A jazzy night under the stars to wrap up 2024
It’s that time of year again! Celebrate the culmination of an incredible year with our Best of 2024 concert at the stunning Quarry Amphitheatre on Saturday, 23 November from 6:30pm.
Featuring all three of our core orchestras – this unmissable event highlights the energy, passion, and skill of our young musicians as they showcase their favourite pieces of the year.
The Monday Night Orchestra will captivate with music from standout collaborations, including Mariel Bildsten, Sarah McKenzie, and Zero Emcee. Expect swinging big band tunes, jazz ballads, and a jazz-hip-hop fusion with the tune, Na Na Na (Zero Emcee), as well as classics like Evil Man (Thad Jones), and Paris in the Rain (Sarah McKenzie).
Our St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra promises a dynamic and eclectic mix, from fiery “burner” Magic Flea to the lush Just Friends and Brazilian-inspired Yatra-Ta featuring Sofie Kerr. The set also includes Nutville (Buddy Rich) and I Love Paris (Stan Kenton).
And the Wednesday Night Orchestra will showcase stunning original works by our composers-in-residence (Infinity by Aaron Caldwell and Weird Cat by Jackson Mack) alongside gems like Woman’s Got Soul (Thad Jones), Kind Folk (Kenny Wheeler), and Photographs (Ed Partyka).
Bring a picnic, pre-order a hamper, or enjoy the Limestone Cafe menu while soaking in the vibrant sounds of big band jazz under the stars.
Date: Saturday, 23 November
Gates open: 6:30pm | Concert: 7:30pm – 10pm
Venue: Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach
Get ready for a special night of extraordinary music that has become a much-loved local tradition. Book your tickets now!
WAYJO at Perth International Jazz Festival 2024
The Perth International Jazz Festival (PIJF) is back for another year, bringing a diverse lineup of local and international talent to the city from Saturday, 5 October to Sunday, 3 November. WAYJO is proud to be a part of this celebrated event, showcasing two exciting performances that highlight the talents of our musicians alongside renowned international artists.
Sara McDonald – NYChillharmonic (USA)
One of the standout performances this year will see members from WAYJO’s Wednesday Night Orchestra (WNO) join forces with bandleader and vocalist Sara McDonald (USA) for her dynamic ensemble, NYChillharmonic on Saturday 2 November at The Rechabite – Main Hall. Known for their genre-defying sound, NYChillharmonic seamlessly blends rock, pop, classical, and jazz, creating a unique sonic experience that embraces unconventional textures, arrangements, and harmonies. The result is an ensemble unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.
Sara McDonald will lead the ensemble, joined by core NYChillharmonic members including guitarist Shubh Saran, pianist Liya Grigoryan, bassist Almog Sharvit, and drummer Angelo Spampinato. Perth-based musicians from WNO will round out the rest of this extraordinary ensemble, making this collaboration one of the must-see performances of the festival.
Mariel Bildsten (USA) with WAYJO’s Monday Night Orchestra
Our Monday Night Orchestra (MNO) will also be part of the much-loved, Jazz Picnic in Hyde Park, a free annual event that’s perfect for families and jazz lovers alike. This year, MNO will be joined by special guest artist Mariel Bildsten (USA), an acclaimed jazz trombonist. This event is happening on Saturday 2 November from 12pm, with Mariel Bildsten and MNO hitting the stage at 3:30pm, embracing the sounds of jazz greats including Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
For more information about the festival and ticket bookings, visit the official Perth International Jazz Festival website HERE.
Linda May Han Oh: Special guest artist
This week is a huge one for WAYJO as acclaimed bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh arrives from the USA to perform with our Wednesday Night Orchestra on Saturday night at the State Theatre Centre of WA.
Renowned globally for her exceptional talent, versatility and dedication to music education, Linda’s beginnings were as a WAYJO orchestra member in the years 2000 to 2005 (approximately), performing first on bassoon and then reverting to upright bass. She is now one of the most in-demand international musicians of our time, achieving the extraordinary, including winning a Grammy for her bass performance on Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards Vol. 1, as well as being animated as bassist ‘Miho’ in the Pixar film ‘Soul’.
