South-East Melbourne's newest live music venue The Count's has officially opened at Monash University's Clayton campus.
A velvet-curtained lined club staging jazz and contemporary programming, The Count’s is curated by Melbourne maestro Chelsea Wilson. After a lengthy COVID baptism, is finally open and ready to ignite the south-eastern suburbs.
It will host music every Wednesday night with special Saturday night events, it’ll have an impressive bar and snack range, there’ll be a focus on world-class musicians playing new work and classic restrospectives, and the vibe will be stylish and elegant, much like the performers themselves.
The Count’s schedule from March to May
- March 30 – Adam Rudegeair: The Bowie Project
- April 6 – Djoliba Rattler
- April 13 – Solomon Sisay
- April 20 – Gospel Sundays
- April 27 – Angela Davis Trio
- April 30 – Jazz Party
- May 4 – Ultrafox with Julie O Hara
- May 11 – Rita Satch
- 18 May – Sugarfoot Ramblers
- 25 May – STOCK
- 28 May – Sophie Koh and the Shanghai Mimi Band
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
They’ll be opening proceedings with a show that’s sure to delight just about everyone on March 30: The Bowie Project. It will be led by pianist Adam Rudegeair, who you may know from beloved Melbourne group Lake Minnetonka and his work on PBS’ Black Wax.
The Bowie Project will bring an electrifying take on classics and obscurities from The Duke’s sprawling back catalogue. It will be a highly tasteful introduction to the combination of popular and artistic performances that The Count’s will likely soon be renowned for.
Next up, the music of Mali meets the sounds of Melbourne with Djoliba Rattler on April 6 and world-class Ethio-jazz sax guru Solomon Sisay will make his debut performance at The Count’s with a six piece ensemble on April 13.
Then, in what’s set to be a totally unabashed praise party, Gospel Sundays will grace The Count’s stage on April 20, taking listeners through a range of gospel and R’n’B hits that will leave you feeling refreshed, cultured and truly lucky. This should pack a serious party vibe, for fans of a bit of Sunday Service, and should be a fairly unique experience on the Melbourne music calendar.
Then on April 27, ARIA nominated, internationally renowned saxophonist Angela Davis presents her original jazz. Three days later, well-dressed jazz punks with a passion for classic and neo soul, Jazz Party will kick things up a gear. They are a lot of fun, very talented and naturally engaging, and you can check out one of their best tracks ‘Higher With My Love’ here.
As we swing into May, Ultrafox will bring their exuberant dance-tempo jazz to The Count’s for a special performance with vocalist Julie O’Hara on May 4, and soul songstress Rita Satch will wow audiences with her powerful voice that truly transcends time on May 11.
Sugarfoot Ramblers will deliver an evening of traditional jazz on May 18, while electrifying quartet STOCK will dispel any pre-conceptions of what a traditional jazz quartet can sound like with a joyful, freedom embracing, open-hearted exploration of sonic possibilities on May 25.
Finally, Melbourne Jazz meets Shanghai pizazz with an evening of musical fireworks inspired by the magic of 1930s Shanghai. Sophie Koh and the Shanghai Mimi Band top off the incredible Autumn program on May 28. Check out their amazing performance at Sydney Festival 2019 below.
Using jazz as a springboard into a world of joyous creative smorgasbord of entertainment, The Count’s is definitely a must-see venue over the next couple of months. For tickets and info head here.
