Official Website

From left to right:
Russ Strathdee , David Rawlings, Roger Kerslake, Geoff Mulholland, John Potts, Ted Fry, Bruce Rumble

The Fig Leaf Jazz Band has been Simcoe County’s Number One Dixieland orchestra for over 30 years - for most of that time they were Simcoe County’s ONLY Dixieland band playing music that had its birth in New Orleans over a century ago. Their repertoire is a mixture of happy toe tapping stomps, two-steps, struts and rags, melancholy blues and novelty songs from the early days of the 20th century all played with energy and enthusiasm. They have played almost everywhere -  from a party for the Prime Minister in Ottawa to the lube pit of a local car dealership, from the most exclusive hotels to a pig roast at a bikers’ convention.

For many years the Figs have been the house band for the Simcoe County Jazz Society,  have played festivals in Orillia, Collingwood, Barrie, Creemore, Midland, been featured in several documentaries on the former CKVR, had their music played on the radio, appeared in a film and have produced many records and CDs.

Top of Page

Russ Strathdee (saxophones)

Influenced in the late 50's by saxophonist greats such as Eddie Davis, Paul Desmond and Stan Getz, Russ played R&B and jazz at the Club Blue Note house on Toronto's Yonge Street (with Doug Riley, Steve Kennedy, Shirley Mathews, etc.). In the mid 60's he turned down an offer by Ronnie Hawkins to join the Hawks.

Russ gigged with many Toronto groups including "Robbie Laine & the Disciples", "Ritchie Knight & the Midnights", "Little Caesar & The Consuls". With over 60 credits in the recording industry, Russ also appeared with "The Majestics" on a CBC television series called "Where It's At".

Now in Barrie, Russ plays regularly with the Fig Leaf Jazz Band, the Martels, Moonglow,  the Groove Project, L!NKS, JazzTex, and feels comfortable improvising on in many genres, including blues, jazz, R&B, rock and country. He studied music at Humber College and teaches saxophone to a select number of serious students.

Top of Page

David Rawlings (tenor banjo/vocals)

David Rawlings didn’t buy his first instrument until he was in university, but then finally, he could actively indulge his great passion for traditional jazz.  Inspiration came from jazz greats such as Kenny Ball, Eddie Condon and the Firehouse Five.  He played ‘casually’ in Toronto until moving to Collingwood in 1974 and joined a new band just forming in Simcoe County – The Fig Leaf Jazz Band. Rawlings has also played with the Apex Jazz Band and the Regal Jazz Band.  Now retired after a 35-year teaching career, he lives with his wife Susan in their chalet at the foot of Blue Mountain.  Rawlings is also an award-winning watercolour artist, specializing in landscapes of the Blue Mountain area.

Top of Page

Roger Kerslake (trombone/vocals)

Roger Kerslake retired a number of years ago from Georgian College, in Barrie, where he conducted classes in pottery. He spent thirty-five years as an educator in both England (Devon) and Canada as an artist and potter. While he was an art student in England, he developed an interest in jazz, and was especially attracted to the trombone.

Roger's particular talent is that he is self-taught and plays "by ear" with no musical training. He is blessed with an appealing voice, and is one of five vocalists in the Fig Leaf Jazz Band.

Top of Page

Geoff Mulholland (keyboards/piano)

Geoff Mulholland is the pianist with the Fig Leaf Jazz Band, one of the original founding members, some thirty-two years ago.  Ted Fry, the band's leader, contacted Geoff soon after moving to Barrie from Etobicoke where he was very active.  A short rehearsal in Ted's basement formed the spark of an idea and subsequently the Fig Leaf Jazz Band was conceived.

The promise of a grandmother's piano, complete with candelabra, if he took piano lessons, brought about the start of what was to become a passionate embracing of keyboard music, in particular. 

From a church social band in England, and to becoming an organist at age fifteen, through to joining the Figs, his involvements increased.

Geoff has conducted pit bands in cabaret and broadway musicals and is currently also with Moonglow, a smooth jazz trio performing in Simcoe County.

Top of Page

John Potts (trumpet/vocals)

John Potts was born in York, UK in the dirty thirties. He moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1948 and was soon playing mandolele (a cross between a mandolin and ukulele) with Mighty Tojo’s Amazing Jazz Aces – not so amazing or mighty when you consider that we used an A clarinet not realizing it was a semitone out of tune with the other Bb instruments – sort of like Stockhausen on a day he forgot to take his medicine. In the early 50s John joined the Cedric St Jean Milmay Quartet on banjolele (another hybrid instrument designed for musicians without musical talent) before branching out on a beat-up cornet with the Johnny Handle Stompers. Later his distinctive orange shoes (though not his musical ability) led to a trumpet spot with the River City Jazzmen (a notorious North Eastern trad combo) until 1960.

After marrying his sweetheart Margaret in 1960 they concentrated on raising 6 children and singing folk music in Spain and Turkey (where they worked) until emigrating to Canada in 1968 and falling in with the infamous Fig Leaf Jazz Band in the early 70s. In recent years John has also been a member of the Moonglow cocktail band and the Geoff Mulholland Trio.

Top of Page

Ted Fry (drums and vocals)

Ted began his musical journey at Humberside Collegiate in the early 'forties', where he played in the concert band, dance band and the pipe band. He played in various groups for many Y.M.C.A.s in Toronto into the 'fifties. A band called the 'Fourmost' played the Toronto Flying Club for many years. In 1962, Ted took over the 'chair' of music at Lawrence Heights Jr. High in North York, where he taught instrumental and vocal music. He played semi-professionally in Toronto in the 60's & 70's. After moving to Barrie in 1974, he helped form the Fig Leaf Jazz Band. Fifteen years ago, he and the 'Figs' helped found the Simcoe County Jazz Society. He continues to work hard to promote the 'Figs' and live jazz music in and around the Simcoe County area.

Top of Page

Bruce Rumble (Double Bass)

Bruce, similar to the motto for a local industry, was born and raised in Barrie. His musical beginnings include listening to the nearly musical pluckings of his father's homemade washtub bass!

Bruce sang tenor in Principal Bill Bell's Hillcrest P.S. music program, with some intonational challenges. The Central Collegiate band, under W.A. Fisher, also offered many opportunities for a student string bass player. Playing turn about, Bruce, as a teacher at Central, worked on numerous student/staff Broadway productions including favourites "Guys and Dolls" and "Oklahoma".

Being principal bassist for the newly formed Huronia Symphony was easy for a teenaged Bruce since he was the only bassist! One of the highlights from high school was serenading the Castle Drive neighbours and the police with a MS 30 rock and roll practice in the garage. Ouch! Local band leader Bob Hunter gave Bruce a call in the early seventies to play some swinging dance music. Great charts!

Bruce joined the Fig Leaf Jazz Band in spite of serious concerns about playing with much older musicians. The concerns proved unfounded. Today, Bruce continues to play with the Figs and to pursue numerous other musical endeavours including volunteering with the York University Jazz program.

Back to previous page