Col Loughnan

Colin John Loughnan (born 26 October 1942) is an Australian jazz saxophonist, teacher, and composer, best known as a member of the Delltones, Ayers Rock, Judy Bailey quartet, and as a teacher of saxophone at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Colin John Loughnan was born on 26 October 1942, in Sydney, and became a professional musician, arranger, and teacher of saxophone.

His parents, Con and Merle lived in Ellen St., Randwick, an inner south–east suburb of Sydney.

They were a musical family, and enjoyed the Jazz and popular artists of the day.

By coincidence, Frank Coughlan, a Sydney bandleader and trombonist, lived next door.

Interactions with Coughlan lead the young Loughnan to ask his parents to buy him a trumpet, which received a polite but firm "no".

It was decided that it would be better to stick to singing.

Loughnan attended Marist Brothers College, Randwick, where he sang in the school choir with good friend Mike Downes.

Loughnan briefly played drums in the school marching band.

He also excelled in swimming.

From 1957, he studied at South Sydney Junior Technical High School (now known as South Sydney High School), after which he was employed as an apprentice fitter and turner.

Downes and Loughnan were joined by Dennis O'Keefe (all Marist Brothers alumni), and Kel Palace, who lived near O'Keefe, to form a vocal quartet, The 4 Tops.

Loughnan was 16 years old.

Although Loughnan has long been associated with jazz music, the first nine years of his career were spent as a non-instrumental vocalist with vocal harmony groups The Crescents, and The Delltones starting in 1958.

In the 60s, he learnt to play the saxophone, performing as an instrumentalist with Col Nolan and The Soul Syndicate, and as a founding member of the Daly-Wilson Big Band.

At this time Loughnan was proficient in saxophones, flutes, and clarinet.

By the early 70s, Loughnan had included session work, arranging music for television, and studying in the U.S. under Victor Morosco to his achievements.

The 4 Tops were regular performers, in late 1958, at the Leichhardt Police Boys Club dances, run by Johnny O'Keefe (no relation to Dennis O'Keefe).

A few months later, Dennis O'Keefe left to join the Air Force, and the remaining trio changed their name to The Crescents.

Johnny O'Keefe became their manager, and Loughnan recalled that "everyone respected [O'Keefe] ... but that was understandable – he was THE MAN".

O'Keefe invited The Crescents to appear on his television program "Six O'Clock Rock" on 7 March 1959.

This success later lead to further appearances on "Six O'Clock Rock", "Bandstand", and "Teen Time".

The Crescents were heavily influenced by American vocal groups of the period, practising and working on their arrangements at Palace's parents' house, with Loughnan on the piano.

Promoter, Lee Gordon was closely associated with O'Keefe, and signed the group to his Leedon recording label.

His long-term collaboration with Judy Bailey has extended from the late 1970s to the present.

He was playing with Kala in London in 1973, before returning to Australia to join progressive rock, jazz fusion outfit Ayers Rock.

Loughnan was a major influence on the sound of the band, and wrote most of their musically adventurous material.

At the end of Ayers Rock's second tour of the U.S., Loughnan chose to remain in America to continue his studies.

He flew back to Australia in 1978 to take up the position of lecturer in saxophone, and arranging at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz Faculty.

Concurrent with teaching, he was playing jazz, working as a studio musician, and acting as musical director for Marcia Hines, and John Farnham, for ABCTV specials.

Loughnan has played with many top international artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Freddie Hubbard, Shirley Bassey, Frank Sinatra, and Johnny Mathis.

He has played with a very long list of Australian musicians including Don Burrows, John Sangster, George Golla, Rhonda Burchmore, Errol Buddle, Bob Barnard and New Zealander Ricky May.

Loughnan toured with Georgie Fame and The Aussie Blue Flames on Fame's frequent visits to Australia from 1979 to 2006.

He has entertained both great and small, playing with the Sydney and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, and creating children's music in the studio for Australia's ABC Records.

In the early 1980s, he studied under venerated saxophone teacher Joe Allard in New York City.

He has led his own combo's the Col Loughnan Endeavour, and the Col Loughnan quartet.

Another collaborator, guitarist Steve Murphy joined Loughnan to record the album Feel the Breeze as a duo in 1981.

Loughnan recorded a solo album Ellen St., in 2007, of his own compositions, which was produced by his son, bassist Lyal Loughnan, and Loughnan himself.

He was involved in a scientific experiment at The University of New South Wales, nicknamed the "Frankensax" experiment, which investigated the acoustics inside the mouth, and throat of a saxophonist while playing.

He remains active in teaching and playing, often with friend Judy Bailey