Carolyn is a professional jazz and blues piano player and music educator. She resides on the Central Coast, and is renowned on the Sydney music scene. She has performed, toured and recorded extensively with blues, jazz and rock and roll bands across N.S.W. 

In 2018 and 2019 Carolyn travelled to New Orleans and San Francisco, soaking up the music, culture, art and cuisine. Inspired by this experience, Carolyn produced two albums of New Orleans inspired jazz, with her band, The Stompin’ Rhythm Aces.

Carolyn is a sought-after musician in the blues/ jazz/ swing genres and is often asked to perform as a special guest in shows as Piano Blues and Jazz Recitals as well as with bands and tribute shows, festivals and recordings. She has built her reputation with over 30 years of professional playing.

Carolyn has also performed in weekly residencies in restaurants as a solo artist where her distinctive blues and jazz style has been well received by audiences.

Carolyn Packer began playing classical piano as a child. 

It was when she discovered Otis Spann from the Chicago Blues genre that Carolyn’s distinctive piano blues style really developed. In those early days Carolyn was not only listening to the music of Chicago blues (Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins, Pinetop Smith) but was also influenced by rhythm and blues of New Orleans (Professor Longhair, Dr John) as well as listening to the early Boogie Woogie recordings (Jimmy Yancy, Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis) She also loved the organ styles of Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Booker T and Joey De Francesco.

BANDS 

THE STOMPIN’ RHYTHM ACES, CAROLYN PACKER’S GARDEN PARTY TRIO, THE MIDNIGHT RAMBLERS, LONESOME BOOGIE, FOREDAY RIDERS, THE JIVE BOMBERS,  

HIP SISTER, CAROL RALPH, BILL DUDLEY’S NEW ORLENIANS, BRIDGE CITY JAZZ 

Other Musicians