In 1998, Chris Chapple , one time
guitarist
for Melbourne quartet Autohaze,
released
his debut solo album It's A Wonderful
Life.
After performing a dozen or so
solo acoustic shows,
he teamed up with two members of Charlie Marshall's
Body
Electric :
pianist, cellist and vocalist Julitha Ryan
(also from
The
Dead Salesmen , Silver Ray
) and
drummer extraordinaire Dave Creese
(The
Dumb Earth , The Hired Guns)
to form the Chris Chapple Ensemble.
A contra deal of sorts was struck,
and
Chris joined the Body Electric playing bass.
As a predominantly laid-back,
acoustic trio,
the Ensemble played shows supporting, among others,
artists such as Lisa Miller, The Underground Lovers,
Robert Forster / Grant McLennan, Chris Wilson and,
from the U.S., Sparklehorse.
When too many musical commitments led to both Julitha
and Dave eventually bidding farewell, the band was
reconstructed with the addition of a bass player
and another guitarist.
Which brings us to the line-up which
worked on the second album Whisky Bay:
Dan Luscombe ( The
Blackeyed Susans ) :
guitar / slide guitar / backing vocals
Sean Simmons (The
Spoils) : Bass
Chris Chapple : acoustic &
electric guitar / vocals
Brett Poliness (Silver
Ray):drums/percussion
Chris has also played bass, on
a stand-in
basis, for The Spoils, Matt
Walker and
Ron Sexsmith (on his 2001 Aust. tour).