Linda will be performing eight of her own compositions with our Wednesday Night Orchestra (WNO) under the joint musical direction of Gemma Farrell and Bayden Adams, and in the lead up, Gemma gives us some insight on what will be happening behind-the-scenes.
Tell us what goes into prepping the orchestra for a performance like this with a guest artist.
Gemma Farrell: WNO is the most senior of the three WAYJO bands. Most of them are at the early stages of their professional careers, so they understand that a gig with music as complex as this requires a lot of practice and focus, and thinking about your role within your section, acting as a team rather than 18 individuals. They all greatly admire Linda, and some aim to have the kind of career she has had, so they are all looking forward to playing. The music is extremely difficult, so we have been doing a lot of extra rehearsals as a band, and they have no doubt been practising harder individually.
WNO will be playing some tracks off Linda May Han Oh’s latest album ’The Glass Hours’ – which is performed as a quartet. How do the pieces develop and how different are they in a big band format?
A lot of the music has been arranged for big band either by Linda herself or Jim McNeely (USA), who is a huge name in big band jazz. Obviously when you change an arrangement from small group to big band, there are a lot of different musicians you have to find parts for, but they all have to sound like they’re adding to the music. These arrangements have been masterfully put together, and the rich, large ensemble sound really compliments these compositions.
Linda May Han Oh is highly acclaimed worldwide. Tell us what’s interesting about her compositions and the challenges/complexities they entail for other musicians playing her works.
Masterful composers like Linda often write complex time signatures in a way that makes them sound seamless. I remember hearing that the great Maria Schneider sings her melodies and records them before working out the time signatures. Linda has a way of coming up with a beautiful melody, and it’s only when you analyse it and put it on paper that you realise how complex it is. Counting is one of the significant challenges in this gig, and some very technically challenging lines sound beautiful when they are together, but they take a lot of fine motor work on the instruments.
Which composition out of the set list is your favourite and why?
‘The Sirens Are Wailing’. I have performed this composition with the Artemis Orchestra for a few years now so I’m looking forward to performing it with Linda for the first time. The fact that I’ve been performing the chart for a while now means that I am more comfortable with it and can enjoy it more.
How many rehearsals will you be squeezing in this week with Linda? Give us some insight on how they will run.
We are rehearsing Wednesday through Saturday for this gig and will be with Linda from Thursday. I need to discuss the format with Linda and our assistant musical director, Bayden Adams, but we have eight of her compositions to get through as well as an opening number. I’m hoping that once we’ve had the opportunity to run through everything with her, we can work on some of the trickier moments and polish them.
How are you and Bayden working together in this instance?
We are taking four of Linda’s works each.
Anything else you’d like to add about the upcoming performance?
It would be a shame to miss it. Make sure you secure your tickets as soon as possible.
Linda May Han Oh with WAYJO’s Wednesday Night Orchestra
Time: 7:30 – 8:45pm
Date: Saturday 13 July 2024
Venue: Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA
BOOK TICKETS
Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan working with WAYJO in 2020
Sarah McKenzie reunites with WAYJO
WAYJO is excited to collaborate with the Perth International Jazz Festival to bring the acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and singer Sarah McKenzie (USA) back to Perth as part of her Australian tour.
Sarah has recently released her sixth album of Brazilian-inspired jazz titled ‘Without You,’ blending “inventive reworkings of classic songs from (Antonio Carlos) Jobim and others with four of McKenzie’s original compositions” – Jazzwise ★★★★
James Morrison has described her as a “once-in-a-generation talent and music marvel.” Her pronounced lyrical sense of swing has drawn comparisons to Blossom Dearie and Diana Krall.
“I’ve always loved the music of Brazil, Tom Jobim, Elis Regina, and of course Astrud Gilberto,” says Sarah McKenzie. “What I especially love about Jobim is the simplicity and clarity of his melodies, songs that one can remember and sing.”
Sarah will perform over two nights at the Liberty Theatre in the heart of Perth. Tucked away on Barrack Street, the Liberty Theatre opened as Perth’s first art house cinema in 1954. Rarely open to the public, these performances offer a unique opportunity to experience live jazz music in a vintage architectural gem.
