Home » Jazz Musicians » James Sherlock

James Sherlock

James began playing classical guitar at age 7. He attended the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, studying classical guitar, and graduated in 1992. He is now based in Melbourne, Australia. James was the winner of the Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar Award. As a bandleader, James has released six albums and appeared on many recordings for other artists. For information about a selection of these releases, please visit the 'Albums' page.

As well as his projects as bandleader, James has ongoing duo and trio projects with vocalists Hetty Kate and Kristin Berardi and with MSO bassist Ben Hanlon. Hetty and James have toured and performed throughout Australia and Europe, most recently in 2022 with performances at venues including ‘A Trane’ in Berlin, ‘Sunset Sunside’ and ‘La Gare’ in Paris, ‘Jazz Dock’ in Prague, ‘The Dresden Blue Note’ and ‘The Sounds Jazz Club’ in Brussels. Kristin and James have toured extensively throughout Australia as well as Indonesia, North and South America, Japan and a 2007 European tour culminating in a performance on the Stravinsky stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival. For this performance, the duo opened for George Benson and Al Jarreau. Their second CD, "If You Were There", won the Bell Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2010. James and Ben have released two albums, the most recent being the critically acclaimed “Stravinsky” which Eric Meyers of The Australian Review described as “a major achievement”.

James works with a variety of Australia's finest jazz musicians and has collaborated with visiting artists including New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones, New York jazz vocalists Sheila Jordan and Cyrille Aimee and master drummers Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and Jon Riley. He has also performed or recorded with artists as diverse as British guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor, Kate Ceberano, Megan Washington, Joe Camilleri and New York film composer Howard Shore and with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and The Australian Chamber Orchestra. In 2021 James was featured soloist in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s work “Blood on the Floor”. The James Sherlock Trio was featured in the ABC TV Jazz Series "The Pulse".


Tags

8
Album Review

James Sherlock: The Verb Not The Noun

Read "The Verb Not The Noun" reviewed by Ian Patterson


James Sherlock's eighth album as leader sees the Melbourne-based guitarist return to the trio format for the first time since Domestic Arts (Jazzhead, 2010). Where that album was predominantly standards-weighted--a gorgeous version of The Strangler's “Golden Brown" apart--this one, Sherlock's first with bassist Sam Anning and drummer Danny Fischer, showcases his songwriting chops as much as his stellar guitar playing. All originals, the eight compositions encompass swing and blues alongside Sherlock's more contemporary frameworks. The results are uniformly satisfying.

299
Album Review

James Sherlock Trio: Domestic Arts

Read "Domestic Arts" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Domestic Arts caps a busy 2010 for Melbourne guitarist James Sherlock, following the release, earlier in the year, of the impressive Solo (Pinnacles Music, 2010). That recording highlighted not only Sherlock's notable chops but also his songwriting skills, with more than half the compositions self-penned works of striking originality and nuance. This time out Sherlock leads a trio through a vibrant set of mostly standards, with two of the seven tracks composed by the leader. “Domestic Arts ...

225
Album Review

James Sherlock: Solo

Read "Solo" reviewed by Ian Patterson


The title of Australian jazz guitarist James Sherlock's Solo is deceptively simple, because these eleven selections reveal a guitarist and arranger of uncommon sensitivity and advanced technique. Sherlock, perhaps aware of the challenge of concentrating on a single instrument, offers up only 35 minutes of music. However, the performance is absolutely captivating, and only whets the appetite for more. The four covers are interesting, revealing something of Sherlock's openness to all music, ranging as they do from the American show ...

Read more articles

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Verb Not The Noun

Self Produced
2023

buy

Domestic Arts

Jazzhead (Australia)
2011

buy

Solo

Pinnacles Music
2010

buy

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.