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Helen Matthews Quartet
Friday, 10th July @8:00PM

Helen has been a cornerstone of the Australaian Jazz scene for over 40 years. She is one of the most experienced and respected singers and the mover and shaker in the Perth Jazz industry.

She has been recognized as one of Australia's finest Jazz singers for some time". So said Jim McLeod, ABC radio presenter of Jazztrack, when reviewing Helen's first CD, A Long Time Coming in 1993.

Based on the West Coast, Helen Matthews' career spans over thirty years - from her earliest days with JT and the Jazzmen, a National Television series ABCTV - Helen Matthews with a Little Help from her Friends in 1971 to her performances with many Australian Jazz luminaries, James Morrison, Don Burrows, Dale Barlow, Judy Bailey, Kerrie Biddell and many others. She has also appeared with many International artists, Stephane Grappelli, Rod McKuen, Ronnie Scott, Woody Herman, Dave McKenna and US trumpet bebop artist, Red Rodney.

Helen toured Indonesia in 1991 under the auspices of Musica Viva and was also invited to perform with the Indian jazz pianist, Louis Banks in Bombay in 1996. Helen has performed at numerous Jazz venues and festivals throughout Australia, including the Jazz Action Societies in Sydney and Adelaide, Soup Plus, Sydney, Montsalvat Jazz Festival Melbourne, York Jazz Festival (5) Armadale Jazz Festival, Bridgetown Blues and Jazz Festival, Kiama Jazz Festival and Bennett's Lane Melbourne in 1994/97. She was a WAMI Award winner in 1994 and was the first Western Australian to be nominated for an Australian 'MO Award' - Jazz vocalist category, in 1995.

In the nineties she recorded two CDs for Sunset Music - Longtime Coming 1993 and Raising the Standard 1997 and has also appeared in cabaret and devised works such as, The Dorothy Parker Pen, with acclaimed actress, Laura Black - 1994, Broadway and Beyond - 1996, My Name up in Chalk - 1997 at Effie Crump Theatre and The Singer or the Song 1999 - Camelot Supper Club with her longtime musical colleague and friend, pianist, Denis Follington. She has tutored for the Dept of Jazz Studies and Musical Theatre Dept @ECU 1988-94 1997-2000 as well as part-time jazz vocal lecturer and has taught at Santa Maria College and privately.

Co-founder of the Jazz Divas Association in 1992, Helen has devised and performed in projects such as: The Poets of Tin Pan Alley, Film Stars, Jazz on Tap - with US Jazz tapper, Brenda Bufalino and in 2000, Imagine, The Music of John Lennon and Paul McCartney which was performed in December at Forest Chase for The City of Perth, Mundaring Weir Amphitheatre and Ravenswood Sanctuary.

Editor of JAZZREVIEW for the Perth Jazz Society as well as its administrator 1989-2002 and program coordinator 1996-2002 Helen also devised cross-artform projects, 'I Could Dance For Miles' The Music of Miles Davis - Jazz sextet with contemporary dancer, Olivia Millard PICA 1998 and the recent smash hit, The Billie Holiday Music Story, which toured to fifteen towns and regional centres throughout Western Australia, to sell-out houses.

In 2002 Helen toured a remounted production of Imagine - the music of John Lennon and Paul McCartney with a ten-piece ensemble - which she also produced and also performed in the 2002 production of 'Vagina Monologues' at the Playhouse Theatre Perth.

She was invited to be the artistic director and manager for the inaugural Fremantle International Jazz Festival 2002-03 www.perthfestival.com.au and is currently Jazz Program Manager for the Perth International Arts Festival.

"Helen sang pitch perfect and, unlike most so-called Jazz singers, actually made sense of the lyrics…her sustained notes were breathtaking"…The Adelaide Advertiser 1997 David Hills

"a beautiful daring singer…this was a memorable performance ...Jazzchord 1994…Eric Myers
'Bufalino…was sensational…A highlight was a duet with the scat-singing Helen Matthews'…The Australian Rita Clarke 1996

"Her wordless expletives are handled as smoothly as that of Ella Fitzgerald..Long live Helen Matthews"…Slappey Express Magazine Los Angeles 1998…Doug Light

'Life Story' was sung with complete mastery by Matthews, setting a standard from which the trio never stray…West Australian 1997 Ron Banks

"an honest to goodness Jazz singer whose relaxed phrasing, supple time feel and excellent lyric interpretation were a delight"..Sydney Morning Herald 1987….Joya Jensen

"She is a class act of national importance, at the very least"....Artswest 1993 Ron Morey