The Ellington Jazz Club tunes up for 17th birthday celebrations
At a recent gig, Nick Garbett of jazz visionaries The Vampires described the Ellington as the best jazz club in Australia. It would be too provincial for a West Australian to make this claim but heartening to hear it from a seasoned international artist.
The Ellington turns seventeen today, March 5. To make the most of this milestone, Perth’s premiere jazz club has booked three days of upbeat music. From Friday, March 6, to Sunday, March 8, the Club will be pumping. It’s going to be a wild ride.
On opening in 2009, the Ellington quickly became the heart of the Perth jazz scene, the natural home for the many outstanding artists who live and work here. Since then other prominent venues have come online, with more set to join in the next year or so thanks to the ECU’s new complex in Yagan Square. But while enhancing the scene, none of these venues have taken the Ellington’s mantle. As Program Director Simone Craddock says, “The Club is thriving. Every weekend the houses are full, and events such as the Perth International Women’s Jazz Festival—run out of the Ello—have really taken off.”
It seems fitting then that the Club should have such a solid program lined up for its birthday weekend.
Friday night is given over to two big bands.
The evening show is the Midnight Rollers, a horn-heavy eleven-piece ensemble built upon the formidable rhythm section of Pete Jeavons (bass), Mike Pigneguy (drums) and Tom Salleo (keys). The Midnight Rollers specialise in jazzing up rock and pop classics. Through jamming and their unique arrangements, the songs mature into something else.
The Friday late show is an Ellington-idiosyncratic collective of present and former staff. Trading front-of-house, bar and waiting duties for their first passion, this octet will smash through a selection of pop hits—Michael Jackson, The Bee Gees, Rihanna, Prince. Last year’s inaugural staff show was a sell-out. This one is gearing up to be the same.
The Saturday matinee sees jazz chanteuse Catherine Summers and her quintet pay tribute to the famously shy first lady of soul, Ella Fitzgerald. The show covers the span of Fitzgerald’s career, including classic Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington numbers. Spirited, stylish, deeply musical and always informative, Summers knows her music from every angle. All About Ella will be a warm and uplifting afternoon celebrating the life and work of one of the key figures in the history of jazz.
Saturday evening shifts into cabaret mode with the Perth Cabaret Collective, a nine-piece band backing a run of guest vocalists. Through sultry torch songs and big-band showstoppers, this collective of local luminaries will serve up some magic.
Afro-Cuban salsa, urban Latin grooves and tropipop make for a Saturday late show of rhythm and soul. Dipping south of the border, Los Del Tumbao, another powerful nonet, showcase the rich musical heritage of Latin America.
In a happy calendar coincidence, Sunday is International Women’s Day. To commemorate, the day’s two shows are given over completely to women artists.
The sold-out official Ellington birthday party late afternoon features a formidable quartet of Ellington divas: Ali Bodycoat, Libby Hammer, Jessie Gordon and Simone Craddock. Backed by a trio of Perth’s finest female players—Hanna Kim (grand), Lucy Browning (double bass) and Holly Norman (drums)—expect rich harmonies, risqué anecdotes and lots of laughter.
When jazz meets Funky Town, the dance floor reigns. Echo of Aphrodite will bring the anniversary celebrations to a close. This octet of newly graduated Academy musicians grooves on rhythm, horns, and funk. Their Sunday night show pays homage to the artists who have inspired them: Chaka Khan, Candy Dulfer, Christina Aguilera, Raye and Olivia Dean.
With all this energy you’ll need a week to recover. But then, the pace at the Ellington rarely eases, and the program looking forward is again very full.
One of Simone Craddock’s initial aims when she became Program Director was to lift the Ellington’s international profile. In working the West End and London jazz scene, she acquired an impressive address book. In the first year of her tenure, she contacted many of these international artists to make them aware of the scene here and encourage them to tour. It is a sign of her success that she now receives more international calls than she makes.
Not content with this alone, Craddock has also forged stronger connections with jazz clubs and festivals around the country—her most recent collaboration is with the fledgeling Adelaide Jazz Festival. Her aim is to ensure that the Ellington is a key part of the Australian jazz network and to bring more touring artists to Perth.
But then there is counterpoint—Craddock is determined that raising the Club’s international profile does not come at the expense of the local scene. She is forever inspired by the scene here and the number of great acts that are constantly emerging and wants the Ellington to remain the venue of choice for this vibrant community. The plethora of local acts and prominent players performing this anniversary weekend is testament to her commitment.
Tickets for the Ellington Anniversary weekend are available from ellingtonjazz.com.au For those interested in learning more about how the Ellington came to be and some of its more memorable nights, see this X-Press article commemorating the Club’s 2024 anniversary.
IAN LILBURNE