WAYJO Goes Underground
WAYJO Goes Underground – New Concert Series with Open Jam to hit Lyric’s Underground
Introducing WAYJO Live @ Lyric’s Underground, a series of jazz concerts followed by a jam session held first Sunday of the month at Lyric’s Underground – a stone’s throw from 8th Avenue and Maylands train station.
Starting September, ‘Live @ The Underground’ Sunday sessions feature a guest act on stage 7.00pm for 1-hour, followed by an open jam led by the band from 8.20pm.
Combining concert and open jam session offers much needed opportunities for live performance, while encouraging up-coming musicians to learn more about jazz, and form new connections through the art of musical improvisation.
Sunday 6 September – The Love Rats create an inspired sound, the band presents a broad selection of jazz styles, fun arrangements of classic tunes, plus originals.
Sunday 4 October – TVQ draw upon influences spanning Bill Evan’s harmonic lushness, Art Blakey’s fire, Hiromi Uehara’s flare and Keith Jarrett’s emotion.
Sunday 1 November – Ricki Malet Vs the Monday Night Orchestra rhythm section will perform classic jazz standards arranged for the group, by the group.
Sunday 6 December – Gemma Farrell Quartet present fresh, all-original jazz in the lead up to their second album release. NEW STARTING TIME OF 6PM.
Lyric’s Underground is your newest destination for bohemian jazz vibes in the heart of Maylands – one of Perth’s emerging cultural centres. Tickets are just $10 at the door.
WAYJO’s Tuesday and Wednesday Night Orchestra’s also hit the Underground stage Thursday 17 September with Isolation Emancipation: Songs of Isolation & Freedom, a concert addressing themes of isolation and freedom in a musical expression of what many have been feeling since March. Tickets on sale through Oztix.
The WA Youth Jazz Orchestra are so gratefully to finally return to the stage in 2020, and hope to see you at a concert soon.
Lyric’s Underground
Downstairs, 22 Lyric Lane, Maylands WA 6051
Download printable PDF poster
CANCELLED - Jazz for Juniors
PLEASE NOTE: In response to COVID-19 restrictions, WAYJO sadly announce cancellation of this show.
Ticket holders for the show will receive a full refund from Perth Theatre Trust.
If you can, please consider a ticket refund or other donation to WAYJO at wayjo.com/support
Full statement: wayjo.com/covid-19-concert-cancellations
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and hope to see you at another WAYJO performance in the near future.
Do your kids know jazz? We bet they do, whether it’s through watching Disney films or sipping a babyccino at your favourite café, and with over 6,000 parents and their carers experiencing Jazz for Juniors since we launched these concerts in 2017, they’ll love hearing their favourite songs up close.
With interactive songs, the chance to try out instruments designed for small hands, and plenty of time to get up and boogie, Jazz for Juniors is perfect school holiday entertainment for children aged 7 and under.
We can also come out to your school or day care centre. Smile, jump and jive with Jazz for Juniors!
WAYJO’s Education program is supported by Healthway promoting the Act-Belong-Commit message
WAYJO presents act-belong-commit Jazz for Juniors
WAYJO Ensembles, accompanied by YOU the audience!
Tue 14 & Wed 15 April, 9.30am & 11.00am
Tue 7 & Wed 8 July, 9.30am & 11.00am
Tue 29 & Wed 30 September, 9.30am & 11.00am
Downstairs at The Maj | His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Tickets from Perth Theatre Trust
CANCELLED - My Favourite Things - Judy Bailey
PLEASE NOTE: In response to COVID-19 restrictions, WAYJO sadly announce cancellation of this show.
Ticket holders for the show will receive a full refund from Perth Theatre Trust.
If you can, please consider a ticket refund or other donation to WAYJO at wayjo.com/support
Full statement: wayjo.com/covid-19-concert-cancellations
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and hope to see you at another WAYJO performance in the near future.
Judy Bailey is nothing short of a national treasure.
She has been composing music for big band, orchestra, television and film for decades. Her music is both familiar and forward thinking, mixing sophistication and raucous swing.
Expect everything from Basie style swingers, film soundtrack imagery and reinventions of jazz standards, all delivered with her trademark wit and dry humour.
These are just a few of our favourite things.
