The Vampires are an Australian world-roots jazz group formed by saxophonist Jeremy Rose, trumpeter Nick Garbett, drummer Alex Masso and bassist Mike Majkowski in 2005. The band formed in their final year of studying for their Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The band has released six albums and toured extensively around Australia, Germany, the UK, Czech Republic, Austria and Italy. The band performs mostly original music by Jeremy Rose and Nick Garbett that draws inspiration from their travels around the world and experiences in life. The band has performed at every major jazz festival in Australia, the Love Supreme Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival, Edingburgh Jazz Festival, Jazzahead Festival, and the Enjoy Jazz Festival. The band is considered to be trailblazers for a new generation of creative jazz talent from Australia, having gained critical attention worldwide and pushing the genre into new realms. With a distinctive sound that is undoubtedly their own, the band has garnered praise from Downbeat US, Guardian UK, and All About Jazz. The Vampires have been nominated for Australia’s ARIA Music Awards, was finalist for Best Australian Jazz Ensemble and Best Produced Album at the Australian Jazz Bell Awards, was a finalist in the AIR Awards, and were the first instrumental act to be short-listed for the Australian Music Prize. The band is currently living in different parts of the world - bassist Alex Boneham is an established presence in Los Angeles whilst trumpeter Nick Garbett lives in Lampedusa, Italy. Jeremy Rose and Alex Masso live in their hometown, Sydney.
Members
Nick Garbett
Jeremy Rose
Alex Masso
Alex Boneham
Mike Majkowski
Collaborators
Jonathan Zwartz
Shannon Barnett
Fabian Hevia
Ben Hauptmann
Lionel Loueke
Danny Fischer
Also one off performances with Matt Smith, Tobias Backhouse, James Greening, Mike Rivett, Peter Farrar, Lloyd Swanton, Max Alduca, Rory Brown, Brett Hirst, Tom Botting, Noel Mason and a collaborative project with Zephyr Quartet.
Reviews
“In a head-bopping nod to the obvious, The Vampires play vamps. Yet, these are no ordinary vamps. Written and improvised melodies are beautiful and flawless, and the harmonies between the three voices ring with pitch-perfect sonority. There is a sublime pacing to each of the tunes here, with strategic shifts in texture, tonality, tonality, rhythm or intensity twisting the narrative of each hypnotic groove into an ever-unfolding and irresistible arc.” **** Gary Fukushima, Downbeat
"This is such a good album that it's difficult to know which superlatives to start with.... This is state-of-the-art modern jazz at the highest level"****1/2 Eric Myers, The Australian
"Not only is the composing and improvising exceptional, it’s the Vampires’ best-recorded album, too.…carrying faint echoes of the Art Ensemble of Chicago."**** John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
“Simpler nature, yet equally expressive soundscapes… reminiscent of the fusion 'milestone' Bitches Brew.”**** Freidrich Kunzman, All About Jazz
"If jazz music is about continuously reinventing and staying on your toes, then 'The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke' is a phenomenal jazz record by a worldly, talented, and newly minted five-piece band."**** Chris Tart
“It is gold all over. Original, melodically minimal compositions with hidden details scattered in every corner you look—covering nearly every topographic musical element and framed in a cohesive whole.”Friedrich Kunzman, All About Jazz
“One of my favourite albums of the year was a jazz recording.. …It’s beautifully constructed melody sounded so classic, so perfect, that it had already become deeply ingrained in my memory. Of course, I have been listening to this album a lot. This one’s a real winner.” David Faulkner, The Saturday Paper, Australian Music Prize chair
“Seductive, genre-hopping creativity: The references embrace reggae, classic Cuban son, high life, pre-electric Miles Davis and hints of Blue Note soul-jazz or Henri Texier’s cinematically scene-setting music..." **** John Fordham, The Guardian UK
"This was the perfect summer record that pulled off the trick of being both an ambient soundtrack to life on the move while remaining capable of standing up to concentrated home listening."Phil Barnes, All About Jazz
