TAKE FIVE: MARCH 2021
Just like Dave Brubeck, we’re taking five each month to give you the scoop on five things we’re excited about.
Remember March 2020? – yikes! Twelve months on, the outlook is much improved and we’re looking forward to an exciting month in jazz.
We celebrated International Women’s Day this year with a big Take Note announcement. In honour of #InternationalWomensDay, this month’s edition of Take 5 is filled with great female-led performances and a biopic honouring a jazz icon. Plus, we’ll introduce you to a fun new way to find your jazz vibe and explore some new sounds.
On International Women’s Day, we introduced Ellie Lamb as our 2021 Take Note leader.
Ellie is an incredible trombonist, composer and arranger and we are beyond proud to have her on board this year. We can’t wait to see where her Take Note journey leads. Check out the announcement here, and follow her on Instagram.
Mar 13: Alma Zygier Band Live
With a voice from another era, Alma Zygier brings an emotional maturity to her performances beyond her years, inspired by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and many more. Together with a band of similarly minded players, Alma will bring her American Songbook forward to 2021. Get your tickets here.
From Mar 15: Andrea Keller curates Mondays at the Jazzlab
Every Monday, Andrea curates a varied program at the Jazzlab, including her Master & Apprentices series, Piano Club and Celebrating Voice. This month sees the return of her quartet PATSy, a new Celebrating Voice edition with Merinda Dias-Jayasinha and Louisa Rankin delivering vocals, and Piano Club with sets by Monique di Mattina, Kate Kelsey-Sugg and Carl Pannuzzo – on Piano Day of all days!
“I love Monday nights at the Jazzlab. New collaborations and old friendships are born, consolidated and renewed. Audiences and musicians experience the unknown and the known with a sense of togetherness. There’s an air of ‘everything is possible’. It’s a guaranteed adventure!”.
Check out what’s on as part of the Andrea Keller Curates series at the Jazzlab here.
Mar 20: Dany Maia takes the Paris Cat
Dany Maia embodies the sound of Brazil, merging the classic Bossa Nova, Jazz and Samba sounds into one unique performance. Her set will feature the many styles of Brazillian music in her repertoire with a mix of classic and modern compositions. Her multi-talented quartet will present songs by Tom Jobim, Edu Lobo and Milton Nascimento to name a few. To book your tickets to her show at the Paris Cat, click here.
Mar 26: Soul Chic celebrates the women of jazz & soul
Vibrant, dynamic – two very accurate words to describe the unique duo Soul Chic. Vocalists Nardia Rose and Georga Byrne are masters in the art of harmonies, mesmerising audiences with their versatility and energy.
At the Paris Cat, they will perform songs from some of their favourite female artists and icons who have influenced the music world today, including Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and many, many more. Don’t miss this special night of women in jazz and soul, buy your tickets to the Paris Cat here.
PSA: The United States vs. Billie Holiday biopic
She is a legend. Billie Holiday began her career in 1940s New York City, becoming a target of the federal government for her heart-wrenching and hard-hitting ballad “Strange Fruit”. The film focuses on her career at this stage of her life, with Andra Day starring as Holiday in the award-winning ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’. You can stream ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ on April 29th here. In the meantime, read this article about why people are drawn to Holiday’s story.
Plus, this month we launched our jazz-matching app, Jazzster. We’ll ask you to react to a randomised selection of music clips; all you have to do is give them the thumbs up or down and we’ll tell you what kind of jazz listener you are.
Play now to be entered into the draw to WIN one of three $200 vouchers to spend on tickets for the 2021 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, October 15-24. Ready? Let’s play.