Bennetts Lane Jazz Club version 1 was born on November 27th 1992. It upgraded to two rooms on the 14th of January 2000. And it closed on June 15th 2015. During its almost 23 years in the service of live jazz performance it helped usher in a new environment for musicians to bring their art to their community. […] The experience and insight we learned through mistakes, discussion and respectful negotiation have largely been retained in Bennetts Lane version 2.
The line up includes Paul Grabowsky, Barney McAll, Bob Sedergreen, Andrea Keller, Julien Wilson, Sam Anning, Eugene Ball, Tamara Murphy, Phil Noy, Geoff Kluke, Maddison Carter and Margie Lou Dyer.
With influences including American icons such as Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, alongside less known but no less luminous talents such as Carmen McRae, Roberta Flack, former Supreme turned balladeer Mary Wilson, and New Zealand expat Bridgette Allen, Mama Alto’s sound remains idiosyncratic and unique, partly due to her luscious and gender transcendent voice which has drawn critical acclaim and audience admiration.
