Don Banks

Australian composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. Born: 25 October 1923 in South Melbourne - Died: 5 September 1980 in Sydney Began playing jazz piano while studying at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. First recording was in a group featuring American trumpet player Max Kaminsky made in 1943. By 1945 he was playing with Gren Gilmour's Band and from 1946 he was involved with Melbourne's bop movement. Led his own group - the Don Banks Boptet - 1949-1950 which broadcast on the A.B.C. Was in England 1950-1973 where he began composing music and wrote the score for at cleat one film - "Rasputin, The Mad Monk" which starred Christopher Lee. Returned to Australia in 1973 to head the Canberra School of Music at ANU.