The Jews Brothers Band reunite for Neill Duncan

We all came together in Auckland City to meet with Neill Duncan who had come over from Australia to visit a healing specialist. His arm amputated Neill was unable to sit in on Saxophone so he took up a drum stick and played along with the Band.

Nigel Gavin and Neill Duncan a few years ago.

Neill Duncan, Hershal, Harmen Hielkema @ Cafe One2One.

It was the best experience I've had for a very long time. The band went off and the audience came along for the ride!

A clip from "The Jews Brothers Band" website's "History" page

The Jews Brothers Band at Rakinos Cafe, High Street, Auckland 2001
Hershal: (Piano Accordion, Vocals), Harmen Hielkema: (Vocals, Bass), Linn Lorkin: (Vocals, Melodica), Kelvin Roy: (bass trumpet, vocals)

"Within a few weeks we recruited another extraordinary and eccentric musician ... Harmen Hielkema (dubbed by Linn, the "Dutch clutch" and sometimes the "Friesian 'nesian"), who played the most amazing instrument of all, known Down Under as the tea-chest bass, a variant of the wash-tub bass often heard with jug bands. I didn't want a normal bass in the band (though eventually when Harmen left the band we did go that route). But the sounds Harmen created on his tea-chest were just amazing and he often stole the show! People would just sit there dumbfounded at both the sound and the look of this monstrous looking instrument. Harmen was also a visual artist who did music as a hobby (for financial reasons) and eventually had to leave the band to become a teacher at AUT, teaching Spatial Design (at which point he was replaced by Peter Scott on the double bass ... see our artist page).
Harmen's bass and vocals feature on all the JBB albums except the Braeburn Sessions. As I write today, Harmen is now living with his wife Julie in the Hokianga region of Northland, New Zealand. Together they also organize regular house concerts. 09 405-7855."

Hershal