Melbourne International Jazz Festival starts this week

MELBOURNE, Australia (Mijf.org Website) - The 2003 Melbourne International Jazz Festival will kick off next week with ten days and nights of fantastic jazz in venues around the CBD and Stonnington from Friday, January 17 until Sunday, January 26.

The Festival will begin on a high note with three concerts at the Malvern Town Hall: stellar musicians Graeme Lyall, Alan Lee, Tony Gould and Len Barnard will perform Australian composer John Sangster's landmark interpretation of Lord of the Rings on Friday 17th at 8pm; Jazz Divas Michelle Nicolle and Nichaud Fitzgibbon on Saturday 18th at 8pm; the ever-popular Classic Jazz Party on Sunday 19th as well as Great Guitars featuring James Sherlock, Guy Strazzullo and Slava Grigoryan.

Bennetts Lane will also swing into action with Ruby Carter's 'McJazz' and trumpeters Scott Tinkler and Paul Williamson on Friday 17th; Alison Wedding Quartet and the Christophe Genoux Quartet on Saturday 18th; and then Peter Knight's Brass Ensemble and Scott Tinkler's 'Drub' on Sunday 19th.

Other opening concerts will include Bywater, Hustas, Schulz and Ferella at La Mama; Blow at the Courthouse Theatre; Vince Jones at The Athenaeum Theatre; Michelle Nicolle Duo at Borders and Villa & Hut; Cookin' on 3 Burners at Federation Square; and much much more.

Later in the week, the Jazz Festival's "international" element will join in, with performances by Andy Bey (New York), Ortiz Funeral Directors (New Zealand), Katrine Madsen (Denmark), Roger Manins (New Zealand), Raw Materials (New York), Virginia Mayhew (New York), Nueva (Israel), and Jon Weber (Chicago). There will also be a host of interstate visitors, including Don Burrows, Mark Isaacs, James Morrison, Alan Lee and more.

The extensive Melbourne contingent who will also add heat to summer jazz include Paul Grabowsky, Allan Browne, Joe Chindamo, Andrea Keller, Jamie Oehlers, Bob Sedergreen, Bob Barnard, Bucketrider, Fiona Burnett, Monique di Mattina, Slava Grigoryan and Yvette Johannson and many many more.

Tickets for all performances are on sale now. For full details of the 2003 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, visit www.mijf.org