Foundry616, headed by Peter Rechniewski, a veteran in the music scene, is proud to announce that this September they celebrate 10 years of offering the best entertainment in contemporary jazz and jazz orientated music. For a whole decade the lads and lasses here have featured the “cream of Australian jazz as well as special international guests from all over the world”.

‘How can I join the Foundry team and celebrate this Tin anniversary’, I hear you ask. Below is a summarising synopsis of each great act, followed by my short take on each. Read on and see what takes your fancy…

5^th September – Continuing their popular bi-monthly residency at Foundry616, The Baker Boys are a “cooler-than-average” collective of Sydney’s finest musicians, coming together for a light-hearted night of fun, & well-known music that is FREE for all! ~ An evening of free entertainment? What more is to be desired?

7^th September – Shooting to fame at the age of 19 with a viral audition video that now has over 50 million views on YouTube, Karise Eden has arguably one of Australia’s most distinctive voices, with two ARIA Awards, gold and platinum records, and multiple Top 5 positions in the ARIA and AIR charts. ~ Being likened to Adele, Karise Eden has to be my top pick for a cracking evenings entertainment.

8^th September – Back by popular demand! Fringe World Music & Musicals Award Winner, Jazz-Blues-Soul artist Claire Fahie is exploring The Very Best of Soul: Aretha, Nina, Etta, and more with arrangements of songs you know and love. ~  A great eclectic mix is surely to tick your boxes, no matter the criteria.

9^th September – To celebrate renowned alto icon Bernie McGann’s monumental contribution to jazz music in Australia, drummer Andrew Dickeson, part of the Bernie McGann Quartet for the best part of a decade, has organised an “Alto Summit” featuring three of the leading young alto saxophonists on the scene. Michael Griffin is the veteran of the trio, a semi-finalist in the 2016 Thelonious Monk competition Griffin’s technical mastery of his instrument moulded an early integration of his influences and a rapid consolidation of his bebop-based style. ~ Destined to be a heart warming tribute to McGann, this performance should bring a tear to your eye.

12^th September – The Sarah Vandenberg Quartet features the wonderful Thomas Odell on Piano, the skillful James Burgess on Double Bass, and the amazing Matt Simmonds on Drums. She is excited to bring forth her own original music as well as arrangements of her favourite jazz pieces. ~ For less than the price of a schooner an evening’s entertainment brought to you by the University of Sydney is destined to impress.

13^th September – The greasy chicken orchestra composed of 8 wonderfully talented musicians pledge to celebrate “I cake-walked with a zombie!”. ~ The name of this group is enough of a reason to attend, imagine saying to your mate in the pub “I watched the greasy chickens” last night!

14^th September – Charles Mingus brought fire and energy to the jazz world that had never been seen before! Sydney baritone saxophonist Steve Fitzmaurice has brought these compositions to life again with his arrangements of the Mingus repertoire for the 9-piece powerhouse ensemble ‘Mingus Amongst Us’. ~ Fire and energy? You bet that reputation will be preserved by Fitzmaurice.

15^th September – Not much has been told about the performance by the Steve Sedergreen Quartet with Lionel Cole, but it has been promised to be the best of what jazz can offer…a little bit of old school, a little bit of contemporary. ~ Friday? With this performance it is more likely to be FriYAY!

16^th September – Join some of Sydney’s finest jazz artists for JazzSession, playing some of their favourite jazz tracks. The session will include bangers such as Wayne Shorter’s Adam’s Apple, Stablemates, and Miles Davis’ All Blues. ~ Surely the Rolls Royce, A5 wagyu steak or Veuve Clicquot of this amazing lineup.

17^th September – The Dave Panichi Big Band returns to Foundry 616 to present another power-packed performance of Dave’s most popular original compositions combined with some new masterpieces. Dave Panichi’s music has been played and recorded internationally by leading artists and in some of the world’s greatest concert halls. This is a chance to hear contemporary big band music up close and personal, directed by the composer himself, and performed with passion, groove, soul, and grit! ~ With that quartet of powerful adjectives at the end, this performance has a lot to live up to. Will they? Of course, they will!

19^th September – Continuing their popular bi-monthly residency at Foundry616, The Baker Boys are a “cooler-than-average” collective of Sydney’s finest musicians, coming together for a light-hearted night of fun, & well-known music that is FREE for all! ~ An evening of free entertainment? What more is to be desired? (Again.)

20^th September – Harmonica player Max De Aloe and pianist Mike Del Ferro, who collaborated with Toots for almost a decade, pay tribute to the great Belgian musician Toots Thielemans. The duo presents some of the most significant pieces of Toots’ favourite repertoire, original compositions, and arrangements from the Italian Belcanto tradition. ~ Usually Wednesday is hump day, attend this performance and transform hump day into groove day!

22^nd September – Chasing the Moon combines the exuberant and romantic sounds of European and Latin Jazz with their own distinctive style, including a number of original compositions. Led by Kathy Bluff on violin and vocals and Paul Burjan on saxophone and flute, the band explores a rich, orchestral palette, combining soulful vocals with swinging violin and sax. ~ It sounds as if Chasing the Moon are chasing the deeper impacts that Latin Jazz can offer.

23^rd September – Experience the enchanting world of soulful jazz where the stage becomes a canvas for talent, weaving smooth melodies and soothing sounds that harmonize with your soul. Brought to you by “Melodies in Gentle Motion” Julia Shved (Ukraine) + Rodric White quartet. ~ I hope the audience will also be swaying ‘in gentle motion’ during this performance.

27^th September – Lee Jones is a British jazz guitarist and composer, combining influences from modern jazz, fusion, blues, avant-garde, and rock styles. Lee has regularly performed throughout the UK scene and recorded/performed/studied alongside Larry Coryell, Martin Taylor, and Mike Stern. Since graduating from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Course in 2007, he has released seven solo albums with former WEA producer Simon Tittley. ~ As a fellow Brit I may be slightly biased in this… but… WHOO GO LEE!!

28^th September – A night celebrating Jimi’s career for serious fans with his timeless music performed live. From the early Jimi Hendrix Experience days with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell all the way to Band of Gypsys with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. Iconic songs such as Voodoo Chile, Machine Gun, Red House, Purple Haze, Little Wing, Hear My Train Coming, Who Knows, Foxy Lady, Mannish Boy, etc… Also, the music of his heroes that he had covered and other blues classics. ~ A lot is on offer here; it would be a great shame to miss any of it!

29^th September – Liam Burrows is one of Australia’s premier jazz crooners, his music has taken him all over the world including Montreux Jazz Festival and was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition 2015. By Popular demand, Liam brings together Sydney’s finest players. ~ The penultimate performance of this month-long celebration, but where will it rank in your reviews? Find out soon.

30^th September – Cole Porter is recognized as one of America’s foremost songwriters and is synonymous with The Great American Songbook. He broke through in 1919 with the Broadway revue “Hitchy-Koo” and throughout his life he authored such classics as “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” “Let’s Do It,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Love for Sale,” “Night and Day,” and dozens of other popular tunes. ~ Is this a case of saving the best till last?

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All of the above and more can be found in greater detail on the Home – Foundry 616 website. Times, opening times, food services and longer synopses of each performance are listed here.

Who: MANY individuals, groups and bands

Where: Foundry 616, 616 Harris St, Sydney New South Wales 2007

When: All September long!