Contributors

Musicians

The musicians who are responsible for all the magic in your ears

Adrian Kelly

TRUMPET/COMPOSER

Victoria Newton

VOCALS

Simon Jeans

GUITAR

Pete Jeavons

BASS

Adrian Kelly
Yamaha Performing Artist
trumpeter/composer/arranger

Born in Lancashire, England and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Adrian Kelly began playing trumpet at the age of six. He has gone on to build an international career as a multi-faceted musician; performing, recording, and writing pop, classical, and jazz music. Adrian is currently engaged in PhD research at Edith Cowan University (Perth, Western Australia). He has served on the board of the Australian Trumpet Guild since 2019, and on the board of JazzWA since 2018.

His jazz group The Adrian Kelly Quartet has headlined at festivals and jazz clubs in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. Adrian’s jazz compositions featured on the collaborative album with trumpet artists from New York, Chicago, and Boston, entitled Intercontinental Drift, and he won the 2007 WA Music Industry Song of the Year Award for that album’s track, ‘Curious Yellow’. 2012 saw the release of Adrian’s CD, Chinese Whispers 細語, featuring music from, and inspired by, China. From December 2012 to late 2013, this album was selected to be featured on Cathay Pacific flights as part of their onboard music offerings. 2020 sees the release of two releases: Visions a suite of pieces for improvising quartet written to accompany the visual art of Robert John Kelly (Adrian’s father), and Cry, “Wolf!” an album of music featuring an artificial intelligence ‘improviser’ along with an electric jazz quartet. All of Adrian’s music is available through iTunes and other digital platforms, and through links provided on his website.

Adrian was a regular member of Motown legend Bobby Taylor’s band from 2013 to 2017. In 2010/11 he toured internationally with Chinese pop superstar, Jacky Cheung, performing to over three-million people at 146 performances. Since then he has performed and/or recorded with many of the top artists in the region, including YangKun, Eason Chan, Joey Yung, George Lam, and Hins Cheung. Adrian has appeared as a guest soloist on QingHai TV’s “Flowers” music program, and performed for live broadcasts on Hong Kong’s TVB, and RTHK. In 2012, he performed live in front of Chinese head of state, Hu JinTao. Adrian has also performed with many western artists including Hugh Jackman, Ray Charles, Shirley Bassey, The Four Tops, Patti Austin, Tim Minchin, Olivia Newton-John, Bonobo, Ben Folds, Dave Weckl, Bobby Shew, Frank Foster, and The Manhattan Transfer.

In his capacity as a classical trumpeter, Adrian held the position of principal trumpet with The City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong from 2011 – 2015, has performed as principal trumpet with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and continues to perform regularly with the Perth Symphony Orchestra, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and the WA Philharmonic.

Adrian has delivered classes in jazz music and trumpet at Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia (Australia), and the Hong Kong Institute of Education (China). He has presented masterclasses to students at Lasalle College (Singapore), the Hong Kong Institute of Education, ShangHai Conservatory of Music, XingHai University, and Harbin Teacher Training College (China), and at independent venues in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang. In 2019, Adrian released a set of Eight Theatrical Etudes – available from qPress Music Publishing. Adrian has performed on more than thirty musical theatre productions since 2005, including the 2016 international Asian tour of Les Miserables, the 2010 Australian tour of West Side Story, and most of the leading productions in Western Australia for the past decade. He currently maintains an active freelance career, performing around Australia and Asia.

Visit his Apple Music page to listen to more by Adrian Kelly.

Adrian performs on instruments by Yamaha. Adrian Kelly’s trumpets always travel safely inside his Torpedo Bag.

Victoria Newton
Vocals

Victoria Newton has been serenading audiences for many years here in Perth, and also in the UK where she was recognised as one of the most exciting and dynamic singers on the London jazz scene whilst living there from the early nineties till the late noughties.

Victoria began her musical career in Perth, firstly as a BMUS student majoring in clarinet at the University of Western Australia and later moving on to study jazz voice at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. It was here that she had the most amazing opportunities to support international artists such as Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Ray Brown and James Moody whilst singing with the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Victoria also experienced international success during the mid 1990s with UK dance/pop group Strike and their massive hit ‘U Sure Do’. The success of this single followed by 4 UK top 40 hits and the critically acclaimed album ‘I Saw the Future’ lead to a whirlwind of TV appearances including MTV and BBC’s Top of the Pops and touring to many countries around the world. Victoria’s vocal performance on ‘I Saw the Future’ has been described as “outstanding throughout” (Dream Magazine) and her live performances “simply stunning”, with “staggering vocals” (M8 magazine).

