Ali Foster Quartet

Ali Foster Quartet

Ali Foster drums
Kayne Jansen guitar
Hal Strewe bass
Brendan Berlach saxophones

ALI FOSTER
Winner of the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award

Ali Foster is an outstanding young jazz drummer based in Sydney, Australia. She is currently combining her degree course in Jazz Studies with a busy life as an emerging professional player and teacher. Ali has a particular interest in sparking a passion for exploring jazz styles in younger audiences in the Greater Sydney area. She and her musical collaborators engage their audiences by employing elements of progressive rock, funk and blues into their jazz tunes while also highlighting a focus on the musical interactions between them.

Andrea Keller

Andrea Keller - solo piano

Jazz pianist and composer Andrea Keller has released five albums as leader, receiving four ARIA nominations, two Aria Awards and a Bell Award. This performance marks the launch of her debut solo piano CD The Wayne Shorter Project out on ABC Jazz.

Bennetts Lane Big Band

Bennetts Lane Big Band featuring the music of festival guest artist Satoko Fujii (JAPAN) and Australian composers Andrea Keller, Shannon Barnett and Jenna Cave (CANBERRA)


International guests:
SATOKO FUJII TRIO
Satoko Fujii -Piano
Natsuki Tamura - Trumpet
Akira Horikoshi - Drums

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer SATOKO FUJII as one of the most original voices in jazz. A truly global artist, she splits her time between New York City and Japan and tours internationally leading several different ensembles. Just as her career spans international borders, her music spans many genres, blending jazz, contemporary classical music, and traditional Japanese folk music into an innovative synthesis instantly recognizable as hers alone.

Catherine Lambert (ADEL)

Catherine Lambert (ADEL) the Bennetts Lane Trio

Most recognized from her role as the jazz singer in Sofia Coppola's Oscar winning movie "Lost in Translation", Catherine Lambert is equally at home crooning a jazz ballad or belting out a show tune. An experienced performer nationally and internationally, Catherine leaves her own inimitable stamp on all her shows.

Catherine Lambert - vocals
Joe Ruberto - piano
Michael Tortoni - bass
Anthony Baker - drums

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Performances
Saturday 15th Dec 2007 :: 9.00PM :: $20/$15

Collider

Collider

Andrea Keeble - Violin
Anita Hustas - Bass
Erkki Veltheim - Viola
Adam Simmons - Saxophones
Kynan Robinson - Trombone
Ronny Ferella - Drums

Rarely do strings make it into the jazz world but even more rarely are they more than a luscious background. Collider is very much an ensemble with six strong and distinct voices that work in a forward-looking context, with new collaborations, exploring different sounds. Two of these voices, Andrea Keeble and Anita Hustas will be presenting and premiering new work especially for La Mama Musica as part of the MWIJF.

Diana Clark Quartet

Diana Clark Quartet

Warm, pure vocals that soothe a weary soul: Original songs evoking the depth of Nina Simone, and the melodic and rhythmic delights of Brazil, served with the syrupy poise of KD Lang...Melbourne vocalist Diana Clark has earned her reputation as a persuasive interpreter of Brazilian Jazz. This year Clark released her all original solo debut EP, Breathe into Time with a national tour. This concert will feature sparkling solos from long-time collaborator Doug de Vries' guitar mastery, intertwined with Brazilian gems and Diana's beautiful songs.

Diana Clark - vocals
Doug de Vries - guitar
Will Poskitt - piano
Stephen Grant - accordion

Duré Dara Trio

Duré Dara Trio

Duré Dara is an inventive creative music practitioner with a unique, highly developed instrumental voice. Working with long time collaborators Ren Walters and Anita Hustas, Duré presents a unique performance of spontaneous composition at its finest.

Duré Dara - Percussion, objects
Ren Walters - Guitar
Anita Hustas - Bass

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Gemma Turvey Duo

Gemma Turvey Duo

Featuring pianist Gemma Turvey and bassist Nick Haywood, this duo will perform a mix of Gemma's compositions plus arrangements of songs as diverse as traditional Celtic tunes and post-war Leider.

Gemma Turvey - piano
Nick Haywood - bass

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Performances
Thursday 13th Dec 2007 :: 9.00PM :: $12/$9 conc

Jenna Cave (CANB)

Jenna Cave is a young saxophonist and emerging composer from Canberra. The Bennetts Lane BIG Band will perform her compositions, along with those of Festival international guest artist Satoko Fujii (Japan) and Melbourne composers Andrea Keller and Shannon Barnett on December 11th at Bennetts Lane.