On Friday, May 10, Sarah will be joined by renowned Perth-based jazz musicians Kristian Borring (guitar), Nick Abbey (bass), and Pete Evans (drums) for an intimate performance. Then on Saturday, May 11, WAYJO’s 18-piece Monday Night Orchestra bring the big band energy, with bold brass and bass sections to accompany her smooth Brazilian jazz songs and soulful ballads.
This is also a special reunion between Sarah and WAYJO, while she was born in Melbourne, she studied at the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and WAYJO is proud to call her an alum. In fact, the last time she performed with WAYJO was in 2012 with Mike Stewart, before she relocated to America when she was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee School of Music in Boston.
Jazz afficionados and admirers of classic Brazilian tracks such as Jobim’s ‘Corcovado’ (Quiet Nights), ‘Once I Loved,’ and ‘The Girl From Ipanema,’ shouldn’t miss these performances of what Peter Quinn at Jazzwise calls “the most bittersweet gems in the Jobim canon.”
Marty Pervan on Mambolicious
We sat down with Musical Director of the St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra, Marty Pervan, to find out a little more about the Mambolicious Program.
‘Mambolicious: Jodrell Screams Puente’ features one of Australia’s greatest trumpet players, Mat Jodrell, and pays homage to influential Latin jazz pioneer, Tito Puente. Performing in Margaret River on 30 June at Margaret River HEART, and then in Perth at Milk Bar on 1 July, these concerts are guaranteed to have your feet tapping and hips shaking.
Why are you excited to collaborate with Mat Jodrell and what are you hoping he’ll bring to the St John of God Tuesday Night Orchestra?
Given that Mat is a WAYJO alumnus, this collaboration is an opportunity to reconnect on both a personal and musical level. The wealth of knowledge and experience that comes with a musician that has lived and worked professionally as a first-call jazz and session trumpet player in places like New York is informative and inspirational for the band members. After leaving Perth, Mat attended the Julliard School of Music, and this also brings a unique set of experiences that bend members who are also tertiary music students will find enlightening. I am confident the anecdotal element of Mat’s communication and engagement with the band will be just as invaluable as his musical contribution.
What are you looking forward to on the regional tour to Margaret River?
There are no amount of rehearsals that can simulate the positive musical effect of a tour. The shared experiences and time spent together allow the musicians to connect in a way that is impossible to imitate. The shows, workshops and rehearsals will all be great musical experiences that will create lifelong memories for the band members (and probably the staff too).
What do you love about Tito Puente’s works?
Tito Puente was my first introduction to Son/montuno (Salsa), Mambo, Guaguanco and Cha Cha – it is something for which I have had a lifelong passion. I enjoy educating the band members about this genre of music and the various musical elements that make it unique. It is consistently exciting to play and listen to. This is always evident in the expressions of awe and joy on the faces of the band as they are performing.
Is there anything else you can tell us about the Mambolicious program?
We will be performing some of Tito Puente’s most popular tunes that most audiences have heard of as well as a selection of other music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Columbia, and New York.
“I will be immensely surprised if any of the audience isn’t up and dancing early in the performance.”
Other artists that we will be performing the music of include Cubanismo, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, the Buena Vista Social Club, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Poncho Sanchez, Matt Harris, and Mike Tomaro.
Experience Mambolicious: Jodrell Screams Puente
7:30pm, Friday 30 June | Margaret River HEART | TICKETS
7:30pm, Saturday 1 July | Milk Bar, Inglewood | TICKETS
Swing Into Our 40th Celebrations
Swing Into Our 40th Celebrations
WAYJO is turning 40 and we’re taking over the State Theatre Centre of WA to celebrate!
WAYJO’s 40th Anniversary celebrations are this weekend, 26 & 27 May, at the State Theatre Centre of WA.
We’re thrilled that Friday’s concert is now sold out, but tickets are still available for Saturday’s mini festival, featuring in-conversations, small group jazz ensembles, historic photo displays, alumni appearances, and big band performances.
Want to read more about the program? Seesaw Magazine previewed the Festival program and spoke to Mace, Jamie Oehlers and Libby Hammer, who’ll also both perform on Saturday, as well as Ben Franz of The Waifs about his time with WAYJO.
Book tickets to the 40th Anniversary Festival on Saturday 27 May at 4pm from the State Theatre Centre.
