The Jazzlab - Bennetts Lane Jazz Club Brunswick

MONDAY DEC 7

THE FESTIVAL SEXTET

presented in collaboration with The Mietta Foundation

KELLER/DAVIS/DURONGPISITKUL/BALLAT/LEE/ANDERSON

Opening set - Annwen Roberts Quintet

Evening show 7.30pm

set 1 Annwen Roberts set 2 Festival Sextet

The Jazzlab Monday Dec 7 Doors 7pm Show 7.30pm

Tickets HERE soon $30/$25 Bookings essential

presented in collaboration with The Mietta Foundation

THE MWIJF FESTIVAL SEXTET

presented in partnership with The Mietta Foundation

The MWIJF has a long history of bringing together a sextet of outstanding female/gender diverse musicians to present their original works and is delighted to announce the return of this project with the support of major partner The Mietta Foundation. 

Each of the musicians in this group is an outstanding band leader and multi-collaborator in their own right. This performance marks the first time that they all share the stage together.

Previous line ups have included Sandy Evans, Nadje Noordhuis, Belinda Moody, Shannon Barnett, Gian Slater, Xani Kolac, Kristin Berardi and many others.

The stellar 2026 lineup is led by Andrea Keller (piano) with Angela Davis (sax), Cheryl Durongpisitkul (sax), Ashley Ballat (trumpet), Peggy Lee (cello) and Kyrie Anderson (drums).

Andrea Keller - Piano

… The mind and sound-world of Andrea Keller, a place that is one of the most original – if not the most original – in Australian jazz. (John Hardaker, australianjazz.net, 2013).

Andrea Keller is one of Australia’s most original and influential voices in improvised jazz and art music. A multi-award-winning pianist and composer, she has released over 20 albums of her work, forging a distinct sound at the forefront of jazz and improvised music. Her career is defined by fearless creativity, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to reshaping the music sector through gender equity and artistic leadership.

Her impact has been recognised with three ARIA Awards, multiple Bell Awards, an Australia Council Fellowship, the Freedman Jazz Fellowship, and the 2022 Art Music Luminary Award (Victoria). Andrea curates Monday nights at the Jazzlab, established and directs the educational program Gender Defying Jazz and is Head of Jazz & Improvisation at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne.

Angela Davis - Saxophone

Angela Davis is an ARIA-nominated Australian saxophonist, composer and educator based in Melbourne. Described by The Age as having "an instinctively melodic approach", she is known for her lyrical improvisation and deep commitment to melody.

Davis holds a Master of Music from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and has performed and recorded extensively throughout Australia and internationally. Her releases as a leader include The Art of the Melody, Lady Luck, Suite for Max and Little Did They Know, the latter earning nominations for both ARIA and AIR Awards. Her work has received critical acclaim from publications including All About Jazz, The New York City Jazz Record and The Australian.

Davis has collaborated with leading artists including Linda Oh, Andrea Keller, Paul Grabowsky, Dan Tepfer, Richie Barshay, Tony Gould and Sam Anning. Alongside her performing career, she is a passionate educator and holds the position of Associate Lecturer in Jazz at the University of Melbourne.

Cheryl Durongpisitkul - Saxophone

Cheryl Durongpisitkul is an award-winning saxophonist, composer and performer, widely recognised as a force in Australia's improvised and new music scene.  Her compositions blend improvisation with exacting and intricate melodic material in structures that blur the boundaries between chamber jazz, new music, and experimental music.

Her work explores extremes of human experience, utilising rich and diverse instrumentation to examine the emotional depths of love, grief, and trauma. As a composer-bandleader, her projects reflect a deep commitment to working with musicians of diverse identities and cultural backgrounds, creating space for the artistic expression of her ensemble members.

https://cheryldurongpisitkul.com.au/

Ashley Ballat - Trumpet

‘Her approach to music is characterized by lyrical and non-formulaic melodies, interacting with other musicians and expanding her collection of timbre manipulations’. - Paul Williamson 

Ashley Ballat (she/her) is an up and coming artist, working as a trumpet player and composer in Melbourne/Naarm. Her musical passion lies in exploring collective improvisation that builds upon sound manipulation, layered textures, and the collision of eclectic musical genres. Her compositions and ensemble approach are greatly influenced by the music of Arve Henriksen, Erik Honore, Andrea Keller, Bill Frisell and Bon Iver. After recently graduating from the Sir Zelman School of Music (Monash University), Ashley is now pursuing a career of performing original music of her own and others.

