Daly Wilson Big Band Marcia Hines Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans: By Patrick Ranasinghe

Daly-Wilson Big Band was formed in Sydney in 1968 by Warren Daly on drums and Ed Wilson on trombone. Don Raverty was asked to manage and coordinate the band and was a business partner from the beginning. Daly began his musical career in the late 1950s as a drummer in the Ramblers and then the Steeds. In the mid-1960s he toured the United States as a member of Kirby Stone Four, and then with Si Zentner; later he joined Glenn Miller Orchestra (led by Buddy DeFranco). Wilson had trained as a pianist before changing over to brass instruments. In 1966 he joined the ABC Dance Band conducted by Jim Gussey; he subsequently played with the Sydney Symphony and TCN-9 house band led by Geoff Harvey. In May 1973 Daly-Wilson Big Band reformed, with financial support from commercial patron, Benson & Hedges, and undertook another Australian tour, as well as New Zealand. Their vocalists were Linda Cable, Terry Holden, Dilys Lockett and Neva Phillips. They subsequently issued another album, On Tour, with Daly and Wilson joined by Ray Alldridge on keyboards; Warren Clark, Larry Elam, Norm Harris, Mick Kenny and Don Raverty on trumpets; Herb Cannon, Merv Knott, Bob McIvor and Peter Scott on trombones; Dave Donovan and Hugh Williams on guitars; Doug Foskett, Paul Long, John Mitchell, Geoff Naughton and Bob Pritchard on saxophones; and John Helman on bass guitar. It was co-produced by Daly-Wilson and Tommy Tycho for Reprise Records.

From February 1974 the ensemble’s lead singer was Marcia Hines – fresh from her stint as Mary Magdalene in the Australian stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar. In September 1975 they toured the Soviet Union at the request of Gosconcert as part of a cultural exchange. They played venues in Moscow, Vilnius, Kaunas, Riga and St Petersburg to packed houses and local critical acclaim. The Australian ABC Network sent producer Bernie Cannon to film the latter part of the Russian tour that was later viewed in Australia. They were scheduled to play at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London but this was thwarted by British Customs who refused to release their instruments. From there they flew to Las Vegas where they performed at the Las Vegas Hilton, sharing the stage with BB King and Wilson Picket. Then to Los Angeles for two nights, again to packed houses, at a local Jazz club.

Their next album, Daly-Wilson Big Band featuring Marcia Hines (1975), had Hines’ vocals on the cover songs, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Foster felt that Hines “brings that bubbling vivacity which is her stage mark to her appearances. I like her best on ‘Orleans’. She seems to get right inside this particular airing. Perhaps it evoked some [memories] of her homeland which she visited… during the highly successful world tour made by the band. During late 1974 Hines had also recorded her debut solo album, Marcia Shines (October 1975). She left the jazz ensemble to promote her album and focus on her solo career.