Alex Silver, trombonist 2005
Winning the Jann Rutherford Award meant a great deal to me for many reasons. It gave the opportunity to experience recording in a top end studio as well as giving me the end result of a high quality CD to use for promotion. The photography session was also very important as I now have a complete promotion package (CD, promotional photos) which I can present to people. The performance aspect of the award assisted me more than I had originally thought it would. By being presented with two high profile performances at the Sound Lounge and the Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival, I had to work to come up with a concept for a project. For these two performances, it meant putting together a group and writing and compiling music which worked together to make a cohesive repertoire of tunes for the group to play. Apart from these two large tasks, I also experienced the responsibility of being a band leader, being responsible for three other musicians, organising rehearsal times, making sure that everyone knows where they need to be and also having the pressure of knowing that if the band doesn’t do well that the weight falls on my shoulders. Overall, the award has been a wonderful experience for me and I hope that it continues to give many more young female jazz performers the same opportunity.
Photo Credit: Karen Steains
Jess Green, guitarist, 2006
I was very honoured to receive the award, and the funds were timely, as I was trying to put together my first regional tour for my ensemble. The tour was of immeasurable benefit towards developing some new repertoire I had written and getting it to a standard ready for recording. Also important was the opportunity for the band members (all very busy musicians individually) to work together several days in succession. As well as this to be able to pay the band properly, provide Per diem’s and comfortable accommodation was a great way to thank them for many unpaid rehearsals, and low paid gigs they’ve done for me over the last 3 years, a great tool for raising overall band moral! The award was presented by well-known sax/clarinet player Paul Cutlan at my first SIMA concert held at the Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre, Sydney. This was a very well attended concert not only by SIMA audience but also by important members of the arts community including Kate Lidbetter from the Australia Council and Amy Rowe from Arts NSW. This concert was an important step forward for me as SIMA is a world recognized arts organization that has been supporting original Australian Jazz for many years.
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Ali Foster, drummer, 2007
Ali Foster is an outstanding young jazz drummer based in Sydney, Australia. She combined her degree course in Jazz Studies with a busy life as an emerging professional player and teacher. Ali has a particular interest in sparking a passion for exploring jazz styles in younger audiences in the Greater Sydney area. She and her musical collaborators engage their audiences by employing elements of progressive rock, funk and blues into their jazz tunes while also highlighting a focus on the musical interactions between them.
Ali began to develop her musical talents when she started piano lessons as a child of five. By early high school, the lure of the household's drum kit, previously the domain of her father and brother, proved irresistible! Her acceptance two years later into the St Paul's Grammar School big band cemented her ambition to make jazz drumming her profession. In the years prior to her acceptance as a student in the prestigious Jazz Studies degree course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney; Ali participated in the SIMA Improvisation Workshops for Young Women, directed by Sandy Evans; and she was named as the winner of the Senior Secondary division of the Billy Hyde Drumoff competition. Currently, Ali leads the Ali Foster Quartet, which features Kayne Jansen (guitar), Hal Strewe (bass) and Brendan Berlach (saxophones).
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Jessica Dunn, bass and Harri Harding, saxophone Sirens Big Band 2010
From start to end of our experience with the award, we learnt so much. Even the initial application was a great learning process, because it was so helpful in cementing our ideas of what we wanted to achieve, and also how to realistically go about that. What we learnt during this process has been used since for applications to the Australia Council of the Arts for further funding. Through the awards’ support, both financial and non-financial, we were able to get the push that so many bands and musicians don’t have when starting their careers.
We have also learnt so much about the non-musical aspects of functioning as a jazz band at a professional level; booking gigs, quoting and negotiating fees, inviting press to performances, doing press interviews – as well as all the administrative aspects of running an ensemble. At the beginning of this process we felt as though we were fumbling around, trying to find our way, when now we certainly feel a lot clearer about what is required. Because of this award we have had the opportunity to work closely with some wonderful musicians and educators in the context of band rehearsals and improvisation workshops. These include; Sandy Evans, James Greening, Judy Bailey and Lisa Parrott.
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Hannah James, bass 2011
During 2011 I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award for young women in jazz. Throughout the course of the award I gained extremely valuable experience, guidance and performance opportunities which I firmly believe have aided my development and prospects of a successful career in music. As a young female musician fresh out of music school one of the most valuable aspects for me of the JRMA was providing clear goals and musical direction under the guidance of very experienced industry professionals.
