Melbourne jazz in July

Bopstretch

Uptown Jazz Café

On Wednesdays throughout July, the Uptown Jazz Café features bebop devotees Bopstretch, with Eamon McNelis on trumpet and Phil Noy on saxophone, Mark Elton on double bass, James Sherlock on guitar and Sam Bates on drums. The group started out jamming on a porch in Fitzroy. Its music pays homage to the bebop masters of the 1940s, such as saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

Sam Keevers Trio With Simon Barker

Uptown Jazz Café

Latin/jazz-influenced pianist and composer Sam Keevers heads his own quartet with Ben Robertson on bass, Dave Beck on drums and Javier Fredes on percussion. Keevers leads Los Carbones and has played on Katie Noonan’s ARIA award-winning CD Blackbird, recorded in New York with such jazz luminaries as saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist John Scofield and bassist Ron Carter.

Roger Mannins Quartet

The Paris Cat Jazz Club

New Zealand saxophonist Roger Mannins performs with Philip Rex on bass, Daniel Glassin on piano and Mark Lockett on drums. The then farmer, and currently lecturer in Jazz Studies at the University of New Zealand, took off the 2002 Wangaratta Saxophone award with his deft playing. He is on a rare visit to Melbourne. - drums.

Nichaud Fitzgibbon Quartet

The Paris Cat Jazz Club

Always a treat to hear, sultry vocalist Nichaud Fitzgibbon performs with her regular quarter that includes brother Mark on piano. The singer has always been one of Melbourne's best-kept secrets but last February her vocal prowess received wider recognition when she was invited to sing in Darwin at the Frontline Gala Ball before the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.

From Brunswick Street to Bourbon Street

The Paris Cat Jazz Club

Two generations of pianists meet: Veteran jazz and blues pianist Bob Sedergreen teams with young pianist Adam Rudergeair in a New Orleans-style party with Brendan Ysui on bass and Silas Gibson on drums. They will plays music that invokes the spirit of New Orleans, covering a range of styles and including some original compositions.

The Matt Kirsch Trio

Bar 303

Over on Northcote’s happening High Street, guitarist Matt Kirsch and his trio perform their Kicking in the B concert – a reference to the Hammond B3 organ the band uses. Kirsch, who heads a number of bands and is also a session player, is returning to gigging after a break. The rest of the trio is made up of Anthony Baker on drums and Jake Mason on Hammond.

Mike Nock

Uptown Jazz Café

Sydney-based pianist Mike Nock performs for the Melbourne Jazz Co-operative in an unusual line-up that dispenses with other rhythm section instruments of bass and drums and interacts with just guitar (Stephen Magnusson) and saxophone (Julien Wilson) and no bass or drums. Nock performs solo the next night at Bennetts Lane.