The Vampires – Nightjar feat. Chris Abrahams

Event Details
‘Nightjar’ brings a fresh perspective on the music of The Vampires and earns ARIA nomination for best jazz album.

Jeremy Rose – tenor saxophone; Nick Garbett – trumpet; Noel Mason – bass; Alex Masso – drums… and featuring Chris Abrahams – keyboards

The Vampires have gained critical attention worldwide for their distinctive sound yet have a style that is undoubtedly their own.
In October they will play to local audiences, with a concert in the Music Lounge as part of WollCon’s Jazz Series program for 2023.

They’ve garnered praise from Downbeat, “phenomenal”, the Guardian UK, “seductive genre hopping creativity”, and All About Jazz, “gold all over”, and appeared at premier festivals throughout the UK, Europe and their homeland Australia.

The Vampires are the first instrumental act to be short-listed for the Australian Music Prize and is comprised of some of the most in-demand and awarded musicians of their generation.

Their latest release, ‘Nightjar’ is their 7th album. It brings a fresh perspective on their music in a collaboration with pianist and keyboard player Chris Abrahams, and … it has just been nominated for an ARIA award for best Jazz Album 2023.

Chris Abrahams is one third of the legendary improvised minimalism trio, The Necks, and is a great match for the band, bringing an expansive and scintillating approach to their music.

The Vampires

“In a head-bopping nod to the obvious, The Vampires play vamps. Yet, these are no ordinary vamps. Written and improvised melodies are beautiful and flawless, and the harmonies between the three voices (woodwinds, brass, bass) ring with pitch-perfect sonority. There is a sublime pacing to each of the tunes here, with strategic shifts in texture, tonality, tonality, rhythm or intensity twisting the narrative of each hypnotic groove into an ever-unfolding and irresistible arc.” 
– Gary Fukushima, DOWNBEAT

“Original, melodically minimal compositions with hidden details scattered in every corner you look—covering nearly every topographic musical element and framed in a cohesive whole.” 
– Friedrich Kunzman, All About Jazz

CONCERT DETAILS:
8pm October 20th
Location: The Music Lounge, Town Hall, Wollongong
Tickets Prices: $20 / $30 / $35

Another WollCon Jazz Series event.

Anne has been a member of the Wollcon Board since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from UNSW. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She has taught family law and other subjects at Wollongong University.

For a number of years she has been a subscriber to the Australian Chamber Orchestra which regularly performs in Wollongong . She has been passionate about music and in particular music education to children and adults.

Jake has worked in the disability sector for 24 years- 17 of these with Interchange and 7 years as their CEO. Jake is passionate about inclusion and equality for both people with disability and their carers.

He holds an MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, as well as completing Diploma’s in Case Management, Community Services Coordination and the AICD Company Directors Course.

Jake is also a committee member on the International Short Breaks Association Board and has been a Director on the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Board since 2022.

Wayne is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as being a qualified company secretary and accountant with over 35 years experience in banking and finance. He performed for nine of those years as Chief Executive of IMB Ltd, and the preceding seven years as Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, also with IMB. Wayne’s primary expertise is in the areas of governance, management, accounting, risk management and banking and finance. He has spent his whole life living in the Illawarra and is passionate about ensuring the Illawarra can provide the best possible opportunities and lifestyle for its residents. In 2024 Wayne was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community.

Dr Terumi Narushima is a senior lecturer and Music Discipline Leader at the University of Wollongong. She is a composer, performer and sound designer specialising in microtonal tuning systems. Her works include Tritriadic Chimes, a sound installation for LA MicroFest, Hidden Sidetracks, a composition for custom-made instruments premiered by Ensemble Offspring at Sydney Opera House, and a project to build microtonal flutes using 3D printing. She has worked on theatre collaborations which have been presented nationally and internationally, including Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens, Lost in Shanghai, and The Story of Chi. She performs with microtonal ensemble Clocks and Clouds, and her book Microtonality and the Tuning Systems of Erv Wilson is published by Routledge.

Nicky is the CEO of Community Industry Group. She has degrees in Dementia Care, Community & Environment and Marketing, and a Grad Dip in Project Management. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of UOW. In addition to Chairing the WollCon Board, she is Deputy Chair of the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven Board and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a large not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people.

Her corporate governance and strategy experience extends through a 20+ year career on boards in the corporate, government and NFP sectors.