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THE 10th
MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 2006 festival marked the debut of many groups, featured two cd launches and introduced the expanson of the outdoor program to include the Forecourt of the State library, along with the already existing program at Federation Square and a new venue in a presentation at the Kingston Arts Centre. The festival continued it’s co-presentations with the Melbourne Jazz Co-op, the La Musica program at La Mama and Artplay. It again presented the winner of the Jann Rutherford Memorial award in an evening that also featured a young emerging Melbourne artist and premiered an award for a contribution to Australian jazz compositon by an emerging artist in conjunction with APRA.
Sally Ford and Vashti Sivell’s Salsista, the Susie Ahern Quintet, the Shannon Barnett Ensemble, the Jacqueline Gawler Band and Saltwater Sax all debuted at the festival. Interstate artists Deanna Djuric and Angela Davis made their Melbourne debuts. New collaborations between Melbourne and interstate artists included the Elana Stone Quartet, the Deanna Djuric Trio, the Angela Davis Quartet, the Leigh Carriage Trio and international artist Nadje Noordhuis performed with 3 local artists in the Noordhuis/Taylor Quartet. 2006 also saw the return to the festival in different collaborations of artists such as Kristin Berardi, Martha Baartz, Judy Bailey, Leigh Carriage, and Georgia Weber. The festival provided a platform for the launch of 2 new cds: Kristin Berardi and James Sherlock, and the Lisa Young Quartet and the performance of Shannon Barnett's debut ensemble and composition was recorded in the series presented at La Mama.
The festival promoted performances through wide advertising in the Age and Herald Sun and articles and interviews in key local papers. This year the festival took out extra advertising at 3PBS and was featured in key broadcasts and interviews on The Daily Planet, Jazztrax, 3PBS, 3CR and Radio National and 774. Performance dates were highlighted on the National Jazz Website and supported by Interstate Jazz Organisation through features on their websites. In addition the festival performances received excellent press critiques and reviews throught the course of the 11 days.The festival also provided in depth program details and artist features on its website www.mwijf.org
The festival continued to provide an environment in which younger players are encouraged to seek out role models. In particular the Festival Sextet provides an outstanding example for younger players. The line up this year was expanded to include Nadje Noordhuis ( NY) as a special guest. The ensemble features multi award winning artists such as Sandy Evans and Andrea Keller, and also included the high profile players Belinda Moody, Shannon Barnett, Fiona Burnett, and Sonja Horbelt. The Artplay workshop program was expanded to six workshops and concerts beginning in April and concluding with the Federation Square and Bennetts Lane performances. This allowed the students to work with experienced educators Sonja Horbelt, Martha Baartz, Andrea Keller, Tamara Murphy, Annette Jenko-Yates, Ronny Ferella and Shannon Barnett. The Superband featured several new students and featured emerging young artist Savannah Blount in the Bennetts Lane program Savannah is a VCA graduate but also participated in the first MWIJF secondary school workshops. the Superband also saw several students from 2005 go on in 2006 to studies at the leading jazz institutions in Australia including VCA, WAPA and Monash University.
AT BMW EDGE:
THURSDAY DEC 7TH THE FESTIVAL SUPERBAND SIX OF THE BEST THURSDAY DECEMBER 7TH
AT FEDERATION SQUARE:
THURSDAY DEC 7TH SALSISTA feat.
SALLY FORD & VASHTI SIVELL
(PROUDLY PRESENTED BY JUSTITIA)
FRIDAY DEC 8TH SABA
SALSISTA feat.
