For the best information about what’s coming up in the way of improvised music at venues in Melbourne, visit the websites of the clubs (see below) or keep an eye on Something We Know or the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative websites.
I have not found it practical to keep my listings up to date, which is why I have decided to just provide the most helpful sources of listings.
Having said that, if any musicians or patrons want to add a comment giving details of gigs coming up, that is fine by me. Anything to help get the word out there about live music in Melbourne.
I apologise if anyone has recently read some old listings on this page and thought that they were current. To be honest, it had slipped my mind that there was outdated text on the page, until someone posted a link to it and I suddenly realised people may get the wrong idea.
ROGER MITCHELL
Ausjazz Blog 
Hi Roger
On October 9 and 10 Mulatu Astatke returns to Melbourne for two intimate shows with James Arbour (Heliocentrics) and backed The Black Jesus Experience. Supports are the Jazz Rooms DJs Russ Dewbury (UK) and Blair Stafford (PBS FM).
The Order of Melbourne
2/401 Swanston St Melbourne
Tickets are $40 at Moshtix limited to 300 tickets per show.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145407682146686
Hope you can support!
Hi there,
I’m hoping you could list the following free gig on your website:
Daniel Gassin Trio – Live Recording on Yamaha Disklavier
Wed Nov 24, 8:00pm
Bennetts Lane
Come and be part of the audience for the first ever audio/video recording on Yamaha’s Disklavier grand piano by this renowned artist and his band.
Bookings Greg Goris: 03 9695 0554
Many thanks,
Kath
John Mcall
Ruby,Molly,Tibor,Tiger,Dave Beck,Philip Rex,Jordan Murray Adam Simmons. on the 22nd May come to this one.
Black Money Featuring Molly Pinnuck,Ruby Carter and Tibor Gyapjas
Location: Bennetts Lane
Time 8:3o
Don Jordan’s New York Jazz Sextet at the Uptown Jazz Cafe on Friday (Dec. 2) from 8.30pm. Come and enjoy the upbeat, passionate music of the hard bop jazz masters, re-interpreted for your pleasure by Cam Earl (tpt), Chris Genoux (tnr sax), Don Jordan (trb), Rory Clark (pno), Paul Bender (bs) and Gid Marcus (dms). Join us in our re-creation of the wonderful New York jazz club atmosphere of the ‘50s and ‘60s in the entirely appropriate Uptown Jazz Cafe.
Don Jordan’s Mel’Bones Trombone Quartet at Open Studio, 204 High St., Northcote on Sunday Dec. 11 from 8.30pm. With Eric Budd, Sean Smyth and Hayden Beck, Don will be presenting all sorts of tunes that will set your feet tapping. Some standard show tunes, pop songs and a few originals will open your ears to the
Hi,
We were wondering if you could mention the Casey Food, Wine and Jazz Festival on your website gig guide. The Festival will be held on April 14 and 15 at the Old Cheese Factory, Berwick. On Saturday we have The Jazz Drive and the Anita Harris Band playing and on Sunday we have Jazz Notes with Pippa Wilson. More information can be found at http://www.blazingstar.com.au or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Casey-Food-Wine-and-Jazz-Festival/362398687116339
Thanks
Hi,
Could you please mention:
For one night only – a special event – the inaugural performance of The Melbourne Jazz Trombone Ensemble.
The MJTE is 8 Trombones and a Rhythm Section paying tribute to the great ensembles of JJ.Johnson& Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Slide Hampton, Michael Davis, Jiggs Whigham, Charlie Small, Matt Neiss & the Capitol Bones,Bonerama.
the MJTE is:
Daryl McKenzie – Musical Director/Trombone
Dave Palmer – Trombone
Jordan Murray – Trombone
Nick Mulder – Trombone
Alistair Parsons – Trombone
Roger Schmidli – Trombone
Ian Bell – Trombone
Matt Amy – Bass Trombone
Joe O’Callaghan – Bass Trombone
Nic Johnston – Piano
Jack Pantazis – Guitar
Kim May – Bass
Darryn Farrugia – Drums
The Apartment 401 Lt Bourke St. Monday June 4 8pm $10
http://www.facebook.com/events/308679909210887/
I am a Brisbane based singer and will be performing in my home town Melbourne at Dizzy’s on Saturday 14th September at 9pm 2013. Entry is $20. Below is a couple of clips on You Tube. Please can you give my event a mention on your website gig guide? I am really looking forward to the show and hope I get a nice crowd to come. I appreciate any help with this. Many thanks.
