The Mervin Wipple Trio are back

April 24, 2025

There's no better way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than listening to good music in a pub beer garden with a suitable beverage in hand. Sunday, April 20, was just such a day and the Mervin Wipple Trio provided the music in the beer garden of the Tarana Hotel.

The trio was a little changed from the usual lineup, with guitarist Jim replacing the regular horn player. What made it special was that Jim hadn't played with Bob for many months and didn't even know that he played keyboards as well as his usual guitar. (Oberon Matters also only knew Bob as a guitarist.) This meant that the music all afternoon was essentially improvised but to a casual listener it sounded like they rehearsed every day. And that's what being a competent musician is all about.

The style of music was a bit hard to pin down, but could best be described as jazz influenced rock, or maybe rock influenced jazz (think Steely Dan). The pieces ranged from George Gershwin's classic "Summertime" to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall", with lots in between, including some original pieces. Nothing was less than excellent, even if presented slightly differently to the way the songs are usually heard.

The band doesn't seem to have a web site or Facebook presence, but keep an eye out on the local pub and music sites for when they might be performing. Whatever your favourite music genre is you won't be disappointed.

Bob (keyboards), Ross (drums) and Jim (guitar). The Mervin Wipple Trio.

This video gives an idea of the way the group can put a tune together. (The video says it was recorded at The Royal Hotel, Tarana. The real name is the Tarana Hotel.)

Video from Bob Green's YouTube account

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