City gets jazzed up for Perth International Jazz Festival 2023

Perth International Jazz Festival (PIJF) returns this year, bringing together international superstars, local legends, returned ex-pats and under-the-radar ‘artists-to-watch’ for a month-long celebration of creativity and musical soul.

The festival runs from Saturday, October 7 until Sunday, November 5 in Perth, and from Friday, November 10 until Sunday, November 12 in the South West.

“Thanks to WAAPA, WAYJO, and a healthy club scene, jazz is in very good shape here,” said Festival General Manager Richard Evans. “It’s very healthy and has been for a long time. We have so many musicians and one of the things we’re trying to do with the Festival is give them lots of work.”

“Our dual purposes, if you like, are to expose more West Australians to great local musicians but at the same time bring out some of the world’s best… to inspire the next generation of WA jazz musicians. It’s always been my philosophy that people need to be exposed to the world’s best, especially in such an isolated city.”

Lisa Simone, daughter of the late, great Nina Simone, will headline the festival with a show in honour of her mother’s legacy. Lisa Simone has released five albums, produced the award-winning documentary What Happened Miss Simone? about her mother, and been nominated for a Grammy Award as a member of the acid jazz group Liquid Soul. Lisa Simone’s performance, Keeper of the Flame, will be held at Subiaco’s Regal Theatre on Tuesday, October 31.

French-Haitian singer-composer Cécile McLorin Salvant is another big name on this year’s program, with a performance lined up at Octagon Theatre on Thursday, November 2.

Other highlights of PIJF 2023 include an Opening Night Party at QV1 with Hot 8 Brass Band on Friday, October 27. The New Orleans-based group draws on the traditional jazz heritage of its hometown, alongside more modern styles like funk, hip hop, rap, and its local variation, ‘bounce.’

They are joined by hundreds of musicians on the line-up, including fOUR, a solo show by US multi-instrumentalist Nate Woods; The Josh Meader Trio, an instrumental cross-genre powerhouse from Sydney; and MaxMantis, an experimental trio from Switzerland.

Lotterywest and Healthway CEO Ralph Addis said PIJF is instrumental in connecting the people of WA through arts and culture. “We are pleased to provide a $95,000 grant to support free community concerts at Hyde Park, Perth Cultural Centre, and Busselton Foreshore, making jazz accessible to new audiences.”

Perth International Jazz Festival runs from Saturday, October 7 until Sunday, November 5 in Perth, and from Friday, November 10 until Sunday, November 12 in the South West. For more information and to buy tickets head to perthjazzfest.com