She has performed with a number of renowned musicians including Stephen Magnusson on her debut album Web (2022); Robbie Williams and Delta Goodrum at the 2022 AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment; MJC Orchestra 40 year anniversary concert at Elizabeth Murdoch Hall (2023); Rob Burke, Simon Starr, Paul Grabowsky and Tony Gould Classic Southside Residency (2021-2023); The Vijay Iyer Trio with the Monash Art Ensemble (2019 Melbourne International Jazz Festival); Linda Oh and Terri Lyne Carrington (2018 Melbourne International Jazz Festival); MLive residency with Paul Grabowsky for the ‘New Grooves’ project (2019); Featured soloist on the MAE ‘Here Now Hear’ album (2019); and Dave Douglas on ‘The Dream’ album (2020).   

Peggy Lee - Cello

Peggy Lee is an improvising cellist and composer currently dividing her time between Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. She leads and collaborates across numerous ensembles including her own groups – The Peggy Lee Band, Film In Music, and Echo Painting – and collective projects such as Waxwing, Handmade Blade and Beatings Are In The Body. She also co-leads two Canadian/ Australian improvising groups, the quartet Open Thread and the trio Old Country, New Country. Peggy has toured and recorded with many leading artists including Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Josh Zubot, Dalava, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Darius Jones and Dave Douglas.

Kyrie Anderson - Drums

Kyrie Anderson is a drummer based in Melbourne, Australia. After graduating with First Class Honours in Jazz Perfomance at Adelaide University, Kyrie has become a sought-after musician on stage and in the studio. She has collaborated with a diverse array of national and international artists, from Russian feminist icons Pussy Riot to North America's Basia Bulat and Rachel Baiman, as well as Australian talents like Julia Jacklin, Emma Donovan, Odette, Harry Angus, Barney Mcall, and more.

Her musical journey has taken her around the globe, gracing stages at numerous festivals including Breminale, Reeperbahn Festival, Woodford, Womadelaide, National Folk festival and more. She has been nominated for the Freedman Jazz Fellowship twice and been accepted into the Banff Centre’s prestigous Jazz residencies in both 2019 and 2025.  Kyrie wears multiple musical hats, playing in the bands of Sam Anning, Andrea Keller, The Maes, Rowena Wise and co-leads her own groups Aura (ABC Jazz’s album of the week, Bandcamp’s new and notable, and the best Jazz on Bandcamp; February 2021), ThenNowWhen and LIIT.

Annwen Roberts Quintet 

Annwen Roberts is a violinist originally from Lutruwita/Tasmania, now in Naarm. Her musical pursuit now incorporates her folk roots while looking forward to the future of Australian jazz and improvisation while drawing on influences such as Mathias Eick, Matt Carmichael, Joshua Redman and Hanneke Cassel to create lyrical, interactive improvised music. She was awarded the Clarence Jazz scholarship in 2019 and has gone on to receive the Cassidy Bequest Scholarship, W Bardsley Award, Bachelor of Music Entrance grant, Walter and Muriel McConnan Scholarship, Albert and Marie Diamant Scholarship, IgniteLab FFAM award, and Alan C Rose Scholarship at the University of Melbourne/VCA. Her performances include Dark Mofo, MONA, Meadow Festival, Melbourne International Jazz festival, Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival, and Clarence Jazz Festival. Her debut album Sky Omens released in 2025, receiving acclaim from musicians such as Helen Svoboda, Julien Wilson and others, as well as being played on notable radio stations around the world.

Annwen Roberts - violin 

Tristan Meffre - saxophone 

Nick Gregory - guitar

Claire Aboguelis - bass 

Kyrie Anderson - drums