Mercury Prize winning Liam Shortall is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer and performer, professionally known as corto.alto. Mr. Shortall recently blessed Sydney with his first-ever Australian tour and what a treat it was.

The energy at the show was palpable. The composer’s music is an eclectic blend of soul, funk, electronica and hip-hop, all filtered through a jazz lens. Driving bass, lush horns and atmospheric notes made for a captivating musical smorgasbord. Oxford Art Factory, a Sydney venue that encourages audiences to fully engage with live music, proved the perfect setting. The audience was on their feet cheering, dancing and celebrating the joy of musicians vibing and doing what they do best, playing their instruments. Seeing corto.alto live not only further solidified his mark on the jazz world, it also ushered in a new audience ready to embrace the next generation of jazz fusion. Truly an honor to witness.

His new singles “April” and “Pinch” (his collaboration with St. Barbe) are out now.

Speaking of the next generation, Sydney’s improvisational jazz act Manfredo Lament opened the night with an enthusiastic set, cementing their place as one of the acts currently spearheading the city’s local jazz scene. According to Sydney Music, “Manfredo Lament is the fully improvised music group led by Kurt Lam on synth and keys, and Gabriel Haslam on drums. Each show Kurt and Gabe are joined by a new lineup of musicians, often who have never played together.” When most people hear the words “improvise” and “music” together, they may not know what to expect—but with this band, it truly felt like they had been playing together since birth.

They performed a lush half-hour set and by the end it was clear that they are not only a force to be reckoned with, but also just how good they are as musicians. In fact, when corto.alto took the stage, the first thing he said was that Manfredo Lament will surpass him in the next five years. It was a wonderful acknowledgement of their talent and a beautiful show of encouragement from a fellow musician.

Manfredo Lament’s live show was also jaw-dropping fun: Phenomenal players with joyous, infectious energy and certainly, “ones to watch.” You can find them on Instagram, YouTube or wherever you stream music.

While I’m here, I always like to mention what it’s like to engage with staff at live events. People pay hard-earned dollars to enjoy live entertainment and Oxford Art Factory did not disappoint. The staff were lovely: From the front door to the bar to merch—friendly, welcoming and equally excited about music. An incredible show, all around.

Support culture, support local music, and support the people who make it all happen!