Sarah McKenzie

Japan Jazz Nights will bring four contemporary Japanese jazz acts to Australia in October 2026, with performances scheduled across seven cities as Australia and Japan mark 50 years since their Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

Blue Note Records has paid tribute to Cassandra Wilson, describing her as one of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz following her death in Mississippi at the age of 70.

Marcus Miller remembers recording with Frank Sinatra for L.A. Is My Lady and the old-school discipline of a session where the singer could deliver a finished performance in just two takes.

Melbourne instrumental quartet Surprise Chef will release their fifth studio album, Frogs In A Pond, through Concord Jazz on October 23, with the funk-driven Leg Day providing the first preview.

Melbourne International Jazz Festival will bring more than 550 artists from 18 countries to the city from 16 to 25 October, with 150-plus events across 30 venues.

Paul Stanhope, Alex Turley, Mindy Meng Wang, Monica Lim, Nat Bartsch and Liza Lim AM were among the major recipients as Australia's art music community gathered in Melbourne for the 2026 Art Music Awards.

Five-time Grammy Award winner Marcus Miller will return to Australia in April 2027 for five headline performances across Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.