Shea Stanley

Shea is the musical director and vocalist of "the Urban Swing Big Band". She is a multi-instrumentalist who plays and teaches all of the instruments in the band and some! Her career was founded in the Women's Royal Air Force Central band as the solo cornet player. She continued her musical career as a professional musician and singer when she moved to South Australia, where she later built, engineered and played in her own recording studios.

After 25 years of live entertainment she went back to University and gained a degree in her education and works as a multi-instrumental music teacher. Shea developed one of the last late starter's band, a program designed to encourage adults to learn to play a musical instrument and join a band, which culminated into the formation of "River City Community Music". Shea also started with the support of Ellaways Music, a six week beginning Jazz course called "Weekend Swing Cats". It was this program that saw the early development of "Urban Swing" as a big band specializing in swing and dance music.

 Bill was a keen cyclist with the New Zealand youth cycling team up to 2006 when he moved to Australia where he gave up the saddle for music and has now been playing drums for 5 years. He has played across many genres leading to a strong jazz based style and recently completed studying for a Diploma in Music at Jazzworx music institute - this allowed him to play with anywhere up to 20 different musicians.

Bill also plays in an Indy rock band where he is able to experiment crossing his jazz techniques into other styles, as believes this will be where jazz will be heading in the future. Bill enjoys playing for Urban Swing as sees the big band style the ultimate experience for a musician.

Diann loves most music and particularly loves playing while people dance. The baritone sax is her main passion and she intends to keep playing it just as long as she can hold it in the right position!

Diann learnt the saxophone as an adult and says it was one of the best things  she has ever done. For her, it has been a great balance to a very busy work life. Diann considers that playing with the musically accomplished people in Urban Swing is a great privilege - keen players and tremendous fun.

Terry Martin

Terry was born in 1947 in Melbourne and fell in love with jazz at the age of 12 when he bought a set of old records of classic jazz bands. Fast forward through a career as a stage manager all around the world and a second career as a writer, Terry always flirted with being a musician. He even got to perform on the didgeridoo in a concert at Uluru in 1997.

At the age of 58, Terry decided that it was time to realise his dream and he started trombone lessons. He began with another Shea Stanley band, Mango Jam, and Terry is now in his second year with Urban Swing. As a 64-year-old, he still counts himself as the most junior musician in the group and he appreciates the friendship and support of the more accomplished players in the band.

Bob Hunter

Bob was taught to play trombone from the age of 7 - in fact due to his size he needed the back of a chair to help him hold the slide on the trombone as his arms would not reach! ! He was taught by Tommy Pride - trombone player with the Joe Loss Orchestra in the UK. Whilst working in the mining/construction industry throughout the world, Bob has played with bands in the United States, in Africa and has been a member of various concert, jazz and brass bands throughout most states of Australia.

Bob has a 25 years' service medal for being a member of the Brass Band Association Australia, and played many of those years with Yellow Cabs Bayside Brass - formerly Wynnum Manly Citizens' Band. As a Life Member of the Redland Shire Bands Inc. Bob plays weekly with the Redlands Big Band, Stage Band, Concert Band and the Wind Ensemble. Bob is the first to admit that Big Band/Swing Band music is his favourite and thoroughly enjoys playing with Urban Swing Band. He has been in the Trombone section for the past 4 years.

Bert Snelleman

Bert learned the clarinet in Holland 3 lifetimes ago, never got very far. He took up the alto sax around 9 years ago, initially in Bernie Hoesman's concert band, and then in the Shea Stanley's Mango Jam Big Band.

Bert switched to a very ancient Buescher "Big B" tenor sax when he joined USBB in early in 2010. Bert enjoys playing tenor and would eventually also like to be part of a smaller jazz ensemble.

Mike Mrnka

Mike learnt to play sax as an army conscript in Czechoslovakia and was a part of a small combo until his saxophone career finished suddenly when the officers disbanded the combo, deeming its music too west oriented and not fit for armed forces of the then Warsaw Pact. On his retirement some 45 years later Mike thought that growing certain exotic plants might be a pleasant way to grow older. His wife, fearing for the fate of her garden (and for Mike's unblemished civic record), enrolled him in a bowls club and various other activities, but it did not work out.

It was not until she bought him a saxophone that she felt safe about her garden. Mike enrolled in a 6 week course for would be musical late bloomers. He practiced hard and his effort was formally recognized when in 2009 he was named "The Queensland Saxophonist of The Year" by his family. He now blows proudly for Urban Swing which he much enjoys, but the botany world is poorer for the unrealized potential of this aspiring grower.

Andrew Armstrong

What Andrew lacks in musical talent he makes up for in complete enthusiasm for his instrument. Not only does he play but he is becoming known for his skills in making, repairing and setting up guitars of all kinds. Having said that, Andrew does a solid job of providing rhythm for the band and can play a passable solo too. He first picked up a guitar aged 10 and has played on and off ever since.

Playing in a school big band gave him a taste for this style of music and despite dabbling in blues, rock and various acoustic styles, he enjoys the big band classics. Jazz is a developing skill. He is still wondering however what a Cb chord is and why any arranger would include such a questionable thing in any arrangement! With a sizable stable to choose from, Andrew likes to keep the band guessing with just which guitar will turn up at any particular gig.

Sarah Lambourne

Sarah started learning alto saxophone and piano in primary school and during secondary school absolutely loved playing alto saxophone in the school's jazz band. Her musical hobby however was put on hold after high school in 2006, as she commenced full-time Veterinary Nursing and it was also tricky finding a band to play in. Luckily, after seeing Mango Jam and Urban Swing bands perform at Redcliffe Leagues Club in June 2010, Sarah contacted the musical director of Urban Swing and landed a spot in Mango Jam a few weeks later. She now looks forward to band practice every week and her saxophone gets to play music again - hooray! Sarah says it is so much fun playing brilliant music with such a great bunch of musicians, all who share the same passion for big band jazz music.