New jazz festival set to transform inner city suburb
The PIJF Block Party will take over the Urban Orchard on Saturday, November 1, transforming the Northbridge precinct into a high-energy music hub blending jazz with funk, soul, hip-hop and pop.
Festival director Mace Francis said the new flagship event was an exciting evolution for the long-running jazz festival.
'This festival-style bill, with multiple headline acts and a mix of supporting artists in a public open space, is a fresh new concept for PIJF,' he said.
'It reflects our mission to evolve how people experience jazz — by embracing the diversity of styles it influences, from funk and soul to pop and hip-hop.' Lettuce are an American funk powerhouse band. Credit: Instagram
Leading the jampacked line-up is American funk powerhouse LETTUCE, who are widely regarded as one of the best live funk bands in the world, alongside ARIA Award-winning singer Budjerah, whose soulful, modern pop sound has earned him international recognition.
'Lettuce is the best live funk band in the world — period,' Dr Francis said. ARIA-winning pop sensation Budjerah is coming to Northbridge. Credit: Georgia Wallace
'Budjerah is one of the most exciting voices in Australian pop right now. His sound is fresh, soulful and impossible not to move to.'
The line-up also includes Bumpy, a Melbourne-based artist celebrating her debut album Kanana, Zero Emcee, a rising hip-hop artist recently returned from a European tour, Pareidolia, a boundary-pushing jazz/hip-hop collective based in WA, and DJ Maestro, an Amsterdam-based producer and DJ known for blending jazz classics with modern dancefloor grooves.
'Each act was hand-picked to show how jazz can evolve and influence other styles,' Dr Francis said.
'Whether it's the soul of Bumpy, the lyricism of Zero Emcee, or the cross-genre innovation of Pareidolia and DJ Maestro, they all reflect the freedom, fun and diversity at the heart of jazz.'
In additional to the music, the Urban Orchard will become a pop-up festival precinct with cocktail bars, spritz stations and curated food stalls highlighting WA produce.
'This is not just a concert — it's an experience,' Dr Francis said.
'The PIJF Block Party is about connection, movement and discovering the joy of jazz in all its forms in a community, festive environment.'
Tickets go on sale July 31. For event details, visit perthjazzfest.com.
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