AUGUST 2026 – The Paul Hendon Sextet – Benny Goodman Tribute Show

On Sunday 16 August, we were treated to a wonderful afternoon of swing as the Paul Hendon Sextet presented their Benny Goodman Tribute Show, celebrating the music of the man famously known as the King of Swing. The sextet featured Paul Hendon on clarinet and saxophone, Jo Bloomfield on piano, Dave Burrows on guitar, Rodney Ford on drums, Alex Compton on double bass, and Glenn Henrich on vibraphone and baritone saxophone.

Glenn explained the difference between a xylophone and vibraphone. Unlike the xylophone, the vibraphone has aluminium keys and motorised fans inside its resonating tubes, creating its distinctive vibrato effect which added to our appreciation of his mastery of this instrument.

Throughout both sets, each member of the sextet was given the opportunity to shine with individual solos showcasing their skills, including a couple of vocal tracks from Rod. Naturally, there were plenty of Goodman favourites, many given fresh and inventive arrangements. We enjoyed “Don’t Be That Way,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling,” “Poor Butterfly,” “I’ll Never Be the Same” and “Jersey Bounce.” There were also some less familiar gems, including “Lisa,” “How Am I to Know” and “The Wang Wang Blues,” which famously featured in the film The English Patient.

The second set opened with an audience request from Fred, “Lost in a Masquerade,” before the band launched into another wonderful selection of Goodman classics: “Seven Come Eleven,” “Chicago,” “Body and Soul,” “Alicia’s Blues” — although, sadly, there was no Alicia in the audience! — “Lullaby of the Leaves,” “Under a Blanket of Blue,” “Here’s That Rainy Day,” “Oh! Baby,” “If I Had You,” “East of the Sun,” “Lover Come Back to Me” and “Memories of You ” and what better way to bring the afternoon to a close than with the timeless “Avalon”?

The audience, along with our enthusiastic dancers, clearly loved the opportunity to step back into the Golden Era of Swing.   Thank you, Paul Hendon Sextet, for bringing Benny Goodman’s music vividly back to life and a special thank you to Glenn Henrich and Alex Compton who made the journey from Sydney to join us in Queensland.

And, of course, thank you to Ben, our audio engineer, who ensured that the musicians sounded their very best and that the audience enjoyed the show with excellent sound quality.

Jules Verity