Simon Purcell/Julian Siegel Quintet with special guest Michelle Nicolle (Aus/UK)

An Australia/UK collaboration of award-winning jazz musicians at the top of their game. This quintet has come together for a one-off Melbourne show showcasing a wealth of jazz talent performing original material and jazz standards.

London based Simon and Julian are two of the UK’s most respected and established jazz performers. They have worked together for decades in the modern jazz scene performing throughout UK and Europe. For this one off Melbourne gig the “Londoners” will be joined by Melbourne jazz vocalist Michelle Nicolle and the rhythm section of Ben Robertson and Ronny Ferella. The quintet will perform a mix of original tunes and standards.

Internationally acclaimed pianist and educator Simon Purcell came to prominence during the UK jazz boom of the 1980s through his band ‘Jazz Train’ (with Martin Speake, Cleveland Watkiss et al), a quartet with Julian Arguelles and numerous appearances with visiting American artists (such as Red Rodney, Kenny Wheeler, Eddie Henderson, Jean Toussaint, Valerie Ponomarev, Dale Barlow, Bobby Shew, Conrad Erwig) at London’s Bass Clef club and at Ronnie Scott’s.

His quintet “Red Circle” with Julian Siegel, Chris Batchelor, Steve Watts and Gene Calderazzo recently appeared at Ronnie Scott’s club and the CD “Red Circle” has received widespread acclaim.

One of the most in demand woodwind players in the UK and Europe Julian Siegel is a multi award winning instrumentalist, composer and band leader. In 2007 he received the BBC Jazz Award for Best Instrumentalist.
 
The Julian Siegel Quartet first CD ‘Urban Theme Park’ was awarded the 2011 London Jazz Award. The group has performed internationally at Jazz Festivals including Inntöne Jazz Festival in Austria, Made in The UK at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, NY, Jazz Standard NYC, JazzFestival Göttingen, Germany, Limerick Jazz Festival Ireland, UK’s Love Supreme Festival, Bristol and Manchester International Jazz
Festivals and an extensive 2018 – 2019 Arts Council England UK Tour.
 
The Quartet was featured on the cover of UK’s Jazzwise Magazine in February 2018 and VISTA was included in Jazzwise’s Top 20 Jazz Albums of the year.

Michelle Nicolle has forged a reputation Nationally and Internationally as a formidable and creative jazz vocalist-musician. Her ability to get right to the heart of a song, whilst being a masterful improviser with the technique to match any instrumentalist has been recognised with a Bell Award, Mo Award(s), National Jazz Award winner and 3-time A.R.I.A Finalist 2001, 2004, 2009.

She has performed with Kurt Elling and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and in 2023 was featured soloist with Wynton Marsalis’ “All Rise” with the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra and both the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras.