By Kate Lockyer
Jazzheads, fans of live music and the sonically curious will flock to this year’s Brisbane Vocal Jazz Festival in October, which will feature a GRAMMY-winning headliner and a diverse lineup.
On the lineup is the Naomi Andrew Quintet presenting Rhythms of Resilience, paying homage to jazz’s roots as a form of expression for Black musicians and creatives.
Fond memories of exploring her grandparents’ CD collection as a child have shaped Naomi Andrews’ love of jazz.
She said her mum and grandparents are “jazzheads”, something they have passed on to her.
Andrews is now an accomplished performer in a variety of genres including jazz, pop, RnB and soul and was a regular attendee of the Brisbane Jazz Club before she began performing there a couple of years ago.
She said her show on October 10 is about “delving deeper into the heart and soul of jazz music, moving beyond the surface rhythms to explore the rich tapestry of culture, history, and emotion”.
Andrew said one of her favourite songs on the setlist is Butterfly by Herbie Hancock, but she also named many other beloved tunes to look forward to.
Backed by the dynamic talents of James Hunt-Feagai on Piano/Keys, Aaron West on Guitar, husband Nate Andrew on Bass, and Sherman Jones on Drums, the band will perform one of many dynamic shows throughout the festival.
In its 9th year, the Brisbane Vocal Jazz Festival is a highlight in the Brisbane Jazz Club’s events calendar.
Opening the festival on October 9 will be Thirsty Merc’s frontman and Jazz aficionado, Rai Thistlethwayte’s one man show.
The festival headliner, direct from New York at the start of her first Australian tour, is GRAMMY Award winner for Best Jazz Vocal CD ‘How Love Begins’, Nicole Zuraitis, performing October 11 and 12.
She will perform alongside New York drummer Dan Pugach and a guest bassist for her ‘How Love Begins’ Australian Tour.
The festival will conclude on Sunday afternoon October 13 with the Kings and Queens of Jazz: local artists Jake Meywes, Toni Allayialis-Bann, Steve Taylor-Brown, Irene Bartlett, Aron Gartrell and 3 to the Bar.
They will all be tipping their hats to jazz greats – Sammy Davis Jr, Ray Charles, Carmen McRae, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks and the Andrews Sisters.
Festival Artistic Director Ingrid James said the festival is the only one of its kind in the country run by volunteers.
“It came about after 23 years of running another community event – The Jazz Singers’ Jam Night,” Ms James said.
She said the “beautiful culture” that developed from this event led them to launch the Brisbane Vocal Jazz Festival, and now they have headlined artists from all over Australia, US and Europe, balanced with wonderful local singers. s