SALLY FORD & VASHTI SIVELL
SUNDAY DEC 10TH ARTPLAY TUTORS & STUDENTS
Feat. MARTHA BAARTZ, SHANNON BARNETT, ANDREA KELLER, TAMARA MURPHY & SONJA HORBELT
AT KINGSTON ARTS CENTRE:
SATURDAY DEC 9TH SUSIE AHERN QUINTET
AT BENNETTS LANE:
SUNDAY 10TH, TUESDAY 12TH AND SUNDAY 17TH CO-PRESENTED WITH THE MELBOURNE JAZZ CO-OP
SUNDAY DEC 10TH JACQUELINE GAWLER BAND
JESS GREEN SEPTET (SYD)
(WINNER OF THE JANN RUTHERFORD MEMORIAL AWARD)
MONDAY DEC 1TH KELLER/MURPHY/BROWNE
STUDENT NIGHT FEATURING
THE FESTIVAL SUPERBAND
TUESDAY DEC 12TH NADJE NOORDHUIS (NY) /
ERICA TAYLOR QUARTET
DEANNA DJURIC TRIO (ADELAIDE)
WEDNESDAY DEC 13TH LEIGH CARRIAGE TRIO (NSW)
SALTWATER SAX
THURSDAY DEC 14 ANGELA DAVIS (BRIS) with
KRISTIN BERARDI AND GEORGIA WEBER
JUDY BAILEY TRIO (SYDNEY)
FRIDAY DEC 15 KRISTIN BERARDI AND
JAMES SHERLOCK (SYD) CD LAUNCH
LISA YOUNG QUARTET CD LAUNCH
SATURDAY DEC 16 MICHELLE NICOLLE QUARTET
ELANA STONE QUARTET (SYD)
SUNDAY DEC 17 FESTIVAL SEXTET feat
SANDY EVANS (SYD) AND
NADJE NOORDHUIS (NY)
AT LA MAMA AT THE CARLTON COURTHOUSE:
MON DEC 11TH NORIKO TADANO
DURE DARA ENSEMBLE
TUES DEC 12TH TANIA BOSAK
SHANNON BARNETT ENSEMBLE
THE 9th. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Thursday December 1st to Thursday December 15th 2005
The festival sourced new venues in 2005 and staged events at Manchester Lane, La Mama at the Carlton Courthouse and BMW Edge, whilst also increasing outdoor performances at Federation Square. The MWIJF secured international artist Buyisile Zama (South Africa) in a new collaborative performance with local artist Monique di Mattina. Interstate performers included Sandy Evans, Virna Sanzone and Vashti Sivell and the festival featured several new ensembles that emerged throughout the course of the year. This included the 10 piece project of Belinda Moody who returned from Japan mid year. Her premiere “Epic Whispers” was an innovative project featuring jazz trio, string quartet and three contemporary singers and recorded by ABC Radio National’s “Live on Stage. The Festival also presented the cd launch of the Aria award winning jazz album “Before Time Could Change Us” , a collaboration between Katie Noonan, Paul Grabowsky and Dorothy Porter. The festival marked the Melbourne debut of Sydney artist Alex Silver (winner of the inaugural Jann Rutherford Memorial Award) and her quartet. In conjunction with SIMA (Sydney Improvised Music Association) and an anonymous Sydney benefactor, the festival was instrumental in establishing the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award to assist the professional development of an emerging woman jazz artist. Currently the award is in place for four years and is only available to a Sydney NSW/ACT artist under the age of 26.
The 2005 Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival premiered 5 new works by women composers specifically for the festival performances and debuted 11 new collaborations, four of these between local and interstate artists and one between an international and a local artist. Innovative events also included the collaboration between the student Superband and professional singers Nichaud Fitzgibbon and Jane Clifton. The La Mama Series saw the introduction of a contemporary, cutting edge form of jazz/improvised music to the programming of the festival. In this series Brigid Burke used multi media visual projections onto a huge backdrop in her project “Fishing” and Dure Dara featured her ensemble THAT, presenting spontaneously performed interactive compositions. Also featured at La Mama were new works from Anita Hustas and Belinda Woods.
The 2005 festival marked many new collaborations such as Rebecca Barnard and the Tony Gould Trio, Monique di Mattina’s Mob, Sydnet artists Virna Sanzone, Sandy Evans and Vashti Sivell with Melbourne musicians, the newly formed Fiona Burnett Quartet and Monique di Mattina’s performance with South African vocalist Buyisile Zama.
