In what promises to be possibly the first performance of its kind anywhere, this year’s Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival is proud to present its 2011 APRA Composer Commission written by Fran Swinn for jazz quartet and the Corde Lisse. “Inform” will combine these artforms in the stunning setting of BMW Edge and will feature Circus Oz virtuoso acrobat/aerialist Rockie Stone with the Fran Swinn Quartet.
The Jazz Fringe Commission concert is one of the signature events of the Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival, which was formed in 2005 to celebrate Melbourne’s burgeoning creative jazz scene. Now established as a leading event in the Melbourne cultural calendar, the 2011 festival will again present performances to make the ears prick up, the heart soar, and to surprise the mind. It will feature more than 80 of Australia’s most celebrated improvisers in an inspiring 10 days and nights of creative and groundbreaking music making.
The 2011 Jazz Fringe Festival kicks off in style at the Melbourne Recital Centre Salon in an opening night concert that features the Andrea Keller Quartet with Strings performing ‘Place’. The innovative “New Standards” night on Thursday May 5th at 8pm at Uptown Jazz Cafe will feature three ensembles reinterpreting the music of their favourite Australian composers: Casey Bennetto’s Half Arsed Thursday Band, Ben Hauptmann with Raj Jayaweera and the Fallingwater Trio. Tickets for this ‘one-off’ event are strictly limited and bookings are advised.
Groundbreaking new events this year include the Audio Visual Collaboration night at new venue LONGPLAY featuring AV artist Zoe Scoglia with performances from Stephen Magnusson, Steve Grant and Ben Vanderwal, and the very underground MJFF WAREHOUSE PARTY at 22 Ovens Street that features, back by demand, last year’s innovative audience participation event: the MJFF iPhone improv mash-up along with Ronny Ferella’s Peon and Osh10. A new innovative series will also bring the MJFF to the West at the Dancing Dog in Footscray and features performances over two days from Andrew Brook’s Motion, trumpeter Peter Knight, percussionist Nat Grant and Adrian Sherriff’s Kewti.
The 2011 program includes two performances at Bennetts Lane in collaboration with the Melbourne Jazz Co-op: the festival is delighted to present the Melbourne incarnation of Brisbane band Loops, featuring Jonathan Dimond, in a double bill with Kafka Pony on May 1, and the groundbreaking Band of Five Names (Syd) on May 3.
The Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival winds up with its traditional BIG ARSE SUNDAY event at 303 on Sunday May 8. Big Arse listeners will kick back to artists including the Scott Tinkler Trio, 12 Tone Diamonds, Julie O’Hara,Make up Sex and Collider among others… Tickets are limited. Book now for an afternoon and evening of wonderful strangeness, deep groove, dissonance, melody, cacophony and the beauty of song.
Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival April 29th-May 8th 2011
80 musicians 10 Days & nights of Australia’s finest creative music
Improvisation, groove, melody, mayhem, song, noise… and a circus aerialist!
The 2011 Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival is made possible with the support of the following sponsors:
Key Partners
City of Melbourne, Victoria University, Arts Victoria – Vic Rocks, APRA, Federation Square, Cube Serviced Apartments
Supporting Sponsors
3RRR, Atlantis Sound, Brolly design