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Joanna Argall (SYD)

Joanna Argall (SYDNEY)
Solo saxophone

Joanna's compositions and improvisations alternate passages driven by fast rhythmic playing with moments of stillness and quiet contemplation. Her solo project for the MWIJF has a particular emphasis on exploring connections between the sonorities and noises of the saxophone and the human voice. Her influences include Eric Dolphy, Sandy Evans and Bjork.

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Judy Bailey Trio (SYD) with double string quartet

Judy Bailey Trio (SYDNEY) and double string quartet
This concert is being recorded for ABC Radio National's Music Deli.

Judy Bailey is widely acclaimed as one of Australia's pioneering jazz pianists. A mentor to a generation of young Australian musicians through her work as a performer, composer and educator, Judy brings her outstanding Sydney trio to perform with this group of exceptional Melbourne string musicians in a live recording for the ABC. "YOU`RE AN INSTRUMENT", written for jazz trio and two string quartets is a unique presentation that offers the discerning listener a captivating blend of jazz and classical genres with a selection of original Bailey compositions.

Judy Bailey - piano
Craig Scott - bass
Tim Firth - drums

Zoë Black - violin
Monica Curro* - violin
Sarah Curro* - violin
Matthew Tomkins* - violin
Isabel Morse - viola
Beth Hemming - viola
Sarah Morse* - cello
Josephine Vains - cello

*Appear courtesy of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Keller / Murphy / Browne

Debuting in 2003 at the Melbourne Women's International Jazz Festival, this startling trio has held an intermittent residency at Bennetts Lane ever since. In 2006 they recorded their first CD, 'Carried by the Sun' for ABC Jazztrack and produced by Jazzhead records. Recent performances include the Stonnington Jazz Festival, Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival, in Sydney at the Sound Lounge (Seymour Centre) for SIMA and at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival. Keller/Murphy/Browne perform mostly original compositions by all three members, along with some standards by Monk, Duke, Green and free improvisations. Their focus is on achieving a collective consciousness on stage by pushing the boundaries of their musical dialogue. Jessica Nicholas of Melbourne's Age newspaper said of their concert at Melbourne's Stonnington Festival "The set highlighted the exquisite interplay between Browne and his empathetic trio colleagues, Andrea Keller (Piano) and Tamara Murphy (bass)".

Louise Denson Trio with Ingrid James (BRIS)

Louise Denson Trio Ingrid James and Adrian Cunningham (BRIS)
CD Launch

Louise Denson and Ingrid James present the fruits of their song-writing partnership. Original European - flavoured contemporary jazz compositions have been fleshed out with lyrics that reflect the lives, passions and beliefs of these two women artists of the 21st century.

Louise Denson - piano
Adrian Cunningham - reeds
Ingrid James - vocals
Helen Russell - accoustic bass
Joe Marchisella - drums

Morcelle

Morcelle

Morcelle is a newly formed Melbourne quartet whose members met whilst studying at the Victorian College of the Arts. The group performs a variety of originals and rejuvenated covers in a blend of jazz, pop, reggae, randb, folk and gypsy styles.

Savannah Blount - tenor sax
Mezz Coleman - vocals
Michelle Whelan - bass
Ben Paddick - guitars

Murphy's Law with String Quartet and David Shea (USA)

Murphy's Law with String Quartet and David Shea (USA)

Murphy's Law is a dynamic group led by Melbourne bassist Tamara Murphy. Murphy's Law was formed in August 2002, and features the impressive lineup of Julien Wilson (sax), Shannon Barnett (trombone), Nashua Lee (guitar), Joe Talia (drums) and Tamara Murphy (double bass, bandleader). This dynamic group has released a debut recording “Telling Tales”, and 'Street Art' is the new project featuring Murphy's Law, the Silo String Quartet and electronic artist David Shea (USA). Their MWIJF performance of 'Street Art' features new compositions inspired by popular and electronic music, experimenting with new song forms and different stylistic directions, and the possibilities of electronic and acoustic traditions. It features a string quartet and David Shea, a New York based composer working with combinations of samplers and live musicians.

Julien Wilson – Saxophone
Shannon Barnett – Trombone
Nashua Lee – Guitar
Tamara Murphy – Bass
Joe Talia - Drums

MWIJF Artplay Quartet

These performances by young female Artplay musicians aged fifteen and under, and their tutors highlight the magical interaction that can be found between musicians of all ages. Featuring Martha Baartz, Andrea Keller, Tamara Murphy and Sonja Horbelt.

Martha Baartz - alto saxophone
Andrea Keller - piano
Tamara Murphy - bass
Sonja Horbelt - drums

MWIJF Festival Sextet

MWIJF Festival Sextet

The MWIJF seeks each year to form a sextet of leading Australian female musicians to perform and promote their own original material. Past members have included Felicity Provan, Monique di Mattina, Anita Hustas, Sandy Evans and Fiona Burnett.  This year the sextet is joined by bassist Belinda Moody, (who currently divides her time between Canberra and Asia), saxophonist Martha Baartz and exciting young violinist Xani Kolac.