Judy visits us from Sydney thanks to WAYJO’s 2020 Guest Artist Partner, the Minderoo Foundation
Photograph of Judy by Jim Rolon
WAYJO presents My Favourite Things
featuring Judy Bailey and the WAYJO Wednesday Night Orchestra
Fri 5 & Sat 6 June, 7.30pm
Downstairs at The Maj | His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Tickets from Perth Theatre Trust
CANCELLED - Polka Dots and Moonbeams - Kristin Berardi
PLEASE NOTE: In response to COVID-19, WAYJO sadly announce cancellation of Polka Dots and Moonbeams in May.
Ticket holders for this show; Perth Theatre Trust will process a full refund back to the credit card making the purchase, and be in touch with those who paid by cash or other methods.
You do not need to do anything.
Please allow up to 15 business days for the refund to be processed.
If you can, please consider a ticket refund or other donation to WAYJO at https://wayjo.com/support
Full statement: https://wayjo.com/covid-19-concert-cancellations
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and hope to see you at another WAYJO performance in the near future.
The sublime sound of Kristin Berardi’s voice will sweep you away to a world of polka dots and moonbeams. To hear Kristin is to smell new roses or summer rain on freshly cut grass.
Kristin’s virtuosity, versatility, charisma and creativity are the reasons she is one of the most in demand jazz vocalists in the country. Winner of the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival’s International Jazz Vocal Competition, the 2007 Freedman Jazz Fellowship and 2012 National Jazz Award.
This is the rare opportunity to hear Kristin in front of a big band singing her favourite songs and delightful original compositions.
Kristin visits us from Brisbane thanks to WAYJO’s 2020 Guest Artist Partner, the Minderoo Foundation
Photograph of Kristin by Metaxia Coustas
WAYJO presents Polka Dots and Moonbeams
featuring Kristin Berardi and the WAYJO Tuesday Night Orchestra
Fri 1 & Sat 2 May, 7.30pm
Downstairs at The Maj | His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Tickets from Perth Theatre Trust
WAYJO Cancels 2020 Season
Three weeks ago, consistent with State and Federal Government instructions regarding social distancing, WAYJO made the decision to cancel all rehearsals and public events until May 31. It is with a heavy heart that we now announce the full cancellation of all events programmed in our 2020 Season, Homegrown.
Entering 2020, fresh from the success of our 2019 season An American Jazz Story, featuring record attendances and easily surpassing box office targets, WAYJO’s Homegrown program was to focus on the breadth of talent in Australian jazz, with multiple new commissions and guest artists featuring Australians from around the country and indeed the world. Sadly, this season is not to be.
WAYJO are currently exploring exciting and innovative new programming initiatives that we will share with our audiences once restrictions on public gatherings are relaxed. This programming will reflect the need for performances to be commercially viable but still contain the artistic integrity WAYJO’s reputation has been built on in the company’s 37 year history.
The last few weeks have been impossibly difficult for the arts sector as a whole. WAYJO stands in solidarity with our fellow Western Australian small-medium arts companies who have lost their funding through the Australia Council as well as those, like WAYJO, who are facing difficult times with no events to present and little in the way of generated revenue coming in. Many WAYJO artists and alumni now find themselves with no income from performances and events and little prospect of these performances returning in the near term.
Arts improves lives, now more than ever. WAYJO urges the Federal and State Governments to act quickly and decisively to further support the arts sector, and in particular those artists and arts workers who have seen incomes reduced to almost nothing as a result of the considered response to controlling the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. These artists and arts workers deserve urgent financial support and assurance during the current circumstances, and the sector as a whole faces decimation without this support.
We wish all of our alumni, members, families, friends and the wider community health and safety during this time. We ask that those who have capacity, donate to WAYJO, other arts organisations, and funds dedicated to the support of artists and arts workers. Above all else, we look forward to planning our recovery, and sharing with everyone the love for jazz our company has, and rising towards our 40th anniversary in 2023.
WAYJO exists to offer outstanding opportunities to young artists, and to build the future of Australian jazz. We wish for everyone to stay safe and connected to WAYJO, and we hope to see all of you at a performance in the near future.
Please Note: As WAYJO staff are working from home during the COVID-19 isolation period, WAYJO’s office phone is not currently attended or checked daily. To ensure the swiftest response, please make your enquiries directly via email.
