Andrew Bisset

Andrew Bisset (January 20, 1953 – April 14, 2005) was an Australian author, music educator and singer, based in Canberra.

Author

Andrew Bisset was particularly noted for his excellent book Black Roots White Flowers - A History of Jazz in Australia, which traces jazz influences and performances from the early days of visiting African American Vaudeville shows and Jazz Teas at the Tivoli, through to the year of publication - 1979.

As a follow-up to the book, he presented a ten-part series on ABC Radio National in 1987 on the History of Australian Jazz up to World War Two.

Performer

As performer, Bisset was loved for his natural stage presence, dry humour and wit, and uncanny sense of comic timing and delivery. His theme song in later years became My Baby Just Cares for Me. Audiences also craved his version of Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry Be Happy, in which he sang the lead during his time with a cappella group The Singing Waiters.

Bisset suffered from a severe arthritic condition for most of his life, but he never allowed this or other medical problems that emerged later on to impede his love of life and his unstoppable energy and enthusiasm for getting things done.

Further reading

• Bisset, Andrew: Black Roots White Flowers - A History of Jazz in Australia. Foreword by Don Burrows. Sydney and Auckland, Golden Press 1979.

• Sharpe, John: A Cool Capital: The Canberra Jazz Scene 1925-2005. Foreword by Mike Price. Canberra Publishing and Printing 2006.

External links

• National Film and Sound Archive Interviews (Oral History series)