Month: November 2025

When Leigh Barker moved from Australia to France, a decade ago, our community lost a champion of hot jazz, a dedicated ambassador of the sounds and stylings of early-to-swing-era music. (Actually, we lost two, as he was joined by his partner in life and music, Heather Stewart a spectacular jazz vocalist and violinist in her own right.)

Now the bassist, bandleader, and composer is back, with a new album, Cross Street, and a heavy schedule of performances throughout Victoria, NSW, and ACT. Just before stepping on stage at the Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival, he took a moment to talk about his approach to music, his admiration for his talented partner, their life in Paris — and how to close a formal letter addressed to a French person.