Jazz takes over the city this weekend in Perth

Jazz takes over the city this weekend with an incredible mix of over 60 local, national and international jazz artists at the annual Perth International Jazz Festival from Friday night to Sunday at venues in Perth and Northbridge, which includes free and ticketed performances, community events and artist talks.

[from the media release]

The State Theatre Centre of WA is the Festival hub incorporating the Courtyard and Heath Ledger Theatre in ways you’ve haven’t experienced before – and all in walking distance to venues The Bird, The Ellington Jazz Club, The Rechabite and Downstairs at the Maj, which will be utilised across the three days.

The free-to-attend parts of the program are bigger than ever – get set for jazzy sounds spilling out from Birdwood Square Community Stage and Wetlands Free Community Stage, Supported by Lotterywest throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday from 10am, which includes family events Jazz For Juniors and an instrument-making workshop with Junkadelic.

Veronica Swift

Leading the international charge of artists is one of the USA’s top young jazz singers,Veronica Swift who’s visiting Perth for the very first time to perform her recently-released album, Confessions. Her sound, charisma and ability to channel the spirits of Anita O’Day, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald are sure to delight Perth audiences.

Roscoe James Irwin

Prolific trumpeter, singer and composer Roscoe James Irwin (The Cat Empire, The Bamboos) will perform ‘Lost in a Dream’ – The Musical Life of Chet Baker’. Featuring a 20-piece string orchestra, Irwin presents his own gorgeous re-workings of Baker’s classic material with all the cinematic romance, heartbreak and soul of 1950s California.

Fumio Itabashi

Highly-regarded Japanese jazz pianist Fumio Itabashi will extend his quartet to a 10-piece for this very special performance, which features some of Australia’s most adventurous improvisers; orchestration trail-blazer Chelsea McBride brings the Socialist Night School from Toronto to Perth, leading a 19-piece modern jazz orchestra of some of Perth’s finest musicians; and Australian pianists Ben Winkelman and WAAPA graduate Tal Cohen– both based in the USA – return to Perth to perform at this year’s event.

Chelsea McBride

As well as the huge number of concerts from talented local jazz performers, PIJF has plenty of free community events to introduce audiences to the inner workings of musicians and their creative process at new venue The Rechabite Hello Rooptop, including:

  • Artist-In-Conversations: Informal conversations with visiting guest artists with the opportunity to participate in Q&A’s with the artists.
  • Jazz Club Choir: Jazz vocalist Libby Hammer (WA) will work with anyone who wants to sing to create a jazz choir for the duration of the Festival culminating in a performance on Sunday.
Ticket prices vary per individual performance from $10 -$45. Make the most of your Festival and purchase 3 or more shows at the State Theatre Centre venues and receive 10% discount. Jazz lovers are rewarded with a 15% discount on tickets when you purchase tickets to 6 or more shows. PIJF performances outside of the State Theatre Centre are all sold separately.