with Ross McHenry and Brenton Foster

Tickets available HERE

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“A musician who clearly sees the big picture” – Modern Drummer, USA 

"Undeniable electricity" - Okayplayer, USA

“An inventive, accomplished and energetic drummer with a vibrant sound” - Sydney Morning Herald, AU 

“Anyone who dares say jazz is a relaxing genre I would dare to attend a Manzanza gig” - Intertainment Magazine, UK

In celebration of his highly anticipated album A Love Requited on First Word Records UK, New Zealand drummer, composer & producer Myele Manzanza is embarking on run of Australian shows alongside a superstar trio of Ross McHenry on bass and Brenton Foster on keys.

Manzanza will be bringing his trio to Melbourne, performing music from A Love Requited on the 23rd of August at The Jazzlab for what will be an unmissable performance on the Melbourne jazz calendar.

“A Love Requited is easily my most personal work to date and my hope is that beyond the music itself it may be of help to others, if only to say that your not alone in your struggle to make sense of the world”.

Myele Manzanza Bio 

The son of a Congolese master percussionist, born and raised in NZ listening to hip hop, jazz and dance music, as an artist Myele Manzanza brings an eclectic style and diverse skill to his craft to create a genre bending experience rooted in jazz and African rhythm. Manzanza is a powerful drummer who has earned himself a reputation as a composer with vision, and a musician who is not afraid to experiment.

As a drummer and a sideman he continues to tour internationally and collaborate with a broad range of artists across multiple genres including Theo Parrish, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Ross McHenry, The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Amp Fiddler, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Ria Hall, Marcus Strickland, Recloose, Sorceress, Jordan Rakei and countless others.

Manzanza works hard to establish himself on the world stage, whether it’s being selected from over 20,000 applicants to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy in London, solo album releases on esteemed international labels Sound Signature, First Word and BBE, or his sophomore album OnePointOne’s nomination for the 2017 NZ Jazz Album of the Year.

Ross McHenry Bio

Ross McHenry is a composer, bass player and producer whose work forms a part of the ongoing international discourse on original creative music, its history and it’s future. His original compositions encompass a broad range of influences including jazz, afrobeat, contemporary electronic and chamber music. Ross’ work reflects the unique and changing cultural landscape of Australian creative music and aims to explore the idea of modern Australian cultural identity within the context of an increasingly interconnected global musical landscape. Ross has performed extensively around Australia and the world at leading arts festivals and venues including Glastonbury, The Sydney Festival, The Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide, the Falls Festival, Wellington International Jazz Festival and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Brenton Foster Bio

Winner of Best Jazz Album at the 2017 The Age Music Victoria Awards, Brenton Foster is an Australian composer, vocalist and pianist. He was the 2018 PBS FM Young Elder Of Jazz and presented his new work, a collaboration with American poet, Christopher Poindexter, at the 2018 Melbourne International Jazz Festival. 

Brenton’s compositions draw on influences from contemporary jazz, cinematic, and singer-songwriter aesthetics while maintaining an individual and authentic voice firmly founded in the Australian musical landscape. His acclaimed album, The Nature Of Light (Bold Future Records) was PBS FM Feature Record in May 2017. The album was recently included in The Best Of Bandcamp Jazz 2017 as the sole Australian entry. The Nature Of Light follows Brenton’s 2016 release, Two Cities, recorded between Melbourne and Manhattan. It too was recognised as a nominee for Best Jazz Album at the 2016 The Age Music Victoria Awards.