Melanie Charles with Ignabu x Paul Wilson Bae

Melanie Charles is a boundary-smashing Brooklyn-born vocalist, flutist, and producer blending jazz, soul, experimental sounds, and Haitian roots into a bold, unmistakable voice. With acclaimed releases like The Girl with the Green Shoes and Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women on Verve, she’s become a standout force in contemporary jazz—earning praise from The New York Times and The Village Voice. A graduate of The New School, Charles has collaborated with everyone from Herlin Riley and Terri Lyne Carrington to Gorillaz and SZA, and appeared on SNL, Good Morning America, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her “Make Jazz Trill Again” project reclaims and reimagines jazz for a new generation.

For this headline performance for SIMA’s Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival at the famed Mary’s Underground, Charles is joined by fellow New Yorkers, Ignabu and Paul Wilson Bae. Their collaborative trio channels the legacy of John Coltrane through archival sound, spoken word, and deep improvisation, first conceived for the Wall to Wall concert series in NYC. What began as a one-off homage became a resonant, four-part sonic ritual—a moving tribute to Coltrane and the late drummer Lawrence Leathers, and a powerful conversation between past, present, and future.

You may also like the following events from SIMA:

• Next month, 28th September, 04:00 am, Jazz:NOW - SUMMIT Minifestival featuring Clocks and Clouds + Showa 44 + Hinano Fujisaki’s Home Is in Marrickville

Also check out other Music events in Sydney, Entertainment events in Sydney, Concerts in Sydney.