Jazz Ramble
Australian jazz, and other ramblings
About Jazz Ramble
Jazz Ramble is a community-driven blog covering Australian jazz news, gig listings, and education resources. With a focus on the Melbourne and Victoria scene, the site brings together gig guides, club directories, festival coverage, and workshop information for jazz enthusiasts and musicians alike.
From the Melbourne International Jazz Festival to local club nights in Geelong, Ballarat, and beyond, Jazz Ramble has been a home for Australian jazz conversation — featuring contributions from across the jazz community.
Read MoreArticles
| Title | Date | Excerpt |
|---|---|---|
| The forgotten legacy of jazz violinist Harry Smith in Sydney | Harry Smith was once a familiar name in Sydney’s early jazz scene. The violinist played on the Original Jazz Band’s landmark 1922 Columbia Graphophone session… | |
| Swingtime Down Under and the Sound of 1964 | Swingtime Down Under arrived in 1964 as a compact record of Sydney’s traditional jazz scene. The group led by banjoist Bob Young brought together banjo,… | |
| The role of the Jazz Action Society in supporting young musicians | Since its establishment in 1957, the Jazz Action Society has helped young Australian jazz musicians find opportunities to learn, perform and build careers. Its… | |
| Tom Baker (1935–2024): A Life In Australian Jazz | Tom Baker, the saxophonist and bandleader who helped give Australian jazz its durable big-band voice, has died aged 89. Across a long career, he became closely… | |
| Australian jazz musicians and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics | The contribution of Australian jazz musicians to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics was real, but rarely fitted official medal tables. There was no jazz competition.… | |
| The Night Louis Prima and Keely Smith Performed at the Chevron Hotel | A surviving 1957 recording captures Louis Prima and Keely Smith during their engagement at San Francisco’s Chevron Hotel, before their celebrated run at the… | |
| A guide to Brisbane’s best traditional jazz clubs | Brisbane’s traditional jazz scene is intimate rather than huge, and that is part of its appeal. The best rooms sit in West End, South Bank and Fortitude… | |
| Melbourne Ragtime Society serves up a polished new album | The new album from the Melbourne Ragtime Society makes a persuasive case for collective musicianship. Rather than building the record around one famous voice,… | |
| Art Patchett and the Jazz Life He Left in Goulburn | Some of Australian jazz history is best understood from the road. A player leaves Sydney’s late-night jazz rooms, drives inland to Goulburn and begins counting… | |
| Why the Adelaide Jazz Festival of 1973 still matters today | More than half a century after the Adelaide Jazz Festival of 1973, its legacy remains audible in Australian jazz. The festival brought musicians, audiences and… |
Victorian Jazz Clubs
A directory of jazz clubs across Victoria
Jazz Albury Wodonga
156 Lawrence Street, Wodonga VIC 3690
Musical Director: Graeme Cook — 0438 623 462
Venue: The Jazz Basement, Shop 5, 48–52 Lincoln Causeway, Wodonga. Music from 8pm. Bar open 7.30pm. $20, Concession $15.
Ballarat Jazz Club
President & Bookings: Mollie — contact via the club.
Echuca-Moama Jazz Club
Contact: Harry Daniels — harrydaniels@jazzramble.com
Geelong Jazz Club
Contact: Sandy Leaman
Venue: Vines Road Community Centre, 41 Vines Road, Hamlyn Heights.
Phillip Island Jazz Club
Home of the Phillip Island Jazz Festival.
Get In Touch
We'd love to hear from the Australian jazz community.