Jazz is meant to be played with other people. You can do that at Jazz Workshop Australia in one of our jazz combos (small jazz bands). Whatever your age or experience, we have a group for you to get started or take your jazz improvising & playing to new heights. We teach kids, teens, adults, emerging professionals, late-starters, beginners to advanced. Everyone’s welcome.

At JWA beginners learn jazz ensemble skills, how to play jazz, and how to improvise. We help more advanced players build on their skills and to excel. It is important to us that your jazz combo experience is enjoyable as well as valuable.

Learn jazz for real in a combo

A highlight at Jazz Workshop Australia is our JWA jazz combos program – small groups providing playing experience, structured coaching in jazz improvisation, jazz styles, and small-group performance techniques, and a vibrant creative community of musicians of all ages. We are also proud to sponsor and host the Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra (SYJO), an acclaimed youth big band for school-aged musicians.

Members of our jazz combos work through a structured program designed to develop, reinforce, and enhance:

• fundamental performance skills
• self – confidence
• instrumental technique
• sophisticated ensemble skills
• teamwork
• understanding of jazz theory
• appreciation of jazz history and styles
• jazz improvisation
• aural skills

How to join. What’s the process?

When you apply to join one of the combos, we will place you in the best group for you or your child. Usually, we’ll ask you to come in for a quick assessment first or send a short video. We’ll be interested to hear:

(1) your current jazz improvising level; (2) your technique – how well you can play your instrument; (3) how quickly you pick things up. Different people are comfortable moving at different rates. (4) sight reading music isn’t a deal-breaker but can be a huge time-saver.

After the assessment we’ll get back to you with 1-3 options for groups that are right for your or your child’s current level of playing. Sometimes, especially if you’re a beginner, you’ll need to wait until the next intake of new students – usually at the start of a semester or for a vacancy to open up.

Joining the right combo

Firstly, please don’t just join up without first talking to us about it and doing the assessment. 

• Groups are based around the improvising and jazz combo experience levels of the members. We do try to form young people’s combos where everyone is about the same age, but not always and it isn’t the main factor.
• Pride, prestige, or ego should have nothing to do with which group you or your child joins. What matters is what you or they can do now, and what they need to do to advance. There’s no pride in being the one holding an otherwise great group back.
• You may believe that you do best “playing with people better than me”. But these are learning groups, not jam sessions. More advanced players will be working on things that you’re not ready for yet, and they don’t need their time taken by waiting for an inexperienced player to catch up. Also, skipping important fundamentals and critical early experiences is not helpful.

Why join a jazz combo?

In our experience, students participating in jazz combo tend to do significantly better in school music and beyond than those who miss out. They also make enormous gains in self – confidence, instrumental technique, aural skills and musicianship. It transforms your experience, understanding, and control, and passion for music.

Also, you only get the interactive, real-time aspect of jazz in a group. 

What is a jazz combo?

A jazz combo is a small improvising jazz group (up to 8 members) and not at all the same thing as a “big band” (aka jazz orchestra, stage band). Think Miles Davis Quintet (click for video), Sandy Evans Trio, Charlie Parker, or Bireli Lagrene Quartet. Big band is a very different thing. Some examples include the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington, or Benny Goodman Orchestra. Many big bands are called “orchestra” because they play orchestrations, just like a classical ensemble. If you want to be a strong big band player or an improvising soloist then learning to play and improvise in small combos is the way to go, just like the stars of these examples.

A jazz combo is a small band, of up to ten musicians. It is really a flexible “combination” of instruments. At Jazz Workshop the combos rehearse once per week, tutored by one of our experienced teachers. Combos give you the chance to apply and put into practice the work and theory you learn with your teacher, and really give your playing a boost. This is an excellent way to dramatically improve your skills on your instrument, and to boost your self confidence.

A big band is a larger jazz group, usually 12 to 20 players. They are called “big bands” because, compared to most jazz bands, they are big! Of course, compared to a concert band or orchestra, they are still quite small. In a big band the emphasis is on playing carefully arranged pieces, each musician playing off a written part.

A standard Big Band has five saxes (2 altos, 2 tenors and one bari); four trumpets, four trombones, guitar, piano, bass, and drums. The line up in a combo is completely flexible, though most include bass and drums.

Also, to confuse things even more, some people still call this kind of group a “stage band”. This was actually a term invented in the USA in the early days of jazz education as a way of disguising the fact that students were playing jazz. Jazz was, at one time, banned from schools and universities and considered unsuitable for young people! Luckily such narrow-minded attitudes, based as they are in snobbery and racism, are less common today.

Of course, you don’t have to study with one of our teachers to play in a combo. Musicians of all ages are welcome. Call or email today to join!

What’s available?

Here is a summary of the bands and other ensembles we offer. Some of the groups are by audition only, such as advanced combos, the JWA Little Big Band and the Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra. These groups form our High Performance program. The other groups are open to all, but depend on space permitting and level of the group (read below for details). 

Jazz Combos

• $850/ semester (17 weeks).

There are groups for all ages and levels. Various combos meet Monday- Saturday.

Places are generally limited to eight people. A combo can involve any “combination” of instruments, there are no set parts. Here is a summary of the groups:

• Jazz Combos for Adults 18+ combos: weekday evenings. Introductory & beginner, intermediate, advanced groups.
• Jazz Combos for Young people (u18): introductory/beginner, intermediate, advanced groups.
• Younger children: Little Jazzers (ages 4-7), introductory (ages 7-11).

The groups are led by JWA faculty including Dr. Saul Richardson, Jack Stoneham, Tony Barnard, Gavin Ahearn, Michelle Shih, Roshan Kumarage, and Deven Rahman. Contact us for current rehearsal schedules. There are many groups at different stages and there is a combo for everyone.

JWA Advanced Combos

Led by Dr. Saul Richardson, Jack Stoneham, and Gavin Ahearn.

The JWA advanced combos form our ‘High Performance’ program.

The JWA advanced combos are for older or more advanced players with a strong background in small group jazz playing and jazz improvisation. These bands are designed to challenge and inspire the best young musicians. They cover advanced concepts and the hardest tunes. An ideal preparation for anyone considering auditioning for Jazz Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium or other tertiary institution.

The advanced groups for younger students are for those who show special interest, aptitude and potential. Members generally progress through the program. Anyone who sticks with it and does some work (learns the techniques, practices etc) can expect to become an advanced player over time. 

Places are limited to eight people. By audition only.

message us to ask about joining a jazz combo