Kindest regards,
Cate Shaw
http://www.cate.net.au
songs on You Tube: I was diagnosed with breast cancer the day before i did this show in May 2012 at Stockholm Syndrome (the show must always go on)
“Whatever Lola wants”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXjwdeHyPiU&feature=relmfu
“My baby just cares for me”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6XFiyhq45M
HI, I am Cate Shaw sorry but my gig is next month 2014 not 2013. I love Dizzy’s in Richmond and would love lots of lovely people come and have fun with us. The Roger Clark quartet are an amazingly gifted group of musicians and I really love singing with them.
8:30pm Friday 17th, 24th and 31st January, 7th February 2014
Birchall and Woolhouse at Ruby’s Music Room – Melbourne CBD’s newest fine music and dining venue!
132 Little Lonsdale St (Cnr. Lt. Lonsdale St. & Bennetts Ln)
9654 9292 or 0499 998 865 $15 at the door
http://www.jazzpiano.com.au
Birchall and Woolhouse:
The intimacy of the duet allows for spacious, relaxed interaction between pianist Jeremy Woolhouse and bassist Shannon Birchall. The duo feature compositions from Jeremy stemming from the traditions of jazz and branching out to embrace gospel, contemporary jazz, pop, classical and South American music.
In the duet setting, the virtuosity of Shannon Birchall comes to the fore as the bass weaves a rich tapestry with the piano. Soaring bowed melodies and contrapuntal interplay contrast steady groove and dramatic unison. Jeremy and Shannon first collaborated in 2002 in the Estuary Three jazz-tango project on Jeremy’s album Thumbnails. The duo reunited in 2012 to record The Scenery of Life Unfolding and continue the journey into lightness and darkness, illusion and delusion.
Ruby’s Music Room’s bright yellow entrance is tucked neatly in a secret alleyway; to find it, one must pass her eclectic windows filled with interesting Cubano dolls, Maoist & New Orleanian memorabilia; miniature pianos, jewellery, menus, cigar wrappers, images and more from around the world.
An intimate space with beautiful acoustics and the paragon of pianos – Steinway’s celebrated D model concert grand.
http://www.rubysmusicroom.com.au
Birchall and Woolhouse duet performances:
With Jeremy Woolhouse – piano/composition and Shannon Birchall – bass. Featuring work from the recently released album “The Scenery of Life Unfolding”:
2pm Sunday 30th March 2014
Richmond Uniting Church, 304 Church St Richmond
8pm Friday 11th April 2014
Medley Hall, 48 Drummond Street Carlton
9pm Wednesday 11th June
Paris Cat Jazz Club, 6 Goldie Place, Melbourne
details and previews at http://www.jazzpiano.com.au
Hi,
Please include this in your jazz gig listing.
Bond and Beyond return to the Paris Cat to continue their adventure through the exotic world of Bond.
The iconic music that defines the aesthetic of Bond films will be reimagined through the jazz idiom taking you on a stylistic trip to far flung locations.
Bond and Beyond began as an MSO Secret Symphony event with string arrangements of Bond film music for the Designing 007 exhibition at The Melbourne Museum with guest vocalist Sarah McDonald. It expanded to include master drummer David Jones and gun pianist, Hue Blanes.
The Paris Cat show will have a stripped back line-up of Bond and beyond, enabling the musicians to take a more improvisatory and adventurous approach.
Featuring master drummer David Jones, renowned jazz pianist Hue Blanes, the very talented and versatile Melbourne Symphony double bassist Ben Hanlon, Melbourne Symphony violinist, jazz musician and arranger Roger Young and the beautiful jazz stylings of vocalist Sarah McDonald, expect to hear innovative reinterpretations of classic Bond film music as well as some tracks that almost were, could have been or should have been Bond theme songs.
Show starts at 7:00pm, Friday 8th of May in the intimate setting of The Basement at The Paris Cat Jazz Club, 6 Goldie Place Melbourne CBD.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1592878627664099/
Tickets are available online through http://www.pariscat.com.au/ or at the door.
Booking is highly recommended!
Much appreciation
Sarah
The last ever Surrey Music Cafe is on Friday 29th May at Box Hill Comm Arts Centre. Featured act is Jeremy Woolhouse’s Silverbeat Quintet, with vocalist Jacqueline Gawler. Info at http://www.jazzpiano.com.au or http://www/surreymusic.com
Dance, Be In It is having its next Social Night on Saturday 17th October 2015 at 6.30pm, and you are invited!
