The first International Women’s Jazz Festival (SIWJF) An incredible line up of female jazz talent is descending on Sydney in November…
For 7-17th November some of the most sensational women in Jazz today will be headlining Sydney’s first International Women’s Jazz Festival at The Sound Lounge and Courtyard at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale.
“The program will appeal to both a broad music audience as well as committed jazz fans”, says Programme Director Peter Rechniewski. The international component, which is presented courtesy of the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues and is particularly impressive and is composed of bands which are not only considered outstanding performers but are making their first visits to Australia.
While there is no denying the gender imbalance in jazz over the past 25 years, there has been a rise in outstanding talent across all jazz instruments – sax, trumpet, piano, sax, bass, drums and harp – our own Sandy Evans OAM and Andrea Keller are a perfect examples of this.
These days, more now than ever, women making significant a contribution to jazz composition and arranging – one of the is Myra Melford (undeniably rated as one of the top jazz pianists and composers on the world stage today) and her Trio M
Myra Melford will be conducting a master class with Sydney’s elite jazz musicians at the Sound Lounge that afternoon – they will play The Sound Lounge on 9th November and head back to New York the following day.
As well, there will be FREE Courtyard Concert (17 Nov) featuring artists such as the Zoe and the Buttercups and Jess Green and the Pre-Loved, which is sponsored by the City of Sydney ensuring that everyone can enjoy this noteworthy Festival.
Performing along the visiting musicians will be Australian Artists such as Sandy Evans and Andrea Keller who are well known to jazz fans here but not so well known is Cuban/Australian Marialy Pacheco. As winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival Prize this July (2012), her ‘star’ is definitely in the ascendant.
New Yorkbased French singer Cyrille Aimee is making heads turn in both the US and Europe with her fresh sound and wonderfully communicative style. Since making the finals in the prestigious Thelonious Monk competition in New York, she has become one of the most talked about new faces in the jazz vocal stable.
German band No Tango Quartet, led by Cologne based saxophonist and composer Christina Fuchs, are a genre bending and blending group that combines contemporary jazz with ethnic music and new music. The band represents an important current of European jazz that seeks to create new sounds fashioned from sources beyond the American tradition.
At the SIWJF, the Andrea Keller Quartet will be joined by Melbourne improvising vocalist Gian Slater. The two have worked together many times in Melbourne but this will be the first time they have performed together for a Sydney audience.
Also appearing will be the Aberdeen Youth Festival touring band aka The Alex Silver Quintet. The band consists entirely of young Australian women jazz musicians led by trombonist Alexandra Silver who directs SIMA’s annual ‘Young Women in Jazz” workshops with the Sydney Conservatorium. It will be the launch of this band which has been invited to perform in the UK.
As Professor Di Yerbury, Chair of the Sydney International Jazz Festivalsays, “What better way to celebrate the growing contribution of women jazz musicians in the development of this wonderful art form than by bringing together, under the umbrella of a Festival, some outstanding artists from Australia and other countries." .
7,8,9,10,16 & 17th November at the Seymour Centre.
Bookings open now on 02 9351 7940 or www.sydney.edu.au/seymour/
Tickets from $10 – $30
More information www.sima.org.au or info@sima.org.au
Image Christina Fuchs, No Tango
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