AT MANCHESTER LANE:
THURSDAY DEC 1 SIX OF THE BEST
AT BMW EDGE:
WEDNESDAY DEC 7 ABC FM MELBOURNE CONVERSATIONS
“YOU PLAY GOOD FOR A GIRL
– JAZZ AND GENDER”
THURSDAY DEC 8 FESTIVAL LAUNCH
COCO’S LUNCH
THURS DEC 15 KATIE NOONAN AND PAUL GRABOWSKY
CD LAUNCH OF
“BEFORE TIME COULD CHANGE US”
AT FEDERATION SQUARE:
THURSDAY DEC 8 THE FESTIVAL SUPERBAND featuring
JANE CLIFTON AND NICHAUD FITZGIBBON
FRIDAY DEC 9 SABA
CALLING ALL ANGELS
SUNDAY DEC 11 ARTPLAY STUDENTS & TUTORS featuring
MARTHA BAARTZ, ANDREA KELLER, TAMARA
MURPHY AND SONJA HORBELT
AT BENNETT’S LANE:
FRIDAY DEC 9 REBECCA BARNARD QUARTET
MONIQUE DI MATTINA’S MOB
SATURDAY DEC 10 VIRNA SANZONE (SYD)
BELINDA MOODY’S “EPIC WHISPERS”
feat. ALISON WEDDING, MICHELLE NICOLLE & CARL PANUZZO
SUNDAY DEC 11 ALEX SILVER QUARTET (WINNER OF THE JANN RUTHERFORD (MEMORIAL AWARD)
FIONA BURNETT QUARTET
MONDAY DEC 12 BROWNE/KELLER/MURPHY
STUDENT NIGHT FEATURING
THE FESTIVAL SUPERBAND
TUESDAY DEC 13 BUYISILE ZAMA (SOUTH AFRICA)
FESTIVAL SEXTET FEAT. SANDY EVANS (SYD) AND BELINDA MOODY (JAPAN/AUS)
WEDNESDAY DEC 14 FRAN SWINN TRIO
MURPHY’S LAW
KATIE NOONAN AND PAUL GRABOWSKY
CD LAUNCH OF
“BEFORE TIME COULD CHANGE US”
THURSDAY DEC 15 NILUSHA BAEDER QUARTET
LA CONEXION FEAT.VASHTI SIVELL (SYD)
AT LA MAMA AT THE CARLTON COURTHOUSE:
MONDAY DEC 12 DURE DARA ENSEMBLE
BRIGID BURKE WITH SPECIAL GUEST
GARY COSTELLO
TUESDAY DEC 13 BELINDA WOODS TRIO
ANITA HUSTAS TRIO.
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THE 8th. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Saturday December 4th to Sunday December 14th 2004
2004 saw the MWIJF implement a new and immensely successful series of initiatives. A new festival board was established which received funding as an independent entity from Arts Victoria, the City of Melbourne and the Australia Council. The festival continued its collaboration with the Melbourne Jazz Co-op by co-presenting three nights during the program. The Live to Air Friday night broadcast by ABC Radio National’s Live on Stage reached an estimated audience of over 20,000 Australia wide. The series of free outdoor events at two new venues, Federation Square and EQ bar/café in Southgate brought the festival and indeed the wider Melbourne jazz community to a much broader audience. Included in these new events was the first daytime launch featuring the infectious salsa grooves of Sally Ford and the Pachuco Playboys. The festival marked the Melbourne debut of the Charmaine Ford Trio (New Zealand), the WestEnd Composers Collective (Brisbane), Katook (Sydney / Canberra / Melbourne), the Kristin Berardi Quintet (Brisbane), Stringmansassy (Queensland), Sweethearts (Geelong) and the Melbourne-based Gawler / Swinn / Murphy / Rogeon Project, and Jackie Gaudion. It also featured Martha Baartz leading her new Sextet and Michelle Nicolle performing works from her new cd.
