Leigh Barker International Band featuring Heather Stewart
12 November 2025,12:30 pm – 3:30 pm, at the Freeway Hotel, Artarmon.
Jazz musician and double bassist Leigh Barker is bringing his band to Sydney for Sydney jazz Club on 12 November.
A YouTube video of the band—click here.
Virtuoso string bassist, bandleader, composer and arranger, Leigh Barker moved to Paris from Australia in 2016 to bring a new international perspective to his many musical projects. In the years before his departure, Barker was already sustaining a busy international schedule including such highlights as the Sydney Opera House, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Festival in Iowa and The New York Lindy Exchange as well as global tours with the “Tom Vincent Trio” and the “Hot Jazz Alliance”. As a sideman he has accompanied artists as diverse as Branford Marsalis, Gordon Webster, Sarah McKenzie, Andy Schumm and Dan Levinson, and in France and Europe since 2016 with many the greats of traditional and mainstream jazz, including Christophe Davot, Chris Hopkins, Olivier Franc and Duved Dunayevsky.
Ambitiously as a bandleader Leigh has maintained a regular line up in both France AND Australia, which allowed him to spend two days in the studio with the Melbourne based musicians in late 2022. This produced the new full length album “CROSS STREET” available in all mediums from May 2025, (including for the