Sydney singer and musician, and break-out star of The Voice, Nic Jeffries is returning to The Adelaide Jazz Club after a smash hit season late last year. Performing as part of the Jazz Club’s stellar Fringe line-up, Jeffries sold out last time, and is on-track to do the same this time round.
He chatted to Glam from his home in Sydney, about his much-anticipated return.
I’m very excited to be coming back to the Adelaide Jazz Club. We’ll be rehearsing up some new repertoire with the band, which is exciting, including some of my original music.
Last year saw Jeffries play with three, brilliant local musicians: Mark Ferguson on keys, Shireen Khemlani on bass and John McDermott on drums. He will be joined by the same line-up in March.
So those guys are now sort of my official Adelaide trio, which is fantastic!
Jeffries is grateful to organizations such as the Adelaide Jazz Club for their contribution to the live music scene.
It’s becoming so hard for traditional clubs to put on this kind of music, so I think volunteer-run organizations like the Brisbane and Adelaide Jazz Clubs, are imperative. Brisbane Jazz Club is one of my favourite places to play. I have to say Mark [Keough] did a fantastic job of recreating that feeling at the Adelaide Jazz Club. The last time I was there we played to a full house, and such an attentive and appreciative audience. I don’t know if that’s something that’s unique to Adelaide audiences, but it was just a really lovely experience. He’s so passionate about it, and I’m inspired to keep on doing what I do, when I meet people like Mark.
It’s very, very hard to make a career out of [live music] and I think our governments are out of touch with what creative people do: the things that we have to do to make a living. I also think people just aren’t going out as much anymore, which is a shame. Which is why I think people [particularly from interstate] flock to things like the Adelaide Fringe, because they’re the people who are living in cities where there’s not as much happening any more.
After playing three gigs for the Adelaide Jazz Club during the Fringe, Jeffries is barely taking a break.
I’m off to PNG in May with my wife. We’re doing a show up there in Port Moresby, which we’re really looking forward to. We’ll probably be doing the Manly Jazz Festival later in the year. And we’re back in Adelaide just before Xmas doing a Xmas concert. On top of that we’re working on music to release as well. We’re really looking forward to getting some new music out online.
So, what does this master of vocal interpretation think makes a good song. And is there one song he wished he’d written?
I think what makes a great song is if it can be played with just a piano and a voice: if it can be stripped back to one or two instruments, and be played and manipulated in a variety of styles. And a song that I wished I had written? John Lennon’s Imagine!
The latter may well be one of the numbers he performs for us in March, along with his signature mix of songbook standards, Stevie Wonder, original tunes and some surprises.
We’re going to have lots and lots of fun at the shows, there’ll be loads of laughs, lots of great playing and great musicianship and I can’t wait to meet the Adelaide audiences again!
Interview by Tracey Korsten
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/nic-jeffries-af2019
Friday 1st March 7.30 and 9.30
Sat 2nd March 7.30
Adelaide Jazz Club @ The Grande Room at the Gilbert Street Hotel 88 Gilbert St
Tickets: $27.50
Duration: 90 minutes
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