Mace Francis on WAYJO's 40th Anniversary Festival
WAYJO's 40th Anniversary Festival Program
WAYJO's 40th Anniversary Concert & Festival
You’re invited to the jazz party of the year as WAYJO turns 40!
With thousands of events under its belt and a special place in many a WA musician’s hearts and memories, WAYJO is marking the occasion in style – bringing together Perth’s biggest jazz names alongside future stars of the Australian jazz scene for one special weekend at the State Theatre Centre’s Studio Underground and Foyer.
Join us as we celebrate WAYJO’s 40-year history and look towards the future of jazz!
40th Anniversary Concert
The celebrations begin with a Gala performance on Friday evening featuring WAYJO big bands alongside special guest alumni including Perth’s premier jazz vocalist, Libby Hammer, the versatile trombonist Catherine Noblet, the accomplished saxophonist Gemma Farrell, and the elegant vocalist Lucy Iffla.
On the big night, all three bands – MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra, St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra, and Wednesday Night Orchestra – will take to the stage to perform commissioned works, band and fan favourites, and classic big band jazz repertoire.
WAYJO’s 40th Anniversary Concert
7:30pm, Friday 26 May
Studio Underground
40th Anniversary Festival
Then on Saturday, take a trip down memory lane and immerse yourself in our mini festival hub of in-conversations, small group jazz ensembles, historic photo displays, alumni appearances, and big band performances.
Be transported through time as all three big bands celebrate the greats playing classic big band jazz, music from the depths of the WAYJO library, and a line-up that traces jazz through to contemporary, translating be-bop to hip-hop.
With guest artists Jamie Oehlers, Libby Hammer, and Zero Emcee, this is an event not to be missed.
WAYJO’s 40th Anniversary Festival
4pm – 10pm, Saturday 27 May
Studio Underground
WAYJO presents Final 2022 Show at Quarry Amphitheatre, 25 November
In a grand finale to their 2022 season, WA Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) presents three big bands in one glorious night under the stars in The Best of 2022 at Quarry Amphitheatre, Friday 25 November.
“The band members have put in their votes for their favourite music that they have played throughout 2022” says WAYJO’s Artistic Director Dr Mace Francis. “They have selected some music from each concert and project including two new pieces commissioned as part of the Composer in Residence program.”
“The Wednesday Night Orchestra’s set will take you through music from the great swingin’ big band era of the 1940 to music composed in July this year!”
With three big bands on stage for one night only, tickets represent exceptional value for a fantastic show of diverse jazz to suit everyone’s taste.
WAYJO’s MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra toured Margaret River and Bunbury in August. “The MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra will be selecting repertoire from their shows, featuring the music of Gemma Farrell, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Mingus. Get ready for an explosive set of big band music from the ever youthful MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra!” – MNO Musical Director Ricki Malet.
The St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra also toured the great Southern September, and present “… everything from Count Basie to Tito Puente and a whole gamut of swinging big-band jazz and funk in between. We always look forward to entertaining you with this performance as the culmination of a year’s worth of work and rehearsals. You might pay for the whole seat, but you will only need the edge!” – TNO Musical Director Marty Pervan.
The Quarry Amphitheatre is one of Perth’s premier outdoor performance venues. Nestled in the tranquil bush setting of Bold Park Reserve, it offers a stunning skyline view. Bring a picnic, choose from the Limestone Cafe menu on the night, or pre-order picnic hampers, and enjoy a jazz picnic under the stars with friends and family.
These bands have never sounded better after a year of working and touring together. A sell out several years in a row, be sure to book early for The Best of WAYJO 2022.
Stay tuned to wayjo.com as WAYJO prepares to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2023.
The Best of WAYJO 2022
MinterEllison Monday, St John of God Health Care Tuesday, & WAYJO Wednesday Night Orchestras
Fri 25 November, 7.30pm
Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach
Tickets wayjo.com
WAYJO thanks Government Partner the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries, Principal Partner North West Shelf Gas, Major Programs Partner Minderoo Foundation, MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra Naming Rights Partner, St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra Naming Rights Partner, and Healthway Act Belong Commit for their continued support.
Photographs of 2021 WAYJO Quarry show by Josh Wells.
