The best jazz singers in Melbourne
A jazz singer is a slightly unusual booking, because you are hiring a voice and then deciding what goes behind it. Melbourne has enough working rhythm sections that most of the singers below can turn up alone with a pianist, or bring a trio, or front a five piece for a bigger room. Ask for the version you want rather than assuming the price you see covers a band.
None of the singers on this list carries a review on the site yet, so judge them the way a booker in the trade would. Watch the video, listen to how they phrase a standard rather than how loudly they finish it, and ask the questions further down this page before you commit to a date.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the acts in this category in Melbourne, without a review, rating or premium ranking: all these sort keys are tied.
Questions people ask about jazz singers in Melbourne
How much does a jazz singer cost in Melbourne?
Almost entirely by who is playing behind the voice. A singer with one accompanist for a dinner is the low end of the list below, and the same person fronting a quartet with a horn for a wedding reception is a different job and a different figure. The from-prices here are what each Melbourne singer is quoting today, and most will price two or three lineup options if you ask in your first message.
How do I choose a jazz singer without reviews to go on?
Watch a full song rather than a highlights reel, because a jazz vocalist is judged on timing and control, and a thirty second cut hides both. Then ask where they have sung recently and what sort of event it was. A singer who works Melbourne's clubs and hotel bars through the week has a different set of skills from one who mainly does weddings, and both are fine, but you want to know which you are getting.
Can a jazz singer do the ceremony as well as the dinner?
Yes, and it is a common Melbourne booking: a couple of pieces with a guitarist or pianist for the ceremony, then the same voice over dinner with the group grown by one or two. What you need to check is the key. A song that sits beautifully for a ceremony walk may be too low for a room with plates and conversation in it, so send your must-have songs early.
Will a jazz singer take requests on the night?
Within the standards, usually on the spot, because the musicians know the tunes and the singer only needs a key. Anything outside that repertoire needs a chart and a few weeks, so decide your special songs long before the week of the event. If it matters enormously, put it in the booking rather than leaving it as a favour to ask on the night.
Booking tips
Ask for the repertoire in writing
Standards, bossa, soul and a bit of modern pop turned into swing all sit under the same job title. A list tells you far more than a genre label does.
Find out who books the band
Some singers quote for themselves and leave you to hire players; others price the whole group and handle the rehearsal. The second is less work for you and worth paying for.
A tuned piano changes the quote
Plenty of the older rooms around the city and the inner suburbs still have one. Mention it when you enquire, because it can take a keyboard and a stand out of the equipment list.