Ken Paolo Top 4 Aussie Jazz Musicians
Ken Paolo & The Space Cadets photo credit Cass Evans-Ocharern
Ken Paolo’s Top Aussie Jazz Musicians
“In some ways, the band’s sound has been influenced by jazz, due to some of the band members being keen jazz players. In our live show, improvised parts and open solos often play a big role in creating a fresh and interesting vibe between performances.” - Ken Paolo
“Australia is also very lucky to be home to a rich culture of creativity in improvisation and filled with world-class talent. Here are five of our favourites killing it right now in this great country of ours.” - Ken Paolo
Sam Anning - Having studied at the Manhattan School of Music, and done a stint in New York, Sam is currently based in Melbourne and a frequent participant in the Melbourne jazz scene. Highly regarded as a bassist and composer worldwide, something that stands out about Sam’s music is its lyrical qualities, and at no point comes across as inauthentic or contrived. A favourite track of ours is Sweethearts, released in 2018 on his record “A Field As Vast As One”
https://open.spotify.com/track/56HmnnqDHVUp1VxZ0uePwZ?si=ad8e88d824fb4db4
Dr Andrea Keller - Keller is a pianist and composer who is currently based in Melbourne. Having released 20 albums and counting, Keller has her PhD from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She runs Gender Defying Jazz, a workshop series for female, transgender and non-binary musicians and is currently the Head of Jazz and Improvisation at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Oh, and she has 3 ARIAS and 7 Australian Jazz “Bell” Awards. Currently curating a regular concert series at Jazz Lab, she is an influential figure who makes things happen for other musicians. A favourite track of ours is the ever-searching Sleep Cycles (II), from her 2019 record “Transients, Vol. 2”, based on a harmonic progression taken from Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
https://open.spotify.com/track/6wET3FqgS2YfHiF6NbyEoO?si=cf1d9c7816d84b15
Harry Mitchell - In his 20s, pianist Harry Mitchell has already accrued 6 studio albums to his name, with rumours floating around about more on the way. Based in Perth, Harry studied at WAAPA, and is one of the most in demand pianists on the west coast, no doubt due to his musicality and ego-free approach. He was awarded Young Australian Jazz Musician of the Year in 2017, at the Bell Awards, and we can’t wait to hear what Harry does next. Here’s his track Sketches, performed with his trio Helium.
https://harrymitchellpianist.bandcamp.com/track/sketches
Niran Dasika - A versatile and virtuosic trumpet player, Niran Dasika seems to explore every corner of his horn through his composition and improvisation. Based in Melbourne, Niran won the Young Australian Jazz Artist of the year award in 2019, and can now be seen collaborating with many different artists from many styles across Melbourne. One of our favourite projects of his is his collaboration with Japanese pianist Sumire Kuribayashi, which produced this beautiful track, from his 2020 record “Kiri”.
https://open.spotify.com/track/0dSrv0KWURQ9mPFlOvet5k?si=3de758f611e64fbf
“Of course, there are too many amazing musicians to mention, and each artist we’ve discussed has a submerged iceberg of music waiting to be discovered by you, so please; if original music jazz music is what you’re after, look no further than the Australian artists all around you.” - Ken Paolo