Vocal Summit
Perth Women’s International Jazz Festival

Doors 5pm
Show 6pm

The Ellington Jazz Club proudly presents the inaugural
PERTH WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
21 – 24 AUGUST 2025

Introducing the inaugural PWIJF Vocal Summit — a landmark event celebrating the extraordinary skill and artistry within our vocal jazz community. This curated evening features five of Australia’s most acclaimed jazz vocalists, each bringing their distinctive voice to the stage in a showcase of world-class musicianship. Audiences can expect a compelling mix of original compositions and timeless standards, performed with flair and nuance, and backed by a hard-swinging trio.

Featuring vocalists Allira Wilson, Victoria Newton, Holli Scott, Libby Hammer, and Ali Bodycoat, and hosted by Simone Craddock, Program Director for The Ellington Jazz Club and the Perth Women’s International Jazz Festival.

Allira Wilson
Allira Wilson is one of Australia’s most exciting and sought after jazz and contemporary vocalists. An Australian Jazz Bell Award winner, a twice Freedman Fellowship nominee, a WAM (West Australian Music) Best Vocalist Nominee, she has worked with notable artists and ensembles such as Jamie Oehlers, Kate Ceberano, Jim McNeely, Gian Slater, Guy Sebastian, Barney McAll, Invenio and WASO. Wilson recently recorded the highly acclaimed album ‘I am Like the Rain’ (5 stars Barry O’Sullivan), released on ABC Music in 2020. She is featured on recordings such as composer Alice Humphries’ ‘ECILA’, the Rick Webster Project, Freddie Grigsons ‘Duos’ and Barney McAll and Gian Slater’s Collobaration ‘Global Intimacy’. Wilson released her album ‘Rise and Fall’ in 2014. ‘Wilson took out best Australian jazz vocal award at the 2014 Bell Awards and this debut-album signals the arrival of an important new voice’ (John McBeath, The Weekend Australian, 4 stars). 
She continues to work regularly in Australia’s jazz venues and is a mainstay among the Jazz Festival circuit right across Australia. She has performed at the Perth International Jazz Festival, Melbourne Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Jazz Festival and Melbourne’s White Night Festival. Wilson performed at the Brisbane International Jazz Festival in Oct 2023, and Sydney Con Jazz Festival in June 2024 launching her second album with Harry Mitchell’s Quiet Country ‘Sadness or Euphoria’.

Victoria Newton
Victoria Newton is recognised as one of the most exciting and dynamic singers both in Perth and on the London jazz scene. Whilst studying a Bachelor of Music majoring in Clarinet at the University of Western Australia, Victoria discovered an enormous passion for jazz. She went on to study jazz voice at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts where she supported international artists such as Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Ray Brown and James Moody as lead vocalist with the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra.
During her early years in London Victoria collaborated with Acid-Jazz recording artist, the late Ronny Jordan for various performances, and supported Terence Blanchard at the Jazz Café with her quartet. She has appeared at many venues and festivals in the UK and Europe including the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, The London International Jazz Festival, The Soho Jazz Festival, The Oxford Literary Festival, The Ingolstadt Jazz Festival in Germany, and Alexis Jazz Club in Kuala Lumpur for their International Jazz Series.
Victoria experienced international success during the mid 1990s with UK dance/pop group Strike and their massive hit ‘U Sure Do’. The success of this single followed by 4 UK top 40 hits and the critically acclaimed album ‘I Saw the Future’ led to a whirlwind of TV appearances including MTV and BBC’s Top of the Pops, tours to many countries around the world, and performances alongside the likes of Jocelyn Brown, Tina Arena, Rozalla, The Back Street Boys and The Spice Girls.
After many years of touring and recording electronic dance music, Victoria released her first jazz album, ‘The Song is You’ in 2004 which received regular airplay in the UK and featured some of the finest British musicians including the internationally acclaimed Gwilym Simcock.
Since relocating to Perth, Victoria has performed in a variety of musical settings that span blues, jazz and world music with performance highlights that include the Perth International Jazz Festival, Fairbridge Festival, Bridgetown Blues Festival, the Paris Cat Jazz Club in Melbourne, along with regular visits back to the UK to perform at her favourite jazz clubs, The 606 Club in London, The Verdict in Brighton, and The Spice of Life in Soho.
Victoria heads the jazz vocal program at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
‘A jazz singer a cut above the crowd’ ~ John Fordham, The Guardian, UK

