TEAM KOKOMO

Derek Jacombs has done all sorts of musical things over the past thirty years, from producing and mixing many albums to writing music for theatre and television to a decade long stint as Artistic Director of the NZ National Jazz Festival. He co-founded Kokomo with Grant Bullot and his brother Roger in 1991 and continues to be the band's main singer and songwriter.

Grant Bullot co-founded Kokomo in 1991 and has provided dynamic harmonica on stage and in the studio ever since. He has also played many sessions on other artists albums and in 2007 he was featured on the Harmonica Masters of New Zealand CD. Grant is also an artist, well-known for his work on corrugated iron and his portraits of NZ musicians. 

 

A veteran of eighties Wellington new wave band The Puppetz, bassist Nigel Masters joined Kokomo in 1998 as the band were preparing to record their Little Heroes album. Since the early nineties Nigel has been the owner/operator of Tauranga's Boatshed Recording Studio where he has produced and recorded albums for numberless artists. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays guitar, keyboards, and drums.

 

The Kokomo boys first met trumpeter Sonia Trappitt (as she was then) in the early nineties at the Bay of Islands Jazz Festival where she was performing with her legendary Wellington jazz band Flibbertyjibbet. After guesting with Kokomo on several tours she joined the band officially in 2001 and became Sonia Bullot after marrying Grant. In 2009 Sonia released a solo album Tonight on Trumpet. She is currently on a break from playing with the band but does guest with them at some concerts in the Tauranga region.

 
The main man behind the skins for nearly 20 years has been Ian “Beano” Gilpin, who also provides a lot of the band's harmony vocals. He can also be found drumming with Bay of Plenty proponents of maximum R 'n' B, Brilleaux and is heavily in demand as a session drummer.





Santiago Rebagliati joined Kokomo in March 2021 after the departure of longtime guitarist Mike Kirk. An Argentinitan based in Mount Maunganui, Santi has been a friend of the band for many years during which time he's played solo, in several duos (including one with Kokomo's late backing singer Tim Mellalieu) and in the band Perfectomundo. He has three solo album on Spotify and many excellent song videos on YouTube.