Larry Heath talks to Australia's Katie Noonan out the front of The Aussie BBQ at Beer Market in Singapore, as part of the 2013 Music Matters LIVE event in May, just after she performed with a string quartet and the one and only Gurrumul. We talk about that performance, what she's up to in the year ahead and much more...

On Sunday, with the inaugural Perth International Jazz Festival drawing to a close; I found myself returning to the Gardens at Bishop’s See to catch a performance by Katie Noonan, my second for the weekend. During her performance the previous evening she was accompanied by her band Elixir as well as Joe Lovano and Vince Jones. For this performance Noonan did things a little bit differently, taking to the stage alone, performing a collection of songs from her new album Songbook amongst others.

Saturday night saw the Perth Concert Hall play host to headline concert for the inaugural Perth International Jazz Festival. A concert featuring performances from Australia’s Katie Noonan and Vince Jones, and America’s Joe Lovano; culminating in a collaborative performance from all three artists.

A massive night of Australian music took over the Beer Market in Singapore at the annual Aussie BBQ event, part of Music Matters Live. This year, guests were treated to high energy performances from At Sunset, Monks of Mellonwah, Cub Scouts and The Vaudeville Smash, plus the beautiful voices of Gurrumul and Katie Noonan. Katie joined the indigenous artist on stage for a song; a highlight of the night, while she treated the crowd to a set featuring a local string quartet. Enjoy the photos from Johnny Au below! - Larry Heath

With the 2013 Digital and Music Matters summit in Singapore just around the corner, more details emerge on how the Australian market is set to be represented. A huge contingent of Aussie industry professionals and performers are set to fly the flag during the conference and entertainment series - the only even in the Asia-Pacific region which 'brings the entire entertainment ecosystem under one roof'.

From May 24-26, the inaugural Perth International Jazz Festival will be staged across seven stages throughout Perth and Northbridge. A huge 35 scheduled jazz performances have been scheduled for the weekend; both ticketed and free events are on offer for lovers of jazz, music in general and those who are wanting to get amongst an awesome weekend of happenings going down in WA.

The PIJF will host a number of local and international artists, including:

Joe Lovano
Katie Noonan
Vince Jones
Kneebody

Katie Noonan is one of the most recognisable voices to come out of the Brisbane Music scene. Her new record Songbook is a reinvention of songs from her entire back catalogue, including songs from her days with band george, her trio Elixer, her solo material as well as Katie Noonan and the Captains. Taking things back to a more acoustic vibe, each reinvention features lush string arrangements and with added piano.

Pete Murray is quintessentially Australian. Having spent the past years nestled in Byron Bay, he has been living a life enviable by many. However, it’s not all rays of sunshine and waves, Pete has been hard at work on his latest album Blue Sky Blue and the remade Byron Sessions, and is currently on a huge Australian tour that sees itself to a serious amount of shows across the land. Elke had the chance to talk to Pete about his recent collaborations and the albums' success.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Australia's unofficial anthem 'Great Southern Land', famous Aussie artists have collaborated together to produce a video clip that takes a fresh look at the song and the landscape down under.

Working under the guise of Icehouse lead singer Iva Davies and Tourism Australia, everyday characters like an oyster farmer at Barilla Bay in Tasmania and a local choir from the Blue Mountains feature with well-known artists like Katie Noonan, Van She, Jonathon Boulet, Muscles, Eskimo Joe and Cut Copy.

The 2011 lineup for the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues was announced last night, with an exciting program of international guests alongside the cream of Australia’s jazz and blues artists, in diverse musical collaborations and exclusive appearances across four days and nights, from Friday 28 October to Monday 31 October.

The day after Larry got back from Splendour in the Grass, he caught up with the one and only Katie Noonan - who was recovering herself from her stint on the red carpet at the Helpmann Awards. They went on to talk about Elbow at Splendour, working with STVDIO, the new Elixir album, touring with Ron Carter and more!

In 1990, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released a song that within 11 years was voted one of the Top 30 Best Australian Songs of the previous 75 years. That song was The Ship Song. Now, Sydney Opera House has married this iconic song with the world’s most famous building to celebrate the artists, architecture and interiors that together make Sydney Opera House intrinsic to Australia’s cultural fabric. The Ship Song can be viewed here www.theshipsongproject.com