Melbourne International Jazz Festival unveils another six must-see shows in 2025 program

Ahead of its full program launch this August, Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) has revealed another early glimpse of its 2025 lineup – unveiling six more headline shows featuring world-class artists at venues across the city.

The second announcement includes multi-GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist, Samara Joy (USA) in her Australian debut; one of contemporary jazz’s most influential pianists Danilo Pérez (Panama); legendary saxophonist and titan of modern music Gary Bartz (USA); a bold new commission from powerhouse bassist-composer Linda May Han Oh (AUS/USA); an epic club night with underground jazz, soul, and hip-hop pioneers Melanie Charles (USA) and WhoAllGonBeThere (USA); and a six-show club residency from masterful jazz guitarist Bill Frisell (USA). This big MIJF announcement offers an exciting taste of what’s in store when the festival returns to Melbourne from 17–26 October.

THE ARTISTS

As part of her first-ever Australian tour and on the final day of the festival, jazz music’s most celebrated new voice Samara Joy, will take the stage at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall. At 25 years of age, Joy has already won five GRAMMYs, including Best New Artist in 2023 and Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2025, and has drawn comparisons to jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Praised by NPR as “a classic jazz singer from a new generation,” Joy’s lush, timeless voice and magnetic stage presence have cemented her as a standout talent in contemporary music. Joy has headlined major festivals, sold out iconic venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Apollo Theater, and appeared on television programs including The Tonight Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

On the opening weekend of the festival, one of the most influential pianists on the planet, Danilo Pérez, brings a rare and captivating solo performance to Melbourne Recital Centre. Over the years, the GRAMMY-winning maestro and UNESCO Artist for Peace has collaborated with some of the most revered figures in jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter and Wynton Marsalis, as well as receiving high praise from the legendary Herbie Hancock. In 2000, Pérez joined the Wayne Shorter Quartet alongside John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Pérez’s Panamanian roots, combined with African and European influences, form the basis of his deeply expressive improvisation and virtuosic technique, revealing a master at the peak of his creative powers.

Across his six-decade career, revolutionary saxophonist Gary Bartz has reshaped the language of jazz improvisation. In this must-see performance at 170 Russell, the 84-year-old will be joined by Melbourne’s own Barney McAll for a late-night show of transportive spiritual jazz and boundless experimentation. Known for his groundbreaking work with icons Miles Davis, Art Blakey and Charles Mingus, and collaborations with Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and producer Adrian Younge, Bartz has played a vital and enduring role in jazz innovation and honouring and expanding the legacy of Black American music. In this show, audiences can expect daring reinterpretations of his iconic NTU Troop and solo work, alongside material from his recent collaboration with McAll and members of beloved homegrown collective, Hiatus Kaiyote.

Invisible Threads is a bold new audio-visual work by GRAMMY–winning bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh, commissioned by the MIJF and set to premiere at Melbourne Recital Centre on the final weekend of the festival. Fusing music, visuals and storytelling, the piece explores the unseen forces that bind us in a powerful collaboration with a visionary creative team.
One of the most in-demand artists in New York’s thriving jazz scene, Oh has worked with jazz greats like Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron and Vijay Iyer, and was featured on bass for Pixar’s 2020 film Soul alongside Jon Batiste and drummer Roy Haynes. For Invisible Threads, she joins forces with award-winning vocalist and media artist Pamela Z, illustrator Keith Henry Brown and top Australian jazz talents to deliver an exciting multi-disciplinary performance.

GRAMMY-winning guitarist and composer Bill Frisell will return to the MIJF stage with an intimate six-show residency at The JazzLab. Frisell is a towering figure in contemporary music, with a four-decade career spanning over 250 recordings and collaborations with icons across genres – from projects with fellow jazz luminaries John Scofield, Chick Corea, Ron Carter to work with popular artists Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt and many more. Known for his adventurous spirit, Frisell seamlessly blends jazz with folk, rock, country, classical and avant-garde. He returns to the stage with longtime collaborators Thomas Morgan (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums), performing music from their critically acclaimed Blue Note album Valentine.

And rounding out the early announcement, two boundary-pushing forces from New York’s underground scene, Melanie Charles feat. IGNABU & Paul Wilson Bae, and WhoAllGonBeThere, bring an unmissable double bill to Max Watts, fusing jazz, soul and hip hop, driven by deep grooves, fearless experimentation, raw energy and resistance. Lauded by The New York Times and NPR, and widely respected by her peers – Brooklyn-born vocalist, flautist, composer and activist, Melanie Charles, brings her singular style of jazz, soul, experimental and hip hop, alongside instrumental powerhouses IGNABU and Paul Wilson Bae. Charles’ electrifying sound powered by her Haitian roots and fierce commitment to social justice has drawn her collaborations with prolific artists Gorillaz, The Roots, Wynton Marsalis, and more. Closing out the night is WhoAllGonBeThere, a collective featuring some of the most innovative minds in jazz, hip hop and R&B, led by Blue Note saxophonist-producer Marcus Strickland and featuring GRAMMY-winning bassist-vocalist Ben Williams. Together, they deliver freestyle fire and thunderous beats, unleashing the raw, soulful spirit of hip hop and jazz with nothing held back.

SHOW DETAILS:

SAMARA JOY: Sunday 26 October
(Matinee), Hamer Hall

DANILO PÉREZ: Saturday 18 October,
(Matinee), Melbourne Recital Centre

GARY BARTZ: Wednesday 22 October, 170 Russell

LINDA MAY HAN OH: Saturday 25 October, Melbourne Recital Centre

BILL FRISELL: Friday 24th to Sunday 26th October, The JazzLab (6-show residency)

MELANIE CHARLES + WhoAllGonBeThere: Saturday 25 October, Max Watts

Pre-sale: Wednesday 2 July, 10am
General on-sale: Thursday 3 July, 10am