Tortoni is the artistic director of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, responsible for securing the more-than-300 musicians that’ll descend upon Melbourne for the 11 day event this June. With more than 67 international guests, hailing from such varied locations as the US, Norway, India and Cameroon, plus exclusive collaborations with the likes of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, this year’s program is one of the strongest in the festival’s history.
“Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock are absolute pioneers,” says Tortoni, when asked about his personal programming coups. “They’re absolute jazz royalty, so obviously we’re excited about having them in the program.”
The legendary duo will open the festival on Thursday May 28, with a second show on Tuesday June 2. Unsurprisingly, both concerts have already sold out. A couple of other program highlights are American drummer Eric Harland, described by Tortoni as “probably my favourite drummer in the world,” and a duo performance from Italian pianist Stefano Bollani and Brazilian bandolim player Hamilton de Holanda. “I saw them on stage, and an hour just disappeared,” Tortoni says. “I was just mesmerised by them. If there’s one concert that I would recommend people go to, it’s that one.”
In terms of local talent, Tortoni points to the Allan Browne Quintet, Andrea Keller Quartet, James Muller Trio and The Harry James Angus Band. He’s also particularly proud of getting the MSO involved. “I’ve been trying to collaborate with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for over a decade,” he says. “It’s a very difficult thing to do, because they plan two years out.” Over back-to-back nights at Hamer Hall this weekend, the MSO will accompany American vocalist Kurt Elling, a partnership that Tortoni calls “a synergistic meeting of two incredible musical worlds.”
Jazz buffs will also be attracted to the Explorations in Jazz series, which comprises acts intent on pushing the boundaries of the genre. “The Bad Plus from the US is an incredible trio,” says Tortoni. “They often take pop tunes and twist them and bend them and do interesting things with them.”
Another Explorations in Jazz standout is the collaboration between Monash Art Ensemble and the Young Wagilak Group from Arnhem Land. Titled Nyilipidgi, the festival’s official program says the collaboration will blend “the musical heritage of Australia’s first people with contemporary composition and improvisation,” and shine a light on “the reconciliatory power of music.”
Clearly, Melbourne International Jazz Festival isn’t just for dyed-in-the-wool jazz purists. “Jazz is a very broad term, and can include so many different styles, from the avant-garde to the highly accessible,” says Tortoni. “Over the past few years, I’ve been targeting the festival to embrace those broad boundaries. Of course we have some hardcore avant-garde performances, but we’ve also got things like the Cat Empire, which appeals to a much different crowd. So if you go through the program, I think just about anyone could find something they’d like. Jazz is a great genre to be involved with, and I think the more people who are exposed to it, the better.”
Ultimately, Tortoni intends for the festival to be embraced with an open mind. “I just encourage everybody to go out and explore and try something different,” he says, “even if you don’t know exactly what it’s going to be. They might find they’re pleasantly surprised by what they come across. Everything that we’ve programmed we think is more than worthy, so it’s worth taking a chance.”
BY TOM CLIFT