WAYJO presents a Big Band Celebration of Jazz Greats
2022 is the 100th birthday celebration of legendary bassist/composer Charles Mingus, and WAYJO’s MinterEllison Monday & St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestras are set to celebrate in big band style October 14 & 15, Downstairs at The Maj.
Several band members from the seminal Count Basie Orchestra line-up of the late 1950s also turn 100. Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Joe Newman, Frank Wess and Ernie Wilkins were all born in 1922, contributing iconic arrangements and solos on some of the band’s most famous recordings.
Come along for a night of classic jazz from not one but TWO big bands at His Majesty’s Theatre glorious downstairs bar, with food and beverage table service available. There are numerous public transport options, and FREE night-time parking from 6.00pm at the City of Perth’s His Majesty’s carpark, entry off Murray Street.
As WAYJO’s second last show for the 2022 season, you’d best get friends and family together and book your favourite table soon.
WAYJO presents Celebrating the Greats: 100th Birthday of Basie Band & Charles Mingus
MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra & St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra
Fri 14 & Sat 15 October, 7.30pm
Downstairs at The Maj, Perth
Tickets artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au/wayjo
WAYJO also presents a 1-hour Act Belong Commit concert-workshop for schools, Fri 14 October, 1.00pm, Downstairs at The Maj – head to wayjo.com/education/concert-for-schools for details.
WAYJO Slides into Subiaco with a Trombone Showcase
The WAYJO St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra present a special show featuring one of the big band’s oldest instruments, Saturday 17 September, Subiaco Arts Centre.
The trombone, invented mid 15th century, derives its name comes from the Italian tromba (trumpet) plus the suffix -one (big) – meaning big trumpet. The WAYJO TNO will be joined by three of WA’s finest trombonists, who are also WAYJO alumni. Jeremy Greig, Catherine Noblet and Will Pethick all served in different eras of WAYJO, coming together for one night only to showcase the instrument.
Jeremy Greig is a trombonist, diploma of music co-ordinator and lecturer in Jazz at WAAPA. He has a Bachelor of music from Edith Cowan University and a master of Music from University of Miami. He has lived and performed in the USA and performed with the likes of Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Barry Gibb (Bee Gees), Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, Don Rickles, Wayne Newton, and Wynton Marsalis.
Catherine Noblet is an Australian jazz trombonist from Perth. A WAAPA graduate, she has studied and worked as a freelance musician in Perth and the US. She completed her Master of Music at the University of Illinois, studying with legendary trombonist, Jim Pugh. She now resides in Perth as a freelance musician and a regular member of the Mace Francis Orchestra, Straight Ahead Big Band, Amnesiacs, and The Western Australian Jazz Project.
Will Pethick was a member of WAYJO in 2021 who previously studied at the James Morrison Academy in South Australia. Selected to be a part of the Australian National Youth Jazz Orchestra last year, Will performed with Will Vinson in the 2021 Sydney Con Jazz Festival. Now back in Perth, he performs locally with The Western Australian Jazz Project, Perth Symphony Orchestra and more.
Trombones are the backbone of the big band, providing the harmonic foundation, the brassy punch and the guts of the band. Come along and enjoy this ‘sackbut’ showcase – an instrument Beethoven once described as “The voice of God” – you be the judge!
Guest artists appear thanks to WAYJO’s 2022 Major Programs Partner, Minderoo Foundation.
WAYJO presents The Trombone: Big Band Backbone
St John of God Health Care Tuesday Night Orchestra, plus trombonists Jeremy Greig, Catherine Noblet & Will Pethick
Sat 17 September, 7.30pm
Subiaco Arts Centre, Subiaco
Tickets artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au/wayjo
WAYJO also present a 1-hour Act Belong Commit concert-workshop for schools, Fri 16 September, 6.30pm, at Prendiville Catholic College in Ocean Reef – head to wayjo.com/education/concert-for-schools for details.
Hashtags: #WAYJO2022 #SubiJazz #Trombone
Photography: B&W WAYJO Trombones (2021) & Jeremy Greig by Josh Wells – Catherine Noblet by Deprimo – Will Pethick by WAAPA
Media Contact:
Justine Thornley, WAYJO Marketing
marketing@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