Martha Baartz - alto saxophone
Shannon Barnett - trombone
Xani Kolac - violin
Andrea Keller - piano
Belinda Moody - bass
Sonja Horbelt - drums

Rebecca Kleinmann (USA) and Vashti Sivell (Melbourne)

Rebecca Kleinmann (L.A) and Vashti Sivell (Melbourne) -
Jazzlatina Project

Experience some of the exotic flavours of Brazil with this Latin Jazz Project as they take you on an exciting journey of percussive and hypnotic sounds. Rebecca and Vashti formed this project to share their passion for Afro-Latin cultures, music and dance, with their own diverse musical backgrounds. With an emphasis on Brazilian flavoured Jazz and touching the edges of Cuban music, this group will take you to the waters of many shores.

Rebecca Kleinmann (USA) - flute
Vashti Sivell (Melbourne)- keyboard
Carlos Ferreira (Brazil)- drums/percussion
John Guscott (London)- Guitar/ Cavaquinho/ percussion
Sam Anning (Perth)- Bass

Salsista

Salsista feat. Sally Ford and Rebecca Kleinmann (USA)

For the second year SALLY FORD and VASHTI SIVELL bring together Melbourne's best female musicians from latin and world music genres for a repeat performance of
SALSISTA, playing Ford/Sivell originals and salsa classics. Salsista cooks and they are nowhere near a kitchen.

Sally Ford vocals/flute/alto sax
Vashti Sivell piano
Shannon Barnett trombone
Louise Cuming trombone
Nasrine Rahmani timbales
Neda Rahmani bongo/bell
Talia Browne congas
Zoe Frater electric bass
Valerie Mayora vocals/guiro
With special guest:
Rebecca Kleinmann (USA) - flute

Satoko Fuji (JAPAN)

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer SATOKO FUJII as one of the most original voices in jazz. A truly global artist, she splits her time between New York City and Japan and tours internationally leading several different ensembles. Just as her career spans international borders, her music spans many genres, blending jazz, contemporary classical music, and traditional Japanese folk music into an innovative synthesis instantly recognizable as hers alone.

Satoko will appear in the festival with her trio at Bennetts Lane with the Bennetts Lane BIG Band on Tuesday December 11th. She will perform a solo piano set preceding Murphy's Law on Wednesday December 12th.

SATOKO FUJII TRIO
Satoko Fujii -Piano
Natsuki Tamura - Trumpet
Akira Horikoshi - Drums 

http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~Libra/ 

The MWIJF Superband

This exciting group of young musicians plays big band music from traditional to more contemporary styles and features original compositions from around Australia.
The "Superband" is an ensemble comprised of selected secondary school female instrumentalists and tertiary students of the highest standard. This group featured in a showcase big band gig within the student night of the Melbourne Women's International Jazz Festival at Melbourne's premier jazz venue, Bennett's Lane since 2003.

Thembi Soddell with Joe Talia

Thembi Soddell with Joe Talia

Thembi Soddell is a Melbourne sound artist who works primarily with the sampler to manipulate and abstract the external world into both a vicious and alluring sonic experience. With a focus on texture and depth, she plays with the extremes of dynamics, pushing the threshold of both silence and noise, toying with the listener's sense of expectation. For this performance she will be joined by drummer Joe Talia.

Youth Jazz Initiative

Jazz groups from Melbourne Girls College and McLeod Secondary collage perform under the direction of renowned saxophonist Tony Hicks. View full artist description

Performances
Friday 7th Dec 2007 :: 5.00PM :: FREE

Yvette Johansson Quartet

Yvette Johansson Quartet

Young vocalist Yvette Johansson, inspired by Barbara Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald, is Melbourne's most exciting and versatile young performer. Yvette has been wowing local and international audiences with her dynamic style and vocal excellence for many years. Yvette's career highlights include meeting and singing with Al Jarreau and performing with Lou Soloff (principle trumpet with Barbara Streisand Orchestra) at the Bennetts Lane ‘Jazz Lab'.


Yvette Johansson - vocals
Joe Ruberto - piano
Michael Tortoni - bass
Anthony Baker - drums

Zoë Frater Quintet

Zoë Frater Quintet

Premiering at this year's MWIJF, the Zoë Frater Quintet brings together some of Melbourne's finest musicians. The ensemble brings to fruition new works by electric bassist Zoe Frater.

Zoë Frater - bass
Julien Wilson - tenor saxophone
Shannon Barnett - trombone
Steve Magnusson - guitar
Ronny Ferella - drums



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