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“She has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation.” - The Guardian UK“She ranks among the very best practitioners in the art of jazz singing.” - Los Angeles Times
Over the course of a remarkable and many-faceted career, multiple Grammy and Tony Award-winner, Dee Dee Bridgewater, has ascended to the upper echelon of all-time great jazz vocalists, celebrated for her bold reimaginings of standards and a fearless, singular artistic vision.
A two-time Grammy winner, Dee Dee Bridgewater first rose to prominence with the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra before sharing stages with icons including Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and Dizzy Gillespie. Whether interpreting the Great American Songbook or championing new works, Bridgewater’s voice is both deeply rooted in tradition and unmistakably her own.
A true artistic polymath, Bridgewater has built an expansive career spanning music, theatre, film and TV, radio broadcasting, and production. She won a Tony Award for her role as Glinda in The Wiz and has earned acclaim for performances in stage productions including Lady Day, Cabaret, and Sophisticated Ladies. As a producer and bandleader, she has released a string of influential recordings—including the double Grammy-winning Dear Ella—and founded her own label, DDB Records. Her most recent recording, 2025’s Elemental, with pianist Bill Charlap, added another to her list of nine Grammy nominations. An NEA Jazz Master, Doris Duke Artist, Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductee, and global Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, her work continues to resonate far beyond the stage.
Joining her is acclaimed pianist and composer, Helen Sung, a Guggenheim Fellow whose work bridges virtuosity, intellect, and deep swing. A graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance and winner of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition, Sung has performed with luminaries including Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Wynton Marsalis. Equally active as an educator and interdisciplinary artist, she brings a richly nuanced approach to the piano—blending her classical roots with inventive jazz language.
This is a truly once-in-a-generation encounter with two extraordinary artists at the height of their powers. Dee Dee Bridgewater’s first performance on her Australian tour, and her first performance in the country in almost twelve years, makes this a genuinely historic moment for Sydney jazz audiences. Expect fire, elegance, storytelling, and sheer vocal mastery from one of the greats, matched with Helen Sung’s exhilarating virtuosity and boundless imagination, culminating in an absolutely unmissable concert.
With
Michelle Nicolle & Hugh Stuckey
Hailed as Australia’s preeminent female jazz singer, Michelle Nicolle is a living embodiment of artistry and elegance in the jazz world. A multi-award-winner, her accolades include the prestigious Bell Award (2017), National Jazz Award winner (1998) and 3-time A.R.I.A Finalist and the 2024 Music Victoria Award for “Best Jazz Work”. From sharing the stage with Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling and the SSO – to name a few – to appearing at festivals the world over, Nicole continues to cement her status as a national treasure with global appeal
For this concert Michelle will be performing in a duo setting with the most versatile and accomplished Melbourne (via Adelaide and NYC) based guitarist Hugh Stuckey.
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Event Venue
State Theatre, 49 Market Street,Sydney,NSW,Australia
Tickets
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