AT FEDERATION SQUARE:
SATURDAY DEC 4 SWEETHEARTS
THE FESTIVAL SUPERBAND
SUNDAY DEC 5 JACKIE GAUDION QUARTET
AT EQBAR AND CAFÉ:
SUNDAY DEC 12 FESTIVAL LAUNCH
3PM SALLY FORD AND THE PACHUCO PLAYBOYS
AT BENNETT’S LANE:
SUNDAY DEC 7** BARNETT/SLATER PROJECT
GAI BRYANT QUINTET (TASMANIA/SYD.)
MONDAY DEC 8 STUDENT NIGHT FEAT. SUPERBAND
TUESDAY DEC 9** GAWLER-SWINN-ROGEON-MURPHY
KATOOK (CANBERRA/SYD/MELB)
WEDNESDAY DEC 10 STRINGMANSASSY (BRIS.)
MARTHA BAARTZ
THURSDAY DEC 11 CHARMAINE FORD TRIO
ANITA HUSTAS ENESEMBLE + SANDY EVANS (SYD.)
FRIDAY DEC 12 7.30 ABC “LIVE ON STAGE” RECORDING
WEST END COMPOSERS COLLECTIVE (BRIS.)
KRISTIN BERARDI QUINTET
SATURDAY DEC 13 MICHELLE NICOLLE QUARTET
CHRISTINE SULLIVAN ENSEMBLE
SUNDAY DEC 14** FESTIVAL SEXTET
** Co-presented with the Melbourne Jazz Co-op
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THE 7th. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Sunday, December 7th. to Sunday, December 14th., 2003
2003 This festival, run with the support of the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative and a City of Melbourne grant is embracing a new format with the committee of the 'Australian Women's Festival of Improvised Music' applying to and receiving for the first time via in its own incorporated entity Arts Victoria funding. Andrea Keller is the 2003 recipient of the Australia Council grant for New Work. This years festival, once again held at Bennets Lane Jazz Venue, sees performances by international soloists Ursel Schlicht - Germany, Michiko Morito - Japan and Felicity Provan - Amsterdam and also interstate performers Helen Mathews - Perth and Emma Franz -Perth/Sydney . This year there will also be a lecture by Ursel Schlicht (Thursday 7pm) taken from her studies on women as musicians.
SUNDAY DEC 7 ANDREA KELLER PROJECT
URSEL SCHLICHT AND ADAM SIMMONS DUO
MONDAY DEC 8 STUDENT NIGHT FEAT. SUPERBAND
TUESDAY DEC 9 SONJA HORBELT’S CARAMÉL
FEAT. NINA FERRO
FRAN SWINN TRIO
WEDNESDAY DEC 10 FIONA BURNETT TRIO (FEAT. DAVID JONES)
URSEL SCHLICHT QUARTET
THURSDAY DEC 11 7.30 URSEL SCHLICHT LECTURE
MICHIKO MORITA QUARTET
LEONIE COHEN PLUS
FRIDAY DEC 12 YVETTE JOHANSSEN + JAZZ AVENUE (JAZZ LAB)
SATURDAY DEC 13 9.30 HELEN MATTHEWS QUARTET
9.30 NICHAUD FITZGIBBON ENSEMBLE (JAZZ LAB)
EMMA FRANZ QUARTET
SUNDAY DEC 14 FESTIVAL SEXTET FEAT. FELICITY PROVAN
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THE 6th. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Sunday, December 1st. to Sunday, December 8th., 2002
2002: With a third City of Melbourne grant, plus additional Arts Victoria funding, the 2002 Festival became an international event with veteran American vocalist Sheila Jordan in her first full tour here since 1994.
The Alliance of Melbourne Women Improvising Musicians (A.M.W.I.M.) received a grant from the Australia Council to fund a festival-related schools improvisation workshop and a Festival Sextet. Fiona Burnett, via an Australia Council New Work developed and performed her String project.
(Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, in conjunction with the Alliance of Melbourne Women Improvising Musicians, and funded by the City of Melbourne and Arts Victoria; financial assistance with the Fiona Burnett Project, Festival Sextet & Workshop from the Music Fund of the Australia Council)
Part of the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative's 20th. Anniversary Program: 1983-2002
SUN DEC 1 SHEILA JORDAN (USA) with PAUL GRABOWSKY TRIO
MON DEC 2 FIONA BURNETT TRIO & SILO STRING QUARTET
TUEY DEC 3 LOUISE DENSON QUARTET (Canada/Brisbane)
MONIQUE DiMATTINA TRIO
WED DEC 4 CARAMEL (feat. NINA FERRO)
ANDREA KELLER-HUSTAS TRIO
THU DEC 5 JAN PRESTON (Sydney
LEAH COTTERELL-HELEN RUSSELL (Brisbane)
FRI DEC 6 SHEILA JORDAN (USA) with JEX SAARELAHT TRIO
(at "The Jazz Lab")
CHRISTINE SULLIVAN BAND
SAT DEC 7 SHEILA JORDAN (USA) with PAUL GRABOWSKY TRIO
(at "The Jazz Lab")
CAROLINE LYNN QUINTET (Sydney)
ALISON WEDDING QUARTET
SUN DEC 8 FESTIVAL SEXTET
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THE 5th. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Sunday, December 2th. to Sunday, December 9th. 2001
2001: This year the festival, under an increased City of Melbourne grant celebrated performances by Melbourne-based artists Anita Hustas, Andrea Keller (2001 MCA Freedman Jazz Fellowship winner) and Shelley Scown - as well as the Melbourne debut of interstate artists Bridie King Trio (Sydney) and Passionfruit (Brisbane). Anita Hustas also received an Australia Council, New Work grant to develop her compositional project (?) for the festival.
(Presented by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative, in conjunction with the Alliance of Melbourne Women Improvising Musicians, and funded by the City of Melbourne; financial assistance with the Festival Sextet & Workshop from the Music Fund of the Australia Council) at "The Jazz Lab" at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club 25 Bennetts Lane,City Telephone 9663 2856.
SUN DEC 2 ANITA HUSTAS PROJECT(feat. Hope Csutoros & Helen Mountfort)
HUSTAS-KELLER DUO
MON DEC 3 CARAMEL (feat. NINA FERRO)
HELEN JOWSEY (Solo)
TUE DEC 4 ANDREA KELLER QUINTET
TAMARA MURPHY- FRAN SWINN DUO
WED DEC 5 LISA YOUNG QUARTET
PASSIONFRUIT (Brisbane)
THU DEC 6 BRIDIE KING TRIO with STEPHY MARCHANT(Sydney)
FIONA BOYES (Solo)
FRI DEC 7 POPPY & HER DANCING SHOES
"THE APRILS" (DIANE PETERS-MIA SALSJO)
SAT DEC 8 SHELLEY SCOWN & PAUL GRABOWSKY DUO
FELICITY PROVAN GROUP (Amsterdam/Melbourne)
SU DEC 9 FESTIVAL SEXTET
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THE 4th. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Sunday, December 3rd. to Sunday, December 10th., 2000
2000: The festival benefited greatly from a grant from the City of Melbourne - support and this financial security enabled long-term plans for the first time. Staged over eight nights in December at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, interstate acts included the new Sandy Evans project and Leigh Carriage. This year a link from the festival website was made with Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival (Kennedy Centre) in Washington, D.C., as well as other festivals which allowed numerous enquiries from international artists and the worldwide jazz community.