Having only just moved to a new city I was able to form my own band of high quality musicians, already able to offer quality performance opportunities and a recording thanks to the award. I believe this helped secure the full support and commitment to the project of the musicians, which can be difficult when working with quality players with busy schedules. These have now developed into valuable friendships and ongoing professional relationships.
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Ellen Kirkwood, trumpeter and composer 2012
In January 2012, when I received news that I was the recipient of the 2012 Jann Rutherford Memorial Award, I was simultaneously ecstatic, overwhelmed and a little scared. All of a sudden, a bunch of amazing opportunities had been given to me, but I knew that to make the most of them, and be satisfied with what I had done, there was a lot of work ahead of me. I also had to tackle some unfamiliar territory – such as transporting a band to a different city and finding accommodation for them, working out a budget, and getting an album of my own made. I can't say enough how honoured I am to have received the 2012 Jann Rutherford Memorial Award. This has truly been an amazing year for me in so many ways. I've learnt so much and grown as a musician and also as a person, particularly in my own confidence and belief in myself. Since I received the Award, I feel I've gained recognition and respect in the Sydney jazz (and other related styles) communities. I think it's important for emerging musicians to have some sort of “boost” to help them receive recognition early on, whether it be from an award like this, or from other more respected musicians who see their potential and help them out. In this sense (and many others) the award is achieving its purpose by showing the world that there are many talented, creative and strong young women jazz musicians in our country, who deserve more recognition.
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Jodie Michael, drummer 2013
The JRMA provided an immeasurable and beneficial boost to my career as a young female jazz drummer in the developing stages of her career, about six years ago. I was able to perform at many established entertainment venues to receptive audiences around Australia and record an EP of my original project in a world-class studio. This was an invaluable learning and professional boon and I, to this day, do not take for granted the fortune that continually stems from this honour. The subsequent opportunities that also flowered from being such a recipient were equally as important and formative to my artistic trajectory in the following years.
I hope this award can be continually maintained to assist young women in their career, helping to bring forth the potential of such artists in the future. This will contribute to an improved and more fertile arts and entertainment culture in Australia and, furthermore, around the globe!
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Emma Grace Stephenson, pianist, 2016
Thank you for facilitating an immensely helpful and productive experience for me. I feel that sharing the stage and recording studio with Gian Slater helped Hieronymus Trio to expand our musical palette and form new and exciting modes of improvising. I deeply value the knowledge that I have gained from writing and arranging music for this lineup, as well as being able to extend myself pianistically underneath the additional texture of vocals.
In addition to my musical development, the award has also been a rewarding professional development experience as I have been interviewed by radio hosts, become less camera-shy, and made new connections with people who I am confident I may reach out to in the future. I am thrilled with the new album and am looking forward to sharing it with both my immediate community, and the wider community of jazz listeners.
Photo credit: Karen Steains
Hilary Geddes, guitarist, 2019
Being the 2019 recipient of the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award has irrevocably changed my life. It provided me with myriad of fantastic opportunities for which I am so, so grateful. The JRMA has enabled me to form my own band - under my own name - and facilitated me to begin writing for this project. The result, one year on after receiving this award has been the recording of our debut album, Parkside, which we hope to release in 2021. We have also continued to perform, in spite of everything that has happened this year - from our debut at the SIWJF to performing in Melbourne at the MWIJF in 2019, to receiving broader recognition through a positive review by John Shand of our livestream performance that was recorded by the inimitable Peter Nelson.The JRMA was the catalyst for what is a continued creative relationship with SIMA, which has resulted not only in my involvement in exciting projects such as the Tura Adapts: 2020 No Borders Commission, but also in slightly more left-field opportunities, culminating in me performing with Tim Minchin at his album launchlivestream event earlier in November. Aside from giving me the time, space, confidence and financial backing to write, play and record music under my own name, I am also greatly indebted to the JRMA for their support in terms of promotion and interviews.
I believe that being the recipient of the JRMA has been instrumental putting my name out in the fantastic communities that are the Australian jazz and improvised music worlds. I have been privileged to be part of projects this year and I firmly believe that my involvement was resultant of the JRMA - people learnt about my music and who I am through the promotional opportunities that the JRMA gave me. This extends to a continued relationship with the ever-supportive ABC Jazz team. Quite simply, I am still so thrilled to have been the 2019 recipient of the JRMA and I am still very much benefiting greatly from receiving this award. For this, I am so very thankful to you, Liz and Sandy, and of course, the Mietta Foundation and the private donors for making this award possible.
Photo credit: Camille Walsh