Holli Scott
Holli Scott is an established jazz vocalist, bandleader, and composer based in Perth, WA. Her music is eclectic, soulful and dark, and combines heavy roots in jazz music with contemporary, folk, and avant-garde. The result: a unique and enthralling brand of art music with a focus on imagery and immersive storytelling. With a warm, rich vocal sound and captivating stage presence, Scott draws on a wide range of influences, from traditional jazz greats like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone to Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Nick Cave, and Fiona Apple. Since releasing her debut album DUST in 2019, she has received multiple nominations for WAM’s Song of the Year, ‘best vocalist’, and ‘best jazz act’, and was one of three finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (USA, 2020). Scott features on a number of local and international projects, including soundtracks for THQ Nordic’s ‘This is the Police’, and was a finalist in the James Morrison Generations in Jazz Scholarship. In October 2024, she released her second album of original music, ‘Weather and Weeds’ to critical acclaim. This latest offering was feature album on ABC Jazz and numerous local radio stations, featured in ABC Jazz’s highlight releases for 2024, was recipient of the WAM Song of the Year Award for jazz, and garnered glowing reviews across media. 
“A true poet…deep, gutsy, human, and very vulnerable” – Monica Trapaga, ABC Jazz
“Dark, evocative, and haunting…With Weather and Weeds, Scott has undeniably arrived.” – Rhythms Magazine
“The voice as pure instrument” – Xpress Magazine

Libby Hammer
Libby Hammer is one of Perth’s premier jazz vocalists. With a backstory chock-full of musical theatre, acting, comedy, circus, languages and almost 30 years of solid gigging, she is regarded in WA as an accomplished jazz singer, bandleader, vocal coach and composer. Libby received her BMus (Jazz) in 1997 from the WA Academy Of Performing Arts and promptly formed a band called Hip Mo’ Toast, who over the next decade would win six WAMI awards for Most Popular Original Jazz Act. In time Libby’s band grew into a collective of Perth’s best jazz musicians, performing in ensembles ranging from a duo to a big band, all led by Libby herself. She has a large repertoire and often performs themed shows and workshops, such as her Jazz For Kids series and the ever-popular Bringing Back Bacharach. Libby is a regular presenter with the WA Symphony Orchestra’s Education Chamber Orchestra and has performed many times alongside UK composer and presenter Paul Rissman in his works for children. Libby’s own original music show for children, Crazy Hat Day, won the WA Children’s Event Award at Fringeworld 2017. Libby regularly performs at Fringeworld, The Ellington Jazz Club and the Perth International Jazz Festival. Libby has appeared at the Denmark Festival Of Voice, Jazz By The Bay, Bunbury Fringe, The York Festival and at the 2011 ‘Big Aussie Barbecue’ that was attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Libby has performed with WASO, James Morrison, Joe Chindamo and international jazz artists such as Josh Hilberman (USA), Christoph Spendel (Germany) and two-time Grammy Winner Gary Bartz (USA). Libby’s awards include the Perth Jazz Society 2005 Award for Most Outstanding Individual Contribution To Jazz. In 2007 she won another PJS award – Life Membership for Outstanding Long-Term Contribution to Jazz. She was Patron of Jazz Fremantle from 2009 to 2022.

Ali Bodycoat
Ali Bodycoat has a vocal performance history that is deeply rooted in the West Australian jazz and music scene. She has been a Perth mainstay for almost 30 years, holding a 17-year residency with the Ali Bodycoat Trio and performing for over 15 years of regular listings at The Ellington Jazz Club with her Quartet, amongst other multiple collaborations.
Ali has performed regularly at the Perth International Jazz Festival, Perth Festival, Fringe Festival, with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the Perth Symphony Orchestra.
Ali has supported Vince Jones, Marcia Hynes, Grace Knight and David Campbell and has created, co-created, written and performed in a plethora of award-winning shows such as Minor Major Marlene, From Bodycoat to Barbra, Over the Rainbow and Bringing Back Bacharach.
Ali was invited to create the Ali Bodycoat Embassy Big Band for the 2025 Perth Festival at the Perth Town Hall, in dedication to the re-imaging of the Embassy Ball Room, which was a sold-out series with 17 of Perth’s greatest jazz musicians throughout the Festival.
Ali is also an experienced facilitator, sitting In Conversation with such luminaries as Julie Bishop and Sarah Ferguson – The Duchess of York. Ali narrates and MC’s, as well as featuring with her Trio and Quartet in all prominent live venues in Western Australia, working with the top echelon.