The 2025 Melbourne International Jazz Festival again left the jazz audience spoilt for choice, leaving them with some hard choices to make between so many international and local acts.
Author: Andra Jackson
Gregory Porter’s performance at the the Melbourne International Jazz Festival once again demonstrated that he is such a consummate musician. From the moment he sang the first note, that deep mellifluous baritone voice of his drew the listener in.
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Another message the festival conveyed was that while in recent years, the jazz world has lost some of the giants of jazz such as Pharoah Sanders, Wayne Shorter, Ellis Marsalis and most recently Quincy Jones, jazz is being revitalised by players such Blanchard and harpist Brandee Younger, singers such as the innovative Jazzmeia Horn and Nicole Zuraitis, and drummers like Antonio Sanchez, who following his well-timed accompaniment to the film Birdman, showcased a dynamite solo.
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The classically trained Brandee Younger impressed with her technical dexterity across the harp but also with her jazz feel and strong rhythmic sense.
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For DiMattina, Stella is a labour of love, and her fascination and admiration for Franklin show through.
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Xani is a virtuoso musician who sees no boundaries in music. At times during the concert, she tapped a rhythm on her violin; other times, used her fingers along the strings to find the exact effect she wanted.
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The audience was treated to Kurt Elling’s distinctive, creative vocalese, punctuated by the scintillating lyrical embellishments of guitarist Charlie Hunter as well as his masterful solos. It was a case of dual sheer artistry.
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He had nothing more than a grant of $3000 and a vision for nurturing creative and experimental jazz performance and composition. The Melbourne Jazz Co-operative announced its arrival with a concert at RMIT’s Glasshouse Theatre on the Australia Day weekend in 1983 with a Sunday afternoon concert. On the bill was the Paul Grabowsky Tro, making its debut, with the young Grabowsky on piano, the late Gary Costello on bass and Allan Browne on drums.
