Looking for Jazz? Briana Cowlishaw gives you Jazz Fever

 At just 22 years of age, Briana Cowlishaw recently travelled from Sydney to New York to record her debut album with world class New York musicians, launched the album to a sell out crowd at Sydney’s Venue 505, and is now hopping off around Australia kicking off her first tour tonight in Melbourne.

 At just 22 years of age, Briana Cowlishaw has travelled from Sydney to New York to record her debut album with world class New York musicians, launched the album to a sell out crowd at Sydney’s Venue 505, and is now hopping off around Australia kicking off her first tour tonight in Melbourne. And this is just the beginning for the young Sydney based vocalist and composer, with a lot more exciting things on the cards for 2011. 
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Music from the Australian Institute of Music (2008), Briana has been exploring her love for composition and performing around town with some of Sydney’s finest jazz musicians such as Matt McMahon, James Muller, Jonathan Zwartz, Nic Cecire and Brendan Clarke. Briana set off to New York in October 2010 to record her debut album, collaborating with some of that cities most renowned players: Aaron Goldberg (piano), Reuben Rogers (bass), Gregory Hutchinson (drums), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet) and Mike Moreno (guitar).  The album showcases Briana’s mesmerizing voice, incessant creativity and remarkable flair for composition, and includes eleven original tunes and two jazz standards. The album was released in June 2010 through The Planet Company (MGM), and has had excellent airplay across the ABC and community radio, similarly receiving rave reviews from a number of Australian journalists.
John McBeath, front the Australian has said: “Her originals are advanced in structure and harmonic content but Cowlishaw’s potent expression gives the songs an accessibility, partly because they recount experiences of everyday life and partly because of her clarity, pitch and phrasing.”   Joined by the Aaron Goldberg trio again in May 2011, to launch the debut CD in Sydney, Briana Cowlishaw is now off around the country with shows in Melbourne and Perth and a special return show in Sydney at the newly opened Camelot Lounge. Briana will be performing alongside some of this countries most creative and established musicians including Tom O’Halloran (piano), Peter Jeavons (bass) and Ben Vanderwal (drums) in Perth. Mark Fitzgibbon (piano), Sam Zerna (bass) and Craig Simon (drums) in Melbourne. With such a great line up, the performances promise to showcase the high calibre of musicianship and creativity that this country has to offer. But with stars in her eyes and an ever-growing passion for composition, this is not were it ends for the very ambitious Sydney singer. Briana, and her quintet of Matt McMahon, Brendan Clarke, Nic Cecire and James Muller, will be performing at the Wangarratta Jazz Festival this coming October 2011, selected by the festival director, Adrian Jackson, as one of the youngest Australian vocalists on the program. Who knows what is possible for Briana Cowlishaw in the future, with her creative juices flowing at the rate they have been! But pop down to one of these shows in either Perth, Melbourne or Sydney, and you might just get a glimpse of what all the fuss is about! More information on Briana Cowlishaw and the debut album available at:www.brianacowlishaw.com
SHOW DETAILS: FRI 26  AUGUST – BENNETTS LANE JAZZ CLUB – MELBOURNEMatt McMahon (piano) Sam Zerna (bass)  Craig Simon (drums)
FRI 9 SEPTEMBER – THE ELLINGTON JAZZ CLUB – PERTHTom O’Halloran (piano), Peter Jeavons (bass) Ben Vanderwal (drums)
SAT 10 SEPTEMBER – PARIS CAT – MELBOURNEMark Fitzgibbon (piano) Sam Zerna (bass) and Craig Simon (drums)
SUN 11 SEPTEMBER – CAMELOT LOUNGE – SYDNEYMatt McMahon (piano) Mark Harris (bass) Ken Allars (trumpet) Nic Cecire (drums)