Melbourne Jazz Co-Op

This special concert is a celebration of the 85th birthday – and ongoing career - of the highly regarded pianist/composer/educator Dr. Tony Gould. Gould is possibly the most ‘formally’ recognised figure to work in the Australian jazz scene (although he refers to his music as "post-jazz"), with an Australia Council Fellowship, the Don Banks Fellowship...

Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, with funding assistance from Creative Australia and Music Australia Carl Dewhurst has spent years honing his craft as a creative musician and is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading jazz and improvising guitarists. He currently co- leads Showa 44 with drummer Simon Barker and has previously co-led ensembles...

Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, with funding assistance from Creative Australia and Music Australia Guitarist/composer Stephen Magnusson is one of the most versatile and distinctive musicians in Australia. He will be performing with his STOZ trio, featuring bassist Sam Anning, and longtime collaborator, the highly respected drummer, Dave Beck. After spending much of the...

Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, with funding assistance from Creative Australia and Music Australia Tenor saxophonist Anton Delecca’s music is soulful and passionate, drawing from a diverse range of influences including folk, gospel, spiritual jazz, 70s acid fusion and music from the current NYC jazz scene. The rhythm section features three of Delecca’s long...

Kiwi bassist Umar Zakaria is a recent arrival in the Melbourne jazz scene. A student of legendary jazz bassists Cecil McBee, Lynn Seaton, and Paul Dyne, Umar won the first runner-up prize at the BASS2014 International Jazz Bass Competition and was one of three bassists selected worldwide to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead...

Wayfinders is a project conceived by Melbourne drummer/composer Ronny Ferella as an improvising trio with Jon Hunt (woodwinds) and Tom Lee (double bass) that allows all of the player’s musical experiences to influence the music at hand. The name Wayfinders was inspired by the Wade Davis, Massey Lecture series, Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the...

Darcy Gilkerson is releasing his debut album Acteon. The album is the culmination of a long period of experimentation and exploration in coupling together classical compositional techniques and jazz improvisation, inspired by composers such as Nat Bartsch, Linda Oh and Luke Howard. At its strongest, the ensemble comprises both a string quartet and a jazz piano...

Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, with funding assistance from Creative Australia and Music Australia. Expatriate Bolivian pianist and composer Danilo Rojas is one of Bolivia’s most important jazz musicians, currently based in Melbourne. He launches his first album made in Australia, Cueca, recorded with both Australian and Bolivian musicians. This album explores the transition...

Niran Dasika's new album 'Life Forms' features local legends Andrea Keller (piano) and Helen Svoboda (double bass) playing Niran's minimalist, contemplative compositions. 'Life Forms' explores Niran's fascination with storytelling, space, and the trio's shared love of extended technique. Melbourne-based trumpeter Niran Dasika has established himself as a prominent figure in the jazz and improvisational music scenes in...

Perth-based Jamie Oehlers is recognised as one of Australia’s leading jazz artists, solidified by his win at the World Saxophone Competition in 2003. Having debuted this ensemble with a slightly varied line-up (with Perth drummer Ben Vanderwal) last year, this group will play original compositions by Oehlers that capture his fascination for the chordless approach...

Nick Haywood has been at the forefront of jazz and improvised music in Melbourne and then Hobart for almost 40 years (including a long association with the late Allan Browne) and has constantly searched for new pathways for self-expression and musical dialogue. In recent years he has divided his time between Melbourne and Prague, in...

Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, with funding assistance from Creative Australia and Music Australia. A longtime composer and Bandleader, Monty’s compositions highlight the skill and voices of the improvisers they work with, whilst their melodies evoke the lyricism and drama of folk, jazz and classical music in equal measure. This performance will feature the...