The world’s best jazz club
Michael Tortoni, founder of Bennetts Lane Jazz Club; dubbed by Lonely Planet as “the world’s best jazz club”, has returned with his new ‘Art Creation’ at 27 Leslie Street Brunswick called The Jazzlab Bennets Lane Brunswick.
The Jazzlab dedicates itself to promoting and developing live jazz as an artform as it’s mantra.
Michael based The Jazzlab’s design and sound on Bennetts Lane’s original room which had great natural acoustics and had been host to a number of world famous performers including Prince, Maceo Parker, Kenny Kirkland, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jnr., Paul Grabowsky, Barney McAll and Leroy Jones to name just a few. This has been enhanced by a state of the art modern sound system and an incredible backline musicians love to use. A full tech spec list can be provided upon request.
The Jazzlab has surpassed all expectations, with 25 years experience, Michael was able to transport all the best features of the original room to create the ultimate live concert club with excellent lines of sight for it’s 200+ capacity.
Please visit us any night to hear top quality live jazz performances from the cutting edge and avant-garde to the classics and standards that make the art form great.
Michael Tortoni and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival was first held in 1998. Adrian Jackson was artistic director from 1998 until 2004; this run was interrupted in 2002, when the withdrawal of funding by Arts Victoria and the City of Melbourne (advised in November 2001) meant that the program planned for January 2002 had to be cancelled.
However much of the planned festival still went ahead, the City of Melbourne contacted Bennetts Lane Jazz Club Founder Michael Tortoni to ask him if he was interested in taking control of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Tortoni agreed and effectively rescued the festival using his club’s infrastructure. Mr Tortoni was appointed chairman in late 2001 and promptly restructured the board. ‘The Age Saturday 22 December 2001’-“Jazz Club Owner Rescues Festival” He has remained on the board serving in various roles. Tortoni has been Artistic Director since 2009 and overseen strong audience and revenue growth. The festival now has an enviable reputation globally, featuring the highest calibre musicians in the world. Tortoni currently remains Artistic Director celebrating the festival’s 20th anniversary, featuring Tortoni’s new jazz club ‘The Jazzlab” as the Melbourne International Jazz Festival’s flagship club.
Sponsors & Partners
Would you like to partner with us on a project or feature your products in the club? Please get in touch and we’ll make some music together