(Presented by the Alliance of Melbourne Women Improvising Musicians, in conjunction with the Melb. Jazz Co-op.,and funded by the City of Melbourne and - t.b.c. - Music Fund of the Australia Council)
SUN DEC 3 HUSTAS-KELLER DUO
ANDREA KELLER OCTET
MON DEC 4 MARGIE LOU DYER QUARTET
JUDY JACQUES
TUE DEC 5 MORGANA
WED DEC 6 BELINDA MOODY-MICHELLE NICOLE DUO
JENNY GAME QUARTET with PETER NEVILLE
THU DEC 7 'YOU SAY, I PLAY'
FIONA BURNETT TRIO
FRI DEC 8 BLURT (with Raju Sharma)
LEIGH CARRIAGE (NSW)
SAT DEC 9 ANDY EVANS PROJECT (Melb/Sydney)
MADAM
SUN DEC 10 FESTIVAL SEXTET (feat. Sydney's Sandy Evans)
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THE 3rd.. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Tuesday, December 7th. to Tuesday, December 16th. 1999
1999: This year the festival was able to expand in scope to eight nights, due to Australia Council - support. It featured the late Sydney-based expatriate New Zealand pianist/composer Jann Rutherford as headline act, soprano saxophonist/composer Fiona Burnett in her premier performance of "Soaring At Dawn", her new work for string quartet and jazz trio and the debut of a new quintet led by the highly promising young pianist/composer Andrea Keller.
(Presented by the Alliance of Melbourne Women Improvising Musicians, in conjunction with the Melb. Jazz Co-op.,and funded by the Music Fund of the Australia Council)
TUE DEC 7 MORGANA
NINA FERRO
WED DEC 8 FIONA BURNETT QUARTET
THUY DEC 9 MOODY'S BROOD
FRI DEC 10 GALLEON'S LAP
MADAM
SAT DEC 11 RUTHERFORD-GAME QUARTET(Sydney)
MICHELLE NICOLE TRIO
SUN DEC 12 JANN RUTHERFORD TRIO (Sydney)
MON DEC 13 MARGIE LOU DYER TRIO
JUDY JACQUES
TUE DEC 14 KELLER QUINTET
JO WROE QUARTET
THU DEC 16 FIONA BURNETT TRIO
STRING QUARTET
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THE 2nd. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Tuesday, December 8th. to Tuesday, December 15th. 1998
1998: This year the festival featured interstate headliners Gai Bryant and Sandy Evans and produced a highly positive response from both the media and audience.
(Presented by the Melb. Jazz Co-op., with funding assistance from Arts Victoria)
TUE DEC 8 MOODY'S BROOD
WED DEC 9 HUSTAS-KELLER TRIO
THU DEC 10 MORGANA
SAT DEC 12 GAI BRYANT-SANDY EVANS QUARTET(Sydney)
LISA YOUNG QUARTET
SUN DEC 13 GAI BRYANT QUARTET (Sydney) feat. FIONA BURNETT
MON DEC 14 DYER-WILMOT QUARTET
TUEDEC 15 FELICITY PROVAN QUARTET
SUE JOHNSON-NICOLA EVERLEIGH
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THE 1st. MELBOURNE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Tuesday,November 18th. to Monday,November 23rd. 1997
1997: The inaugural 1997 Melbourne Women's Jazz Festival was staged by the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative - at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club - in November 1997. The initial concept of a "women's season" within themed week "Transitions" Series was expanded into a festival, with interstate headline artist Judy Bailey and two acts per night over seven consecutive nights.
(Presented by the Melb. Jazz Co-op., with funding assistance from Arts Victoria)
TUENOV 18 MORGANA
DYER-WILMOT DUO
WEDY NOV 19 HUSTAS-KELLER-FISCHER TRIO
MONIQUE DI MATTINA QUARTET
THU NOV 20 JENNY GAME QUARTET
KATE PRICE-MONIQUE DI MATTINA DUO
FRI NOV 21 JUDY JACQUES' "LIGHTHOUSE"
FIONA BURNETT QUARTET
SAT NOV 21 JUDY BAILEY QUARTET (Sydney)
LISA YOUNG QUARTET
SUN NOV 22 JUDY BAILEY TRIO (Sydney)
String Quartet
MON NOV 23 JUDY BAILEY TRIO (Sydney)
JUSTINE JONES