Contacts
Simon Keen
WAYJO General Manager
simon.keen@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
Justine Thornley
WAYJO Marketing (Monday & Wednesday)
marketing@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
CANCELLED - Jazz for Juniors
PLEASE NOTE: In response to COVID-19, WAYJO sadly announce cancellation of Jazz for Juniors in April.
Ticket holders for these shows; Perth Theatre Trust will process a full refund back to the credit card making the purchase, and be in touch with those who paid by cash or other methods.
You do not need to do anything.
Please allow up to 15 business days for the refund to be processed.
If you can, please consider a ticket refund or other donation to WAYJO at https://wayjo.com/support
Full statement: https://wayjo.com/covid-19-concert-cancellations
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and hope to see you at another WAYJO performance in the near future.
Do your kids know jazz? We bet they do, whether it’s through watching Disney films or sipping a babyccino at your favourite café, and with over 6,000 parents and their carers experiencing Jazz for Juniors since we launched these concerts in 2017, they’ll love hearing their favourite songs up close.
With interactive songs, the chance to try out instruments designed for small hands, and plenty of time to get up and boogie, Jazz for Juniors is perfect school holiday entertainment for children aged 7 and under.
We can also come out to your school or day care centre. Smile, jump and jive with Jazz for Juniors!
WAYJO’s Education program is supported by Healthway promoting the Act-Belong-Commit message
WAYJO presents act-belong-commit Jazz for Juniors
WAYJO Ensembles, accompanied by YOU the audience!
Tue 14 & Wed 15 April, 9.30am & 11.00am - CANCELLED
Tue 7 & Wed 8 July, 9.30am & 11.00am
Tue 29 & Wed 30 September, 9.30am & 11.00am
Downstairs at The Maj | His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Tickets from Perth Theatre Trust
CANCELLED - Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom
PLEASE NOTE: In response to COVID-19, WAYJO sadly announce cancellation of Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom.
Ticket holders for this show; Perth Theatre Trust will process a full refund back to the credit card making the purchase, and be in touch with those who paid by cash or other methods.
You do not need to do anything.
Please allow up to 15 business days for the refund to be processed.
If you can, please consider a ticket refund or other donation to WAYJO at https://wayjo.com/support
Full statement: https://wayjo.com/covid-19-concert-cancellations
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and hope to see you at another WAYJO performance in the near future.
One of Perth’s lost treasures, for over 50 years the Embassy Ballroom hosted hundreds of performances by the cream of WA’s entertainers and performers, as well as sublime international guest artists.
Kicking off our Homegrown season, WAYJO will whisk you back to a bygone era of style and glamour with the most beloved big band jazz music of its time.
Special guest vocalists Victoria Newton and Anita Wardell will join all three of WAYJO’s famed orchestras to croon, swing and melt your heart.
Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom
with the WAYJO MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra, Tuesday & Wednesday Night Orchestras, plus very special guests Anita Wardell & Victoria Newton
Fri 27 Mar, 7.30pm
His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Tickets only from Perth Theatre Trust
WAYJO Statement on COVID-19
WA Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) have been monitoring Government directions on the COVID-19 pandemic. The WAYJO Board and Staff have developed Business Continuity and Risk Management Plans to ensure the safety and health of our young members and the viability of the company moving forwards.
After careful deliberation, WAYJO have cancelled all public activities and rehearsals until May 31.
These activities include:
- Previously announced cancellations of Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom and Jazz for Juniors,
- South West Regional Tour
- Polka Dots and Moonbeams, featuring Kristin Berardi
- Weekly rehearsal programs for our 54 musicians.
WAYJO envisages more cancellations of events in the future, a blow to Australian artists who were the focus of our 2020 Homegrown season. However, WAYJO recognises the insecure nature of artists’ livelihoods during the current climate, and is endeavouring to support all contracted and casual artists during this time, including proceeding with our 2020 commissioning program.
WAYJO also recognises the loss of income for Back and Front of House staff at the venues we perform in, and hope that these arts workers, many of them casual employees, receive the support they require.
The Board and Management at WAYJO will continue to re-evaluate the program in the coming months, and encourage those who are able to continue to support the sector by donating or purchasing music from affected artists.
WAYJO has built the future of Australian jazz for 37 years, and we are committed to delivering on this mission throughout 2020 and beyond.
