Over the years the band gradually changed in personnel and style until 1984 when the band decided to move into an uncompromising Dixieland format and modify the name to "the Brass Gentry Strolling Trad Band" (that was so they could do gigs without carting all that sound gear around). In this form the Brass Gentry was invited to perform at the prestigious (41st) Australian Jazz Convention in 1986, the first NZ jazz band to do so in over 40 years. The Brass Gentry did its last gig on Kawau Island 2005.