Based in Melbourne, The Jazz Harbingers is the premier tribute band to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in the country. The Jazz Harbingers draw heavily on influences from albums like Moanin', Indestructible and Free For All, seeking to capture the energy of Art Blakey's multigenerational all-star band and convey its old school sensibilities to the Melbourne scene.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers is among the most prolific, seminal and iconic bands in jazz history. Running for a total of 35 years, the band has featured and mentored countless world-famous musicians, including Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Cedar Walton.

They are sometimes credited with the invention of Hard bop - a subgenre of jazz that incorporates the influence of blues, gospel and RnB into the fold of a rich bebop language.

You may wonder what our name means. Harbinger is defined as: "something that announces or signals the approach of another." So we are bringers of Jazz, but also signal the approach of Art Blakey's world-renowned music to the Australian scene.

The current members of our band include:

Justin Foster: Tenor Saxophone
Jerry Li: Trumpet
Matthew Steele: Piano
Jonah Grant: Double Bass
Miles Henry: Drums.

(Previous performers: Luke Drohan: Piano; Stuart McCowan: Piano; Russel Tay: Piano; Hugh Parsons: Trumpet; Benedict Saputra: Drums; Alex Spicer: Drums.)

Punters and fans have previously seen The Jazz Harbingers perform at well-know venues such as Paris Cat Jazz Club, Uptown Jazz Cafe, Jazz Lab, and Fyrefly.

Don't miss Melbourne's own fiery Jazz Messengers Tribute Band! If you would like to share in the hardbop music we love, book us for your club or venue!