I Remember Geoff, Instead

From Derek Lewis:

My memory of Mr Byrne is a bit vague,other than the name is associated with the good guys.
Speaking of which, I was in the Bankstown Sports the other night (ok, I was having a quick beer waiting for a takeaway) and anyway, Jeff Bull's jazz band was playing.  After taking food home I went back to hear the band...in the break I said to him..."you were my commerce teacher in 1965 at STHS"...he said, yep I was there, but you do know it was 45 years ago"...yep..he was always good with numbers....theythe band)  were great and will be back there on the last Tuesday in July....I'll be there...cheers
Derek

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Gard comments: Yes, I guess Geoff Bull should have been listed on our website along with the STHS Staff Good Guys, but I remember so little about him... Yes, he taught me commerce, too. And he confiscated my wristwatch once, when I was playing with it in class instead of studying commerce. And I walked past a classroom once, when I was on my way to not study something else, and I glanced into an open classroom and there was Geoff, standing out the front on the dais, not teaching commerce, but playing a trumpet while several students stood looking on, rapt and listening. A burly fellow, with a Fred Flintstone shock of hair over one eye and a beatnik ziff, Geoff Bull wore goose-neck sweaters and sports jackets. There may have been desert boots. In 1965, Geoff had 'jazz' written all over him.

Just as well no-one confiscated his trumpet for not teaching commerce.

Jump forward with me now, to 1989. The place is the Mittagong RSL and the occasion is the 'Jazz in the Highlands' Festival. I'm seated by the stage, with my recording gear, capturing the concert for the local Community Radio Station. Geoff Bull and His Olympia Jazz band come on. Geoff out front, trumpet in hand, ziff on chin. Geoff looks down at me, and nods. I press the Record button, and nod back at Geoff. The band strikes up...

According to one website, 'Geoff Bull is a renown New Orleans style trumpet player who has lead his own bands since the early sixties' 

'Renown'? 'Lead'?  

Back in the Sixties at STHS, whatever we studied, we used the words 'renowned', and 'led'. Never mind, Geoff's jazz always transcended scrappy grammar.



Stephen Gard