Cleis Pearce has a long history playing violin and viola in many creative musical ventures, including improvising and writing music for contemporary dance and poetry performances. She was first heard in MacKenzie Theory an Australian jazz rock group formed in September 1971 in Melbourne. Lead guitarist, Rob MacKenzie and Pearce were the mainstays. They recorded two albums, 'Out of the Blue' (1973) and 'Bon Voyage' (1974) for Mushroom Records before disbanding in May 1974. 'Out of the Blue' peaked at #19 on Go-Set's Australian Albums chart. In 1976 she joined raga rock band Kangaru who released the album 'Dreaming'. Cleis played on Richard Clapton's 'Good Bye Tiger' album of 1977 and toured with Richard. In the 80s she formed Summerhaze with Cathie O'Sullivan and released a folk album 'High Places'. Since the 80s she has toured and performed with Gyan and Michael Leunig, Yuval Ashkar, Dha, Coolangubra and many more. Cleis is one of the country's finest melodic improvisers and can keep an audience in raptures with her soaring virtuosity, tone, and facility on the violin and viola.
Whoops, wrong photo... thats Laura Targett, not Cleis. Also Cleis played on Richard Clapton's Good Bye Tiger Album of 1977 and toured with Richard. The band with Cathy O'Sullivan was called Summerhaze.
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