Name: Home From Connecticut
Start: 2026-07-18T12:00:00+08:00
Location: The Ellington Jazz Club - Perth

Doors at 12pm
Music at 1pm
Evergreens, Firs, and Pines line the Connecticut River that runs from Old Lyme all the way up to Quebec. The Knowledge Corridor of universities and schools, crowned by Yale university in New Haven, sweeps through the forests and hills in the heart of the state. The jewel of New England, Connecticut has cultivated the talents of Horace Silver, Dave Brubeck, John Scofield, Jeff Porcaro, Brad Mehldau, Jimmy Greene, and John Mayer.
Studying at the Jackie McLean Institute in Hartford, Connecticut, Ben Shelley has been surrounded and instructed by Grammy Award winners, Jazz Messengers, and band members of legendary musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Kenny Garrett and Danilo Perez. With its close proximity to both Boston and New York City, Hartford has produced modern phenoms like Jimmy MacBride and Sarah Hanahan, continuing to be a training ground for rising stars.
Returning to Perth at the midpoint of his Master’s study, Ben has reflected deeply on music, fascinated by its place in the story of America. Presenting reimagined folk, singer-songwriter, and Great American Songbook songs, the complex emotion of American music will be infused with the spirit and good humour of his home in Perth.
With a band of Perth’s finest, the afternoon will be filled with the love and joy of a homecoming, connected with the beating heart of jazz history. Playing at his very best, Ben Shelley is home from Connecticut.
Band:
Jordan Boase - Vocals
Matthew Knight - Trumpet
Dan Garner - Guitar
Tom Salleo - Piano
Finn McKibbin - Bass
Ben Shelley - Drums
Ben Shelley is a young drummer from Perth, Western Australia, holding a bachelor of music with honours from WAAPA, currently pursuing a master of jazz performance at the University of Hartford in Connecticut under the direction of Jazz Messenger, Javon Jackson. He has studied with local legend Ben Vanderwal, and is currently under tutelage of New York staple, Charles Goold. In 2023, Ben was selected for the Perth Jazz Society recording opportunity, releasing his original album, Kindness, in 2024. He has performed around Australia, as well as in Japan, and the United States. Ben’s most recent efforts are with local group Bad Neighbour, nearing the release of their original album and celebrating 1 year of a regular engagement at the William Street Bird.