DATE: Saturday 13 September, 2025
TIME: Concert 7 pm / Bar open from 6pm
TICKETS: $45 / $38
The Details
Expect a night of nuanced, high-octane nu-bop, funk, folk – fusion and chamber jazz from one of Australia’s finest contemporary ensembles. Hammerhead has a reputation for high-energy performances and innovative compositions and have been a prominent force in the Australian jazz scene since 2011.
Led by internationally acclaimed tenor saxophonist Jason Bruer, this powerhouse sextet will perform recent unreleased music composed by Bruer alongside material from their recent acclaimed album I Didn’t Get To Where I Am Today (2023). This album was hailed as their best album yet, receiving a 4.5-star review in The Australian and praise from jazz legend Mike Nock.
Hammerhead draws inspiration from the hard bop era while incorporating urban jazz, funk, and chamber jazz influences, the band has established a reputation for high-energy performances and innovative compositions and have been a prominent force in the Australian jazz scene since 2011.
Their debut album, Mozaic (2014), paid tribute to hard bop pioneers and received acclaim in Australia and Japan. With Turning Point (2019), they transitioned to an all-original repertoire, further solidifying their unique artistic identity. Their latest release, I Didn’t Get To Where I Am Today (2023), written during the pandemic, was hailed as their best album yet, receiving a 4.5-star review in The Australian and praise from jazz legend Mike Nock.
Hammerhead has performed at major jazz festivals, including Wangaratta Jazz & Blues, Sydney Conservatorium International Jazz Festival, Manly Jazz Festival, Thredbo Jazz Festival, Capital Jazz Festival, and Inner West Marrickville Festival.
They have headlined the ‘Jazz Up North’ series at Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns and performed extensively across Australia. Maintaining a monthly residency at Lazybones Lounge in Sydney for nearly a decade, Hammerhead continues to push creative boundaries.
Reviews
“Unquestionably this album’s touchstone is brilliance!…” Eric Meyers (The Weekend Australian)
“For my money this is the best Hammerhead album so far. Really top drawer playing from everyone plus great writing from bandleader Jason Bruer. A winner.” Mike Nock
“Jason Bruer’s most nuanced album to date, goes to show good things can come from isolation and adversity” Jurate Sasnaitis (Dingo Jazz Journal)
“Melodies that you can hold onto, grooves that get under your skin, and an electricity that reminds you of first listening to jazz as a teenager” Jasmine Crittenden (musicaustralia.org.au)
“I Didn’t Get to Where I Am Today divulges the sound of a band at the top of its game” Des Cowley, Rhythm Magazine.
“I have been an admirer of his work and his band Hammerhead for quite some time. I can confidently say that Jason is a unique voice in our national jazz scene, an exceptional band leader and a shining example of creativity. He is a true modern jazz master with a distinctive personal sound on the saxophone, an inventive composer, and restless performer” Nikolas Fotakis (Editor, AustralianJazz.net)
About Hammerhead
Powerhouse sextet known as Hammerhead emerged onto the Sydney music scene in 2011, drawing from a rich array of influences harking back to the late 1950s and early 1960s ‘Hard Bop’ movement. Formed under the leadership of internationally acclaimed tenor saxophonist Jason Bruer, the ensemble consists of Andrew Robertson on alto saxophone and flute, Simon Ferenci on trumpet, Greg Coffin on piano, Alex Hirlian on drums, and David Quinn on bass.
Their debut album, ‘Mozaic’ (2014), paid homage to the pioneers of the hard bop genre and garnered widespread acclaim both in Australia and Japan. Since then, Hammerhead’s musical trajectory has evolved into a collection of original compositions penned by band leader Bruer, reflecting an eclectic blend of influences encompassing urban jazz, hard bop, funk, and chamber jazz. This shift underscores a significant contemporary evolution in their artistic approach and style.
In 2019, the ensemble released their 2nd album, ‘Turning Point’ to, featuring ten original compositions by Bruer. This release showcased a broader spectrum of compositional diversity, aligning with Bruer’s vision to diversify the band’s repertoire drawing from his disparate influences. The album received widespread acclaim both here in Australia and also the UK and ABC jazz still plays it.