Join in a fun night of live music (Ruby Page Jazztet), social dancing and floorshows. Enjoy the sounds of latin and ballroom music.
Tickets $20 pre-purchased http://www.trybooking.com/IQWP
BYO food and drinks, supper provided.
Spread the word to family and friends.
https://www.facebook.com/DanceBeInIt
I would be most appreciative if you would kindly include my upcoming gig in your gig listing.
THE SARAH McDONALD QUINTET
7pm – 8:30pm Saturday September 12, 2015
Paris Cat, 6 Goldie Place, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Sarah McDonald evokes cool smoky jazz club atmosphere with expressive mellifluous phrasing contrasting with rhythmic dexterity. She is a singer who has been as influenced by horn players and drummers as she has by the great vocalists. Having delved deeply into music, she draws from the greats of the history of jazz, blues and soul and selects choice standards, along with original, contemporary and more esoteric repertoire that she infuses with a soulful authenticity.
She returns to The Paris Cat on the back of sold out shows at The Melbourne Recital Centre, The Paris Cat and Deakin Edge to perform some of her favourite swinging, sultry swampy jazz and blues and wax lyrical about the vicissitudes of life and love with a killer band including:
Aleister Campbell- Guitar
Ben Hanlon – Double Bass
Ron Romero – Tenor Sax
And Danny Fischer – Drums
Genre – Jazz/Blues/Soul
Performance Room – Basement
General Admission
$25
Booking is highly recommended!
Tickets available at:
https://www.rollerdigital.com/pariscat#/event/1039/65568/20150912
http://www.sarahmcdonaldvocalist.com
https://soundcloud.com/sarah-mcdonald_jazz/how-deep-is-the-ocean-aleister-campbell-sarah-mcdonald/
Hi Roger,
Thanks for your support of live jazz in Melbourne.
Please include my upcoming gig in your listing.
Warm Regards
Sarah
“Sarah McDonald effortlessly segues from applying a dash of tropical swelter to thirties standards, tinkering with Thelonius Monk torch songs to a soul jazz rendition of an Amy Winehouse classic.”
Joel Shortman, Rathdowne Records.
__________________________________________________
Sarah McDonald evokes cool smoky jazz club atmosphere with expressive mellifluous phrasing contrasting with rhythmic dexterity. She is a singer who has been as influenced by horn players and drummers as she has by the great vocalists. Having delved deeply into music, she draws from the greats of the history of jazz, blues and soul and selects choice standards, along with original, contemporary and more esoteric repertoire that she infuses with a soulful authenticity.
She returns to The Paris Cat on the back of sold out shows at The Melbourne Recital Centre, The Paris Cat and Deakin Edge to perform some of her favourite swinging, sultry, swampy early jazz, blues and tongue in cheek originals and wax lyrical about the vicissitudes of life and love with a killer band including:
Kumar Shome- Guitar
Tom Lee– Double Bass
Ron Romero – Tenor Sax
And Lewis Pierre-Humbert – Drums
Expect it to be upbeat, playful and warm with some rambunctious grooves.
Genre – Jazz/Blues/Soul
Performance Room – Basement
Booking is highly recommended!
Secure your tickets:
https://www.rollerdigital.com/pariscat/#/event/1039/75104/20160624
Seated Ticket
$25
__________________________________________________
“..deceptively laid back and self-assured, with an undercurrent of emotions waiting to sweep you by. When she sings “Rusted brandy in a diamond glass”, it’s the rust she focuses on, not the diamond. Tom Waits would approve…
..There’s a lot of nostalgic glamour associated with the ’20s and ’30’s era. Singers who choose to sing this material often end up as replicas of the sultry divas of the past, dressing up in satin gowns and pearls and stale femininity. Not Sarah McDonald. She approaches her material with a tomboyish attitude, phrasing the classic jazz and obscure torch songs that comprise her set list with a punk sensitivity and a kind of modern-day angst delivered by this beautiful, soulful chili-infused chocolate voice of hers. When she opens her mouth, she showers her audience with raw emotion. No pretense, no polished femininity, no nonsense. It helps that she’s sexy as hell when she does it; and that she’s surrounded by a killer band: Ron Romero on tenor sax, Kumar Shome on guitar, Ben Hanlon on the bass and Lewis Pierre-Humbert on the drums. As these musicians spew fire from their instruments, people get up and dance to her singing, even if she sings Monk’s “I mean you” (not the most danceable song out there).”
Nikos Fotakis, australianjazz.net