From his early work with Miles Davis and Art Blakey to his recent collaborations with Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Adrian Younge’s project Jazz Is Dead, Gary Bartz is a pioneering force in shaping the language of jazz improvisation. For this special conversation, Bartz will be joined by…

In the realm of progressive jazz-rock, The Outernet is a fresh force redefining musical boundaries. Led by keyboardist and composer Phil Turcio, the band features a formidable lineup: Pete Drummond (drums), Pete Mollica (bass) and Emilio Kormanic (guitar). Together, they craft a sound that is cinematic, high-impact and deeply collaborative.…

Mesmerising, elegant and electric, multi- Grammy-winning jazz guitarist Bill Frisell returns to Brisbane. For over 40 years, the extraordinarily original and prolific Bill Frisell has been a seminal figure in modern American music. From jazz, bluegrass, country, rock and roll, to folk, interwoven with metamorphic splendor with bursts of the…

Internationally acclaimed Lebanese-French trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf is finally headlining in Australia, and he’s bringing the full force of his electrifying 10-piece band – complete with six trumpets – to the Melbourne International Jazz Festival for The Trumpets of Michel-Ange. Praised by legends like Quincy Jones and dubbed a…

2025 Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival Opening Night features fearless musical innovator and GRAMMY-winning pianist, Hiromi, widely regarded as one of Japan’s most extraordinary artists. Renowned for her technical mastery and her remarkable ability to reimagine genre and form, Hiromi erases the lines between jazz and classical, taking audiences on…

Co-commissioned by the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Jazztopad Festival (Poland), this bold new project unites three visionary artists with collaboration and experimentation at the heart of their practice — Sunny Kim (Korea/Aus), Joanna Duda (Poland) and Helen Svoboda (Aus) — in a profound exploration of personal, political and planetary transformation. Joanna Duda, a pioneering Polish…

Before Nightfall is an ongoing series of surprising musical encounters presented by local trailblazers, Speak Percussion. Each edition invites artists who have never previously worked together to engage in a single day of intensive creative collaboration—exploring new ideas and creating original music in real time. After a day of artistic dialogue, experimentation,…

Canadian cellist Peggy Lee and drummer Dylan van der Schyff join forces with Australian saxophonist Julien Wilson and guitarist Theo Carbo in an innovative collaboration that combines the very best of Vancouver and Melbourne’s jazz and improvised music scenes. Performing compositions from each member alongside expansive improvisations, Open Thread weaves…

Paris-based Australian jazz vocalist Hetty Kate presents songs from her latest release, a sparkling homage to the most effervescent of seasons — Spring. This album marks the first chapter in Jazz in Four Seasons, a globe-spanning four-album journey through the calendar year. Recorded in Prague with four of the city’s…