Tijuana Taxi

Tijuana Taxi plays the music of 1960s sensation that was Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, phenomenon the likes of which have not been heard before or since.

Particularly relevant to the Baby Boomers generation, Sydney shows have been selling out regularly at Camelot Lounge and captivating Gen Xers as well as kitsch loving Millenials. Timeless tunes, both kooky and sublime, played by an 8 piece band with 2 trumpets and trombone, real marimba and percussion, bass, drums, piano and guitar, evoke a nostalgic joy. The backdrop to pop culture of the 60s and 70s, it was the soundtrack to so many childhoods. With classics such as "Spanish Flea", "Tijuana Taxi", "A Taste of Honey", "The Lonely Bull", "Casino Royale", "This Guy's In Love", and "Zorba The Greek", Tijuana Taxi faithfully renders all these plus many more.

Tijuana Taxi plays the music of 1960s sensation that was Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, phenomenon the likes of which have not been heard before or since. Particularly relevant to the Baby Boomers generation, Sydney shows have been selling out regularly at Sydney's Camelot Lounge and captivating Gen Xers as well as kitsch loving Millenials. Timeless tunes, both kooky and sublime, played by an 8 piece band with 2 trumpets and trombone, real marimba and percussion, bass, drums, piano and guitar, evoke a nostalgic joy. The backdrop to pop culture of the 60s and 70s, it was the soundtrack to so many childhoods. With classics such as "Spanish Flea", "Tijuana Taxi", "A Taste of Honey", "The Lonely Bull", "Casino Royale", "This Guy's In Love", and "Zorba The Greek", Tijuana Taxi faithfully renders all these plus many more.

Tijuana Taxi is comprised of 8 of Sydney’s finest musicians, all of whom have made their mark on the Sydney music scene. They were mustered together from various facets of the music community by bassist and bandleader, Tina Harris.

Musical Director & Bassist - Tina Harris

As a bandleader and musical director, Tina kicked off original funk jazz outfit, Delicatessen in 1996, (Manly Jazz Fest, Thredbo Jazz Fest, Bellingen Jazz Fest, etc) and has gone on to MD Sydney Festival show Smoke and Mirrors, touring Speigeltents throughout Australia, Edinburgh, and Auckland. In Dec 2018 she was MD for Hear Me Roar at Sydney Opera House directing and arranging for 8 piece all female band and 6 celebrated Australian Divas in a tribute to the great female songwriters of our time. She has played in musical theatre (In The Heights, Assassins, Sweet Charity, Rent, etc.) but is most in her element on the stage, rather than behind it. Groovy, and with an underlying current of latin soul, joy and energy, she brings the vibe as well as the music.

With her feet in many musical camps, Tina has put years in as bassist in latin, afro cuban and world music ensembles; Mucho Mambo, Cumbiamuffin, Barrio Soul, Armandito, Keyim Ba as well as the groups of which she is also music director, 12 piece El Orqueston and trio Oriente Tres.

Marimba and Percussion - Jess Ciampa

With a CV as long as the Nullarbor, Jess has played in more shows (at one time) than almost anyone you’ll meet. Genre is no barrier; classical, music theatre, latin, or rock, Jess is as versatile as they get, going from Lion King to Spaghetti Western, the SSO, ACO and Brandenburg Orchestra to Jeff Duff, Monsieur Camembert, Masala, and Mucho Mambo. He has also toured with Tina Arena, and Ian Moss.

Drums - Glenn Wilson is one of those quiet achievers. A brilliant drummer of jazz, fusion, and country music who has consistently been in demand on the big musicals, (Aladdin, Evita, etc) Glenn is also an award winning videographer. He has toured and recorded with Lee Kernaghan, Wendy Matthews, Jimmy Barnes and The Seekers. He played in Tina Harris’ Delicatessen, and is currently playing on disco musical, Saturday Night Fever.

Trombone (plus percussion) - Mike Raper 

Mikey is gifted with a focused and charismatic stage presence and music acuity and a big sound. He is the musical director and arranger of 16 piece Cumbia orchestra Cumbiamuffin and is in demand to play with horn sections across the country, appearing at the televised New Year’s Eve celebrations on the Opera House steps with a stellar lineup.

Trumpets - Both well established musicians with rich bios of their own, Marty Farrugia and Ray Cassar combine to produce the sound of Herb Alpert. They phrase together as one and help recreate the glorious harmonies and challenging nuances of phrasing.

Ray’s bio is a who’s who of the jazz, pop, big band, latin and orchestral world. He’s played with everyone from James Morrison, Ed Wilson and John Farnham, to The Temptations, The Eagles, Tim Minchin and Jessica Mauboy and is in constant demand as a recording session player.

Marty can be seen with every other band around town. Well known in the latin scene, he has played with bands Veneno, Armandito Y Su Trovason, Cumbiamuffin and Kriolla Collective, all large lineups of renown. Recently he played the 2019 New Year’s Opera House concert backing Tim Minchin and Ben Folds. 

Keyboard – Noel Elmowy, a veteran of the Sydney Jazz and latin scene, was founding member of legendary latin jazz ensemble, Espirito, spanning decades from its inception in the 80s. Currently he leads or plays with several projects; The Marvin Gaye Experience, and Soul Sacrifice – a Santana tribute, and has played with Rick Price, Doug Williams, Jeff Duff, Ricky May and Andrew Oh, amongst many others.

Guitar - Seb Bartels is a bright and talented young guitarist. He came recommended, partly because he had the right guitar - the 12 string electric, a rare beast and essential to the sound of the Tijuana Brass. He took the gig on, delved deep into the history of the music and totally owned it. He’s played with Michael Duchesne and current band project, Shogun & The Sheets. He’s an asset to any musical combo.