Described by the Guardian UK as “seductive, genre-hopping creativity," and US Downbeat magazine as “a worldly, talented band”, The Vampires features four of Australia’s most awarded jazz instrumentalists, including saxophonist Jeremy Rose, trumpeter Nick Garbett and drummer Alex Masso, joined by bassist Jonathan Zwartz and special guests: guitarist Ben Hauptmann & Shannon Barnett on the trombone. The band has released five albums and toured relentlessly around Australia, Europe and the UK.
Combining risk-taking improvisation, sophisticated compositions and an uncanny sense of dialogue between the sax-trumpet frontline, the band has developed a style of its own that effortlessly combines influences from all corners of the world. To mark 10 years of performing together, the band collaborated with one of the jazz world’s most talked about guitarists, Lionel Loueke, for their ARIA nominated release ‘The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke’.
The new album has been well received, with the media reporting that the new record is “phenomenal” (Downbeat, US), “chock full of irrepressible joy, a commodity that is in short supply these days” (All About Jazz, US), and that “this was the perfect summer record that pulled off the trick of being both an ambient soundtrack to life on the move while remaining capable of standing up to concentrated home listening” (All About Jazz, UK).