This shift in style and focus on an all original repertoire has earned Hammerhead national recognition and acclaim captured by their dynamic live performances. Their ascendance has seen them grace the stages of prestigious jazz festivals across the country, including The Wangaratta Jazz & Blues Festival, Sydney Conservatorium International Jazz Festival, Manly Jazz Festival, Thredbo Jazz Festival, Capital Jazz Festival (Canberra) & The Inner West Marrickville Festival. Additionally, they have delivered sold-out performances at esteemed venues such as Gods Cafe, Smiths Alternative & The ANU in Canberra, the Wollongong Conservatoire of Music, Finding Filmores in Kiama & The Jazz Basement in Wodonga. In 2019, they headlined the ‘Jazz Up North’ concert series at the Tanks Art Centre in Cairns and performed in Brisbane, Queensland. They have maintained a monthly residency at Lazybones Lounge in Sydney for close to ten years as well as regularly performing at Foundry616 & Venue505
2023 saw the release of their 3rd studio album ‘I Didn’t Get To Where I Am Today’. It garnered many reviews including a 4.5* review in ‘The Australian’ and legendary jazz pianist Mike Nock hailed it as their best album to date. It contains 10 new original compositions from bandleader Jason Bruer. The music was written during the pandemic and resultant lockdowns and is Bruer’s artistic response to his first-hand experiences as a sufferer of long Covid. Bruer is currently writing new material for another album which they hope to record next year.
About the Artists
Jason Bruer – Tenor and Soprano Saxophone
Bruer’s career has spanned more than 40 years. As a bandleader he has 5 albums to his credit (3 with Hammerhead). As a session and freelance musician he has recorded, toured and or played with a wide range of artists both here in Australia and also in the UK where he lived for nearly 20 years. Artists in the UK include – BB King, Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Kirsty MColl, Bonnie Tyler, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Paul Weller, Madness, Charlie Watts, Jools Holland and here in Australia – The Models, The Dynamic Hepnotics, The Eurogliders, Swanee, Steve Kilby & Glen Shorrock. He also is an in demand teacher and lectured and tutored at The Australian Institute of Music for 12 years, as well as teaching and conducting bands in numerous schools in London.
Jason Bruer, Image courtesy of the artist
Andrew Robertson – Alto sax & flute
Andrew is well known in Sydney as a highly acclaimed instrumentalist having worked alongside an array of diverse artists including Michael Buble, Boy George, George Benson, Fanki Valli, James Morrison, Monica Trapaga and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He is also one of Australia’s most in demand arrangers. Currently he runs his own education program ‘Jellybean Music’ in a number of schools in NSW and also teaches jazz harmony and arranging at the Sydney Conservatorium of music. As a multi instrumental woodwind player, he has also featured in countless stage shows and musicals over a career spanning more than 30 years.
Andrew Robertson, Image courtesy of the artist
Simon Ferenci – Trumpet
Simon is one of the most in demand trumpet players in Sydney, and has a wealth of experience playing alongside some of the finest Australian jazz artists. He has performed & toured with the likes of Maria Schneider, Florian Ross, Chris Potter, James Muller & Mike Nock as part of The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra. He has also recorded and toured with a number of prominent international artists including – Jon Cleary (USA), Blacc (USA), Passenger (UK) & The MC5 (USA).
Simon Ferenci, Image courtesy of the artist
Dave Quinn – Double Bass
Dave graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium Of music in 2018 and in a short period of time has established himself as one of the finest bassists of his generation. He plays regularly with Steve Clisby, Conrad Sewell, Sagrada Familiar and Meme Wars and is also a collaborator with Thomas Avgenicos in acclaimed quartet Delay 45.
Dave Quinn, Image courtesy of the artist
Gavin Ahearn – Piano
Gavin Ahearn, a lyrical jazz pianist, composer, and producer, began with classical piano training before studying jazz at Sydney Conservatorium and in New York. His global career includes international festivals, recording with US, European and Australian based groups and touring Europe, Asia, and Australia. Ahearn co-founded numerous bands including Meme Wars and The Wires Project, a mixed media arts collaboration that performed at Vivid Sydney, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Hemnes Festival (Norway) and the Urbanscapes Festival in Malaysia. He has played and recorded with numerous renowned jazz artists such as Jon Irabagon, Ingrid Jensen, Adrian Mears, Katie Noonan & Dale Barlow He currently plays in the Afro-Peruvian Band, Mira, as well as the Tuesday Night Jazz Orchestra and is the only Australian to have an album released on the famed Steeplechase Record Label, (Cooper Ridge, 2014)
Gavin Ahearn, Image courtesy of the artist
Elliot Carter – Drums
A recent graduate from Sydney’s prestigious Conservatorium of Music, Elliot is part of a new wave of uber talented young musicians who are taking Sydney by storm. Already established as one of Sydney’s ‘stand out’ drummers, he is in high demand amongst Sydney’s elite jazz musicians & band leaders. He was the featured drummer for The Australian National Jazz Orchestra tour in 2024. Still in his early 20s, a very bright future awaits for this versatile and dynamic drummer.
Elliot Carter, Image courtesy of the artist
Acknowledgments
Tuggeranong Arts Centre would like to acknowledge our program partners The Jazz Haus Canberra and Artsound FM, and grant funding received through Live Music Australia – an Australian Government initiative.
