, and Warren Shaw on saxophone.

For their Morning Melodies performance, Turner promises audiences will be "transported back in time on a nostalgic journey through the golden age of swing." His advice? "Dust off your fedoras and flapper dresses—it's going to be a toe-tapping, finger-snapping ride."

Don't miss Scaramouche at Morning Melodies, Thursday 21st August at the Brolga Theatre, Maryborough.

Scaramouche perform at Morning Melodies, Thursday 21 August at the Brolga Theatre

This story appears in the August 2025 edition of Fraser Coast Scene, our monthly guide to What's On across our Cultural Services venues.

The creation of this story and photography was funded by Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.