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Contacts
Simon Keen
WAYJO General Manager
simon.keen@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
Justine Thornley
WAYJO Marketing
marketing@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
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WAYJO Statement on Concert Cancellations
WA Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) are sad to announce the cancellation of our first two concerts of the year, Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom and Jazz for Juniors shows.
WAYJO is a small arts company but everything we do is with our members in mind. While audiences for these performances are tracking well under the 500 person limit set for gatherings per the Federal and State Governments’ directives, we also have a number of considerations to take into account when producing our concerts.
For Jazz for Juniors, don’t want to expose our youngest audiences and their carers to any risk.
Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom sales have suffered from a definite change in audience behaviour. Within all current health guidelines the performance could still go ahead, however the sheer cost of mounting this concert is no longer viable.
Those affected are entitled to a full refund of your ticket purchase. Perth Theatre Trust will process a full refund of your ticket costs and applicable handling fees onto the credit card that was used to purchase the tickets. You do not need to do anything. Please allow up to 15 business days for the refund to be processed.
If you paid in cash or with other payment methods, our box office team will contact you personally to organise your refund.
The Board and Staff at WAYJO will be monitoring all updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and reviewing all programming decisions based on stringent risk assessments.
WAYJO recognises the loss of income our sector is facing due to event cancellations or low attendance. With this in mind, WAYJO will endeavour to find the means to support in some way all contracted artists for their scheduled work in 2020, regardless of whether they are able to appear with WAYJO or not. We think this is an important show of support in our sector, and we hope that other arts organisations are able to do the same as much as practically possible. We wish we could also support the Front and Back of House workers who will suffer as a result of event cancellations, but we are not in a position to do so.
Finally, this is a time where WAYJO needs every ounce of support our friends and supporters can provide. If you have tickets to a cancelled show, please consider a donation to the company. If you have the capacity, talk to us about the meaningful impact every donation has for our company. We’d love as many of our supporters as possible to set up a weekly $5 donation to help keep the lights on. More information on donating can be found at wayjo.com/support
Most of all, we wish for our members, families, and supporters to stay healthy as we navigate through these difficult times. We hope to see you at a performance again in the very near future.
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Contacts
Simon Keen
WAYJO General Manager
simon.keen@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
Justine Thornley
WAYJO Marketing
marketing@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950
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WAYJO Kicks off 2020 with a Tribute to the Embassy Ballroom
PLEASE NOTE: In response to COVID-19, WAYJO sadly announce cancellation of Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom.
Ticket holders for this show; Perth Theatre Trust will process a full refund back to the credit card making the purchase, and be in touch with those who paid by cash or other methods.
You do not need to do anything.
Please allow up to 15 business days for the refund to be processed.
If you can, please consider a ticket refund or other donation to WAYJO at https://wayjo.com/support
Full statement: https://wayjo.com/covid-19-concert-cancellations
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and hope to see you at another WAYJO performance in the near future.
One of Perth’s lost treasures, for over 50 years the Embassy Ballroom hosted hundreds of performances by the cream of WA’s entertainers and performers, as well as sublime international guest artists.
Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom, on the main stage of His Majesty’s Theatre Friday 27 March, will whisk you back to a bygone era of style and glamour with the most beloved big band jazz music of its time.
Special guest vocalists Victoria Newton and Anita Wardell join all three of WAYJO’s famed orchestras at His Majesty’s Theatre to croon, swing and melt your heart. These two vocalists, who were singing together in London during the 1990s, will entertain you with their style, vocal virtuosity and humour.
Victoria Newton states “I am so looking forward to the ‘Swinging at the Embassy Ballroom’ show because I get to work with the phenomenon that is WAYJO. The bands are so brilliant and it’s always such a joy to sing with their magnificent sound and swinging grooves behind you!”
“I can’t wait for this show” says Anita Wardell. “I’m so looking forward to making music with the amazing WAYJO orchestra and together share this wonderful art form with the audience… What an honour for me to sing with that lush and super swinging sound behind me.”
Tickets for this, and all season shows, are on sale now at Perth Theatre Trust.
For more information on WAYJO’s 2020 season, please visit wayjo.com/season
#WAYJO2020
Opened as ‘Temple Court Cabaret and Tea Rooms’ in 1928, it was located corner of William St & The Esplanade in Perth until 1982.
City of Perth’s Fred Flood Photograph Collection.
State Library of Western Australia image: slwa_b3010984_9.