Uptown Jazz Cafe - Melbourne's newest jazz and improvised music venue

Modern jazz guitar master James Sherlock is one of the best straight ahead jazz guitar players in Australia. Whether playing in classic guitar trio or with vocalist, he’s right at home with the swinging jazz standards repertoire from the 50’s and 60’s right through to present day, and it is always a delight to be at James's performances.


A significant figure on the Australian jazz scene for a number of years, member of the famous “BOPSTRETCH” band that has held a Wednesday residency at Uptown for almost 10 years.

Having recently been recorded live by ABC FM radio's "JazzTrack," this trio is the quintessential guitar led jazz sound.


 James has performed, toured, recorded and collaborated with a variety of Australian and International musicians; however, the Guitar/Bass/Drums trio has been the backbone of James' performance output for over 20 years. This incarnation of the trio features outstanding young bassist Ben Hanlon and Danny Fischer on drums.


"This could be exhibit A in the case that some of the world's most exciting jazz is being made in Australia.” John Shand - Sydney Morning Herald (“Watermark” review)
“Sherlock is a wonderful guitarist, and a craftsman of songs possessing beauty and depth. “Solo” should make a few Top 10s of the year and help propel Sherlock onto the bigger stage he surely deserves. Definitely a name to watch out for.” Ian Patterson, All About Jazz.


$25/20 concession - cash on entry /cards fine at the bar -  doors open 7.30, music from 8pm. 


doors open 7.30, music from 8pm.

bookings please email us - uptownjazzcafe@email.com

More

Myka Wallace - drums
Sam Anning - bass
Scott McConnachie - saxophones
Steve Magnusson - guitar

Feat. original music and tunes by Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and more....
Scott McConnachie is regarded as one of Australia’s most exciting improvising saxophonists. Drawing from traditions including jazz, freely improvised music and western art music, his sound is remarkably personal and is coupled with an extremely high level of performance intensity. Since relocating from Brisbane to Melbourne in 2011, Scott has performed with leading Australian improvisers such as David Tolley, Alan Browne, Scott Tinkler, Ken Edie, Simon Barker, Erkki Veltheim and Phil Treloar. He performs regularly with The Australian Art Orchestra, the Paul Grabowsky and has performed with Barney McCall’s ASIO (Australian Symbiotic Improvisers Orbit).

In 2012 PRIME, McConnachie’s duo with legendary improviser Ren Walters, released the album “Motive”, an exploratory work for saxophone and guitar. McConnachie also recently released a live recording of solo saxophone music titled “Getting out of the Way”.
As a classical saxophonist, Scott has given concerts performing the works of Xenakis, Berio, Bach, Wuorinen and others. In 2015 McConnachie toured remote indigenous communities in the Northern Territory with the highly acclaimed Black Arm Band. In 2009 Scott toured extensively in Japan with legendary free jazz drummer Shoji Hano, and he has toured Australia numerous times since 2005 with collaborative projects Water Logic, Taste of Teeth, and singer songwriter Jackie Marshall.

From 2005 – 2011, McConnachie was a key figure in Brisbane’s improvised music scene, and a founding member of community performance series and yearly festival, Audiopollen. During this period Audiopollen hosted many international artists including Tony Buck, Shoji Hano, Jeff Henderson and John Butcher.
McConnachie has performed at numerous festivals including the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Stonnington Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and The Now Now Improvised Music Festival in Sydney.

“….his is a monstrous sound allied with a questing spirit.”
– John Shand – review of SIMA performance in Sydney Morning Herald.
 

$25/20 concession.  cash on entry/cards fine at the bar - doors open 7.30, music from 8pm.

bookings please email us - uptownjazzcafe@email.com

 

More

Featuring a folk sensibility and generous collective ensemble interplay, this group will be playing all original music from Swinn’s recent release Old Idea/New Idea (on Lionshare Records), which was launched at the Wangaratta Festival.

The group features Fran Swinn (guitar), Sam Keevers (piano), Sam Anning (bass) and James McLean (drums).


Well-known for her playing with groups such as Spirograph Studies and Big Guitar, Swinn’s songs are inspired by people, places, the passing of time, and the passing of friends.

’This beautiful album is so easy to love’. Eric Myers (The Australian)



$30/25 concession - cash entry - cards fine at the bar


doors open 7.30, music from 8pm.

bookings please email us - uptownjazzcafe@email.com

More

New York pianist Brett Williams up this Saturday playing modern standards and ballads to blow your mind. Although well known as the keyboard player in the Marcus Miller Band, his love and proficiency in straight ahead jazz is outstanding and a joy to experience. Expect tunes by Thelonious Monk, Fats Waller, Charlie Parker and more....

Brett has performed with artists & musicians including Stevie Wonder, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Marcus Miller, Mumford & Sons, Billy Joel, Chris Thile, Mino Cinelu, Kevin Garrett, Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, Jose James, Sean Jones, Keyon Harrold, & Charles Haynes. He has also performed regularly with Jon Batiste on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Williams has already accomplished a significant level of experience on the bandstand & more recently in the studio as well. It is Williams’ openness to a wide range & myriad of musical styles & genres, his “old soul”, & his musical honesty that have helped him create & mold a dynamic sound & voice as a pianist & composer. He released his debut EP S3asons in 2019.



$35/30 concession - cash entry - cards fine at the bar

doors open 7.30, music from 8pm.

More

bookings - email uptownjazzcafe@email.com and just pay for tickets on arrival



 

Uptown is very honoured to host the legendary Australian jazz trumpet player Warwick Alder and his new Quartet direct from Sydney.
 
Warwick Alder is known for working with many illustrious artists over his long career, and he is notably a long-term associate of legendary saxophonist Bernie McGann's highly praised quartet. His beautiful sound and style, his feeling for the characteristics of the instrument and his effortless flow of ideas in any idiom have made him the trumpeter of choice for many artists and many styles, from the traditional to the avant-garde.

Alder was a founding member of James Morrison’s first band; Morrison Bros. Big Band, as well as Australia’s leading modern jazz ensemble; Ten Part Invention. He has been a lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium since time immemorial, and continues to inspire audiences with his unique approach to the music.

Warwick Alder Quartet, featuring Lachy Hamilton on saxophone, George Greenhill on drums, Nick Jansen on double bass

bookings - uptownjazzcafe@email.com

 

More

bookings - email uptownjazzcafe@email.com and just pay for tickets on arrival
 

One of the leading tenor saxophonists in Australia today, the incredible Jamie Oehlers returns to Uptown for an evening of intense swinging, hard driving jazz standards. 

Strongly inspired by the likes of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Jamie has carved a name for himself as one of the strongest modern jazz improvisers on the national scene.

Winner of the 2003 White Foundation World Saxophone Competition, was named Australian Jazz Musician of the Year at the 2007 Bell Awards, as well as winning the Best Jazz Release category and is now coordinator of Jazz Studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.He has performed with leading international jazz artists in the United States, Asia, India, UK, Europe, New Zealand and throughout Australia and frequently performs at jazz clubs and festivals throughout the world.

Don't miss this rare chance to see Jamie in full flight with his quartet.
 

More

bookings - email uptownjazzcafe@email.com