Joy Yates
A highly acclaimed jazz singer and performance teacher: Born in New Zealand of Maori/European origin, she has been singing all her life. Her career spans four decades and several continents, with broad international credentials in concert, television, recording and jazz vocal performance education. A gifted artist, her recent compelling performance as Lady Day at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, vividly evokes the Billie Holiday persona. Having shared time, stage and studio space with great artists such as Neil Sedaka,
Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Cliff Richard, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Monty Python, The Goodies,
Orsen Wells, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Clark Terry, Ronnie Scott and many more, and with several albums to her credit, since her return to Australia, Joy has been channeling this life experience back into the nurturing of vocal performers in the Sing for Joy School and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Artistic Direction of the Newport Jazz Festival at Pittwater, Global Vocal Focal and JUBILATION,
a large jazz/gospel vocal ensemble. A deep love of harmony, vocal and human, prompted Joy to establish for JUBILATION
the environment to work towards its goal of achieving international recognition. Now working on it’s third CD, the group is becoming established as a major vocal force, both in Australia and New Zealand.
There are two more recent CDs, recorded by Joy with the Dave MacRae Trio; “Midnight Blue” and “Songs from Lady Day”. A recent tour with “The Glory of Gershwin”, a show produced as a tribute to the Gershwin brothers, enjoyed capacity houses and excellent reviews. Impressive both as an artiste and a teacher, Joy is an inspiration to many.
Dave MacRae
A brilliant informed musician, producer, composer, arranger and an emotive performer with outstanding jazz credentials. From early beginnings with Bernie McGann, John Pochee, Graeme Lyall, Don Burrows, John Sangster, Bob Barnard to touring the United States, Britain and Europe with the great Buddy Rich Band. MacRae continued working with a wealth of artists: Ronnie Scott, Clifford Jordan, Chet Baker, Annie Ross, Jon Hendricks, Clarke Terry, Cliff Richard, Scott Walker and as musical director to The Goodies TV Series. Also to his credit are recordings with Joy Yates & Pacific Eardrum, the indefinable Matching Mole, jazz fusion pioneers, “Nucleus”, the Mike Gibbs Orchestra and the Mike Westbroke Band and several scores. “Southern Roots” recorded in 1990, with Lloyd Swanton on bass and Alan Turnbull on drums presents some of MacRae’s original compositions. Currently Musical Director to: The Sing for Joy School, The Global Vocal Focal Workshops, Mistyville Music, the Newport Jazz Festival at Pittwater, tutor at the Australian Institute of Music and, sharing with Joy Yates, the musical direction and production of JUBILATION. His current CD, “Some History” reveals his mastery as musician and composer. The critical review of performances of the group “Bloodlines” featuring Joy Yates, and Jade MacRae was glowing.
A highly acclaimed jazz singer and performance teacher: Born in New Zealand of Maori/European origin, she has been singing all her life. Her career spans four decades and several continents, with broad international credentials in concert, television, recording and jazz vocal performance education. A gifted artist, her recent compelling performance as Lady Day at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, vividly evokes the Billie Holiday persona. Having shared time, stage and studio space with great artists such as Neil Sedaka,
Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Cliff Richard, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Monty Python, The Goodies,
Orsen Wells, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Clark Terry, Ronnie Scott and many more, and with several albums to her credit, since her return to Australia, Joy has been channeling this life experience back into the nurturing of vocal performers in the Sing for Joy School and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Artistic Direction of the Newport Jazz Festival at Pittwater, Global Vocal Focal and JUBILATION,
a large jazz/gospel vocal ensemble. A deep love of harmony, vocal and human, prompted Joy to establish for JUBILATION
the environment to work towards its goal of achieving international recognition. Now working on it’s third CD, the group is becoming established as a major vocal force, both in Australia and New Zealand.
There are two more recent CDs, recorded by Joy with the Dave MacRae Trio; “Midnight Blue” and “Songs from Lady Day”. A recent tour with “The Glory of Gershwin”, a show produced as a tribute to the Gershwin brothers, enjoyed capacity houses and excellent reviews. Impressive both as an artiste and a teacher, Joy is an inspiration to many.
Dave MacRae
A brilliant informed musician, producer, composer, arranger and an emotive performer with outstanding jazz credentials. From early beginnings with Bernie McGann, John Pochee, Graeme Lyall, Don Burrows, John Sangster, Bob Barnard to touring the United States, Britain and Europe with the great Buddy Rich Band. MacRae continued working with a wealth of artists: Ronnie Scott, Clifford Jordan, Chet Baker, Annie Ross, Jon Hendricks, Clarke Terry, Cliff Richard, Scott Walker and as musical director to The Goodies TV Series. Also to his credit are recordings with Joy Yates & Pacific Eardrum, the indefinable Matching Mole, jazz fusion pioneers, “Nucleus”, the Mike Gibbs Orchestra and the Mike Westbroke Band and several scores. “Southern Roots” recorded in 1990, with Lloyd Swanton on bass and Alan Turnbull on drums presents some of MacRae’s original compositions. Currently Musical Director to: The Sing for Joy School, The Global Vocal Focal Workshops, Mistyville Music, the Newport Jazz Festival at Pittwater, tutor at the Australian Institute of Music and, sharing with Joy Yates, the musical direction and production of JUBILATION. His current CD, “Some History” reveals his mastery as musician and composer. The critical review of performances of the group “Bloodlines” featuring Joy Yates, and Jade MacRae was glowing.