London-based Palestinian Nay master, percussionist and composer Faris Ishaq is redefining the possibilities of the Nay, an ancient Middle Eastern flute with a history stretching back 5,000 years. A frequent collaborator whose work includes projects with multi-GRAMMY Award- winning bassist John Patitucci and contributions to the BAFTA-nominated Assassin's Creed Mirage soundtrack, Ishaq brings music from...

La Influencia is a 12-piece Afro-Cuban salsa band from Melbourne, led by pianist Daniel Mougerman (The Bamboos) and timbalero Salvador Persico (Blue King Brown). Tonight they perform original music alongside the music of Cuban heavyweights Alain Pérez, Havana D'Primera and Irakere. La Influencia has played the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and White Night, and the...

“Bright Phantoms” is the debut album from Naarm based experimental duo Lillian Albazi and Oscar Neyland, bringing voice and double bass together in a restless and richly textured sound world. Weaving together fragments of post-punk, folk, modern classical, noise, found percussion, free improvisation and rock. At its centre is the interplay between double bass and...

The SKOB Big Band is back at the JazzLab for 2026, and they are set to light up the stage once again. Formed in 2020, the Old Boys will bring their favourite big band classics as well as show off some new material from the year at their annual JazzLab performance, drawing on funk, swing,...

Shapeshifting and soulful instrumental jazz returns with the Nadav Rayman Trio, following the sellout launch of their second album, Sequence, a work that further develops the ensemble's distinctive blend of contemporary soul jazz and hip-hop. The trio – Nadav Rayman (piano), Matthew Coleman (bass) and Michael Evans-Barker (drums) – continues to explore the dynamic intersection...

Now more than two decades into their journey, The Vampires remain one of Australia’s most distinctive and acclaimed ensembles. The ARIA Award-winning group has carved out a unique place in the international jazz scene, melding intertwining saxophone and trumpet lines with hypnotic grooves and genre-defying textures. Their sound is instantly recognisable: immersive, exploratory, and always...

Steve Sedergreen returns to the JazzLab with a lineup built on history, chemistry and serious musicianship. A central figure of the Melbourne jazz scene for decades, Sedergreen brings his unmistakable touch to the piano alongside James Clark (bass) and Andrew Swann (drums) — a rhythm section grounded in feel and experience. Out front, Jacki Gaudion...

After a hugely successful run of sold-out shows, the Will Jones Big Band makes its long-awaited return, this time at the all-new Bennetts Lane Jazz Club – for our Christmas Special! Featuring, as always, the vocal trio of Rhea John, Ruby Glynn and Meg Pearson, come and hear the band play a mix of all-time...

🎄✨ A VERY BIG BAND CHRISTMAS — YEAR 11! ✨🎄 It’s Christmas… which means we’re getting the band back together! For the 11th year, our regular four singers return for one of our absolute favourite gigs of the year — Belinda Parsons, Fem Belling, Nina Ferro and Ross Irwin — together with the Daryl McKenzie Jazz...