After a several years of the touring and recording in the electronic dance music scene, Victoria released her first jazz album, ‘The Song is You’ in 2004 which received regular airplay in the UK and featured some of the finest British musicians including the internationally acclaimed Gwilym Simcock.

Since relocating to Perth WA, Victoria has performed in a variety of musical settings from blues to world music and has regularly appeared at the Ellington Jazz Club, the Perth International Jazz Festival over several years, Fairbridge Festival, Bridgetown Blues Festival, and more recently at the Paris Cat Jazz Club in Melbourne.

Victoria also heads the jazz vocal program at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

“A fabulous strong clear voice with a great sense of time and an even greater sense of fun!’ – Steve Rubie, 606 Club, London

“A jazz singer a cut above the crowd” – The Guardian, London

“Deeply into the music, a real jazz singer” – Jazz UK

Simon Jeans
Guitar

Simon Jeans has recorded and performed around Australia and overseas with a number of original jazz and fusion groups such as Salamander (performing at the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival in Rome 2006), Thrust, Memory of Elements, Michael Pignéguy Sextet, Frames of Minds, including a number of times at the Wangaratta Jazz & Blues Festival, iconic venues Bennetts Lane Jazz Club (Melbourne) and The Basement (Sydney).He has performed in the rhythm section alongside the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for numerous concerts, and as a sideman accompanying visiting artists such as James Morrison, Grace Knight, Dave Samuels (Spyra Gyra) in Perth and the region.

In 2007 Simon was one of ten jazz guitar finalists for the National Jazz Awards at Wangaratta and has since recorded two albums featuring his original compositions, available at www.simonjeans.com

In 2011 his fusion trio thumpR released “Echo Papa Alphabet” and in 2016 the Simon Jeans Quartet released “Spirograph”, both groups having performed at the Perth International Jazz Festival.

2018 saw the release of the self titled album by the group “Southpaw” featuring a majority of compositions by Simon, available at www.peterevans1987.bandcamp.com/album/southpaw

Pete Jeavons
B Mus (Jazz), Dip Ed.
Bass

Active as a professional musician for over 25 years, Pete graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (W.A.A.P.A.) in 1997 with a Bachelor of Music (Jazz) and is an in-demand bassist performing regularly in a wide range of styles on both Double Bass and Electric Bass Guitar.

Pete has performed extensively throughout Australia and also in India, China, the U.K, Italy, Singapore, Japan, the U.S.A and New Zealand and he has performed with many well known artists including Michel Legrand, Hank Marvin, Mark Murphy, Leo Sayer, The Brodsky Quartet, Geoffrey Keezer, Carmen Lundy, Andy Sheppard, Gary Bartz, Walter Smith III, Karrin Allyson and James Morrison to name only a few.

As a member of many classic Perth based groups over the years, Pete has featured on numerous albums by artists/groups such as Helen Matthews, Michael Pigneguy Sextet, Tom O’Halloran Trio, Tal Cohen Quartet, Memory of Elements, Carl Mackey, Troy Roberts, Salamander, Thrust, Salamander, Hank Marvin Gyspy Jazz and many more. Pete currently leads a number groups including “Sassafras” (gypsy jazz), The “Swan River Ramblers” (trad. jazz), “Freewheel” (modern jazz) and various jazz groups under his own name ranging in size from trio to quintet.

An avid composer, Pete has written numerous original works including commissions for the Nuevo Tango group “Guapo”, Southern Forests Arts and also JAZZWA (the 26^th Parallel Suite) and he has won WAMi awards for jazz composition. Pete also writes original music for his own groups/projects including the Pete Jeavons Quintet.

Named the Perth Jazz Society’s most outstanding contributor in the year 2011 (and previously in 2000 too), Pete was also a finalist in the 2008 National Jazz Bass Awards. Despite maintaining a busy schedule as a freelance musician Pete has been a driving force in the not-for-profit arts organization “JAZZWA” for 20 years as Treasurer, General Manager and Project Manager. Pete has produced six volumes of the Jazzaziz Compilation CD for JAZZWA (which features original contemporary jazz from various Perth jazz groups) and organized countless performances, tours and jam sessions for JAZZWA. Pete has also produced albums for Tom O’Halloran & Graham Wood (‘Piano Perspectives’ 2011), Penny King (‘Journey’ 2013 – nominated for Bell awards best jazz vocal album) and Juliana Areias (‘Bossa Nova Baby’ 2015 – winner USA Focus Brazil Music Award).

Pete teaches in the jazz program at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (W.A.A.P.A.), and is a presenter of the ‘Giant Steps’ contemporary jazz program on community radio station RTR-FM 92.1.