Galapagos Duck This Time Apr 2026

Working as a house band meant they had to please diverse crowds. This forced a relentless versatility that became their defining characteristic. They weren't purists; they were performers who wanted jazz to be accessible to everyone. 💿 Breaking Down This Time (1975)

Recorded with a very loose, live feel and minimal overdubbing, it feels like sitting in the front row of a smokey club.

This stylistic shifting drew occasional criticism from purists who felt the band was catering too hard to the masses. However, that exact willingness to blend high-brow jazz with foot-stomping grooves is exactly why they became a household name. 🎺 A Legacy That Refuses to Stop Galapagos Duck This Time

They rose to fame as the house band for the legendary Sydney venue, The Basement , where they played for 16 years. In 1975, they released This Time , an album that beautifully captured their genre-bending sound by blending jazz, funk, and traditional New Orleans elements. 🎷 The Birth of "The Duck"

One minute the band is driving a heavy, contemporary funk-jazz riff, and the next they lurch directly into traditional New Orleans swing, complete with Burrows on clarinet. Working as a house band meant they had

The album famously features guest woodwinds player Don Burrows, a massive stalwart in the Australian jazz scene.

By 1975, Galapagos Duck was a well-oiled machine. They teamed up with legendary producer Horst Liepolt for his 44 Records label to record their third album, This Time (often discussed alongside their subsequent 1976 releases like St James ). 💿 Breaking Down This Time (1975) Recorded with

Whether they are throwing down staple covers like Herbie Hancock’s "Watermelon Man", Duke Ellington's "Take the A Train", or their famous renditions of "Caravan", they remain the gold standard of live Australian jazz.