Sam Babicci

Australian musician who won a scholarship to the New South Wales Conservatorium to study clarinet and piano and later spent six years as solo clarinetist/saxophonist with Verbrugghen’s Orchestra. He toured with Bert Ralton (1924-25) and worked as J.C. Williamson‘s orchestra leader at the Sydney Tivoli before forming the vaudeville act Tom Katz and His Saxophone Band in 1927. After seven years constant touring throughout Australasia he took the band to Great Britain but left it in 1936 to return home. Over the next 20 years Babicci led several bands (notably the Romano’s cabaret orchestra) while also establishing himself in the Sydney restaurant trade – initially as manager and later as a proprietor.