Jimmie Elkins

James Warren "Jimmie" Elkins (1 January 1902 – 13 November 1971) was an Australian pianist, bandleader, and architect. He is was as an influential figure in Australian jazz during the 1920s, with his orchestra being described as "the best jazz band in [Australia]" before it disbanded.

Early life Elkins was born in Sydney, Australia to Henry Samuel Elkins and Ada Sophia Elkins. He learned piano as a child and, by the age of 16, was performing piano for silent films in Sydney's suburbs and at the Sydney Haymarket Theatre.

Career

Early musical career In the early 1920s, Elkins began leading ensembles, including a residency at the Regent Palais de Danse in Cremorne. By 1924, he led a band on the Hoyts circuit of theatres in Melbourne and subsequently rose to prominence in the Sydney music scene. These sessions produced the tracks "Talking to the Moon" and "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along".

Throughout 1927 and 1928 the band played as Jimmie Elkins and his Wintergarden Orchestra as part of a residence at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. This period represented the zenith of its success, with the American magazine Variety describing Elkins as having "the best jazz band in [Australia] at the present" in April 1927.

Architectural practice Elkins disbanded his band in October 1928 After concluding the Wentworth Hotel residency, going on to complete architecture studies at the University of Sydney.