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

Saxophone colossus Carl Mackey and Quartet return to the Uptown stage this Saturday to deliver a night of hard swinging jazz.

Melbourne based saxophonist, Carl Mackey has been a stalwart on the Australian jazz landscape for more than three decades. Renowned for his versatile and emotionally charged playing style, he has shared the stage with a diverse array of artists, including Lionel Hampton, Kurt Elling, Sammy Figueroa, Ben Wendel, James Morrison, Kate Ceberano, Boy and Bear, Blur, Noel Gallagher,
and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
He has supported international stars such as James Brown, Harry Connick Jnr, The Yellowjackets, Ray Charles and Dianne Reeves.
Co-leader of award-winning group Speedball, he is a member of the Sam Anning Sextet, Australian National Jazz Orchestra, lead alto in the Vanessa Perica Orchestra and can be heard in groups as diverse as Andrea Keller’s Composer’s Circle through to latin orchestra, La Influencia.
A two time James Morrison Scholarship finalist, and a Freedman Fellowship finalist in 2006, Mackey has toured extensively with appearances in the United States, UK, Italy, India, and is a regular fixture on the national jazz festival scene with regular performances at the Melbourne, Perth, Wangaratta, Brisbane and Sydney International Jazz Festivals.




$25 full/ $10 students - cash on entry/cards fine at the bar - doors open 7.30, music from 8pm. Seats still available.

bookings please email us - uptownjazzcafe@email.com

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Melbourne favourite returns this Thursday.

Anything could happen



$25/20 concession -  cash entry - cards fine at the bar. Seats still available.

bookings please email us - uptownjazzcafe@email.com

 

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Sam Keevers is one of the most amazing jazz pianists in the country. This week features him with a stellar line up playing swinging standards and lyrical songs by composers as diverse as, Fats Waller, Thelonious Monk and the Buena Vista Social Club.


Sam has performed and recorded with international artists such as Chris Potter, John Scofield, Ron Carter, Bobby Previte's Bitches Brew Project and Joe Bataan. 

In 1996 he formed the 14 piece Latin Jazz group "Los Cabrones" which continues to perform around Melbourne and has performed at international festivals in China and New Caledonia. 

In 2004 Sam toured Europe with the Jamie Oehlers Quartet performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Galway Arts Festival, a tour of Ireland and a residency at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. 

Sam was a finalist for the Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2005 and was nominated for an ARIA award for the album "Grace", a duo recording with Jamie Oehlers. 

Long time member of the Vince Jones ensemble, founding member of Australia'a premier afro-cuban jazz orchestra "Los Cabrones," the Jamie Oehlers Quintet, the Sam Keevers Nonet featuring Bernie McGann, and the "Red Fish Blue," Sam's music is always joyful and inspired and a treat to be part of, whether playing swinging standards in the 60's Herbie Hancock vein or his heavily latin influenced originals, Uptown is very much looking forward to this performance....


Sam Keevers - piano
Chris Hale – bass
Danny Fischer – drums







 

$30/25 concession.  cash on entry/cards fine at the bar. Seats still available.

Doors open 7.30, music from 8pm.

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

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.
 

Tix $35/30 concession  -  cash on entry/cards fine at the bar. Seats still available.
 

Doors open 7.30, music from 8pm.

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



 

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.








Bookings highly recommended - uptownjazzcafe@email.com


 

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

Trumpeter Mat Jodrell is one of the most exciting voices in Jazz today. He has recently returned to Australia after having lived in New York City for the past eight years, performing around the city and teaching at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music.

During his time in the States, Mat was a regular member of many ensembles, all of whom he has recorded with. They include Miguel Zenon’s ‘Identities’ Ensemble, Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project (both Grammy nominated in 2016), Lucas Pino’s No Net Nonet, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Miho Hazama’s M-Unit, Kenny Werner’s ‘No Beginning, No End’, Pedro Giraudo’s Expansions Ensemble, Jon Batiste Band, the Birdland Big Band, the Bill Mobley big band, the Dan Jamieson big band and many others.

Since re-locating to the US Mat has had the opportunity to perform with the likes of Benny Golson, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis, Buster Williams, Hubert Laws, Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, James Spaulding, Carl Allen, Terri-Lyn Carrington, Bill Watrous, Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Darcy James Argue, Josh Roseman to name but a few. Between 2008 and 2012 Mat has performed regularly on Broadway with the shows ‘Hair’ and ‘After Midnight’ and continues to work with legendary singer Paul Anka with whom he has toured throughout Europe, Russia, Asia, South America and the Middle East.

He has performed in many of the world’s most famous jazz clubs in New York City including the Vanguard, Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Smoke, Smalls, Zinc and the Iridium, as well as touring to many of the largest festivals including the Newport Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Detroit Jazz Festival and many others.





 

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bookings - email uptownjazzcafe@email.com




 all entry fees are ex gst