Experience an evening of jazz, blues and soul featuring Nat Bartsch, GroooveTones and the Damon Grant Quartet (Dux Qtet), presented as part of Alter State.
Nat Bartsch is a three-time ARIA Award nominated pianist, composer, producer and advocate based in Melbourne. She creates immersive music that blends neoclassical composition with jazz harmony, improvisation and ambient textures. Known for her gentle, expressive piano style, her work is characterised by lyrical melodies and a warm, intimate sound.
Her music is heard by audiences around the world and is often embraced during significant life moments, from birth to end of life care. Nat has released nine albums, toured throughout Australia and internationally, and collaborated with leading artists including Luke Howard, Grigoryan Brothers, Back to Back Theatre, Inventi Ensemble, Teeny Tiny Stevies, Playschool and Plexus Collective.
Nat is the founder of Amica Records, an independent record label that also includes Amica Familia, an initiative supporting mentoring and professional development for emerging artists. She is proudly neurodivergent.
GroooveTones.
Performing uptempo jump blues and jazz, GroooveTones brings together Lindsay Davies (double bass and vocals), Adrian Sims (tenor saxophone), Alexander W. Sims (four-string guitar) and Gerry Nelson (piano). With driving rhythm and infectious energy, the quartet delivers a dynamic live performance.
Damon Grant Quartet (Dux Qtet)
Damon Grant is a Melbourne-based saxophonist, composer and educator.
Born in New Zealand, Damon began his professional career in the late 1980s before relocating to Australia in 1998. He has performed with a diverse range of artists including Arturo Sandoval, Georgie Fame, David Clayton-Thomas, Dianne Schuur, John Paul Young, Craig David, Don Burrows, TV on the Radio, Bert Newton, Kylie Auldist, Harvey Sutherland, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Bamboos, Southside of Bombay and House of Shem.
As a composer and arranger, Damon has written music for The Bamboos, Kylie Auldist and his own ensembles, Dux and Wairua. He has performed at jazz festivals and toured extensively throughout Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia, Europe and the United States.
Following a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2020, Damon has continued to perform, compose, teach and tour. In 2023, he toured Spain, France, Germany and the UK with The Bamboos. He has taught music at Caulfield Grammar since 2007.
Event venue
The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts Monash University Clayton Campus, 48 Exhibition Walk, Clayton 3800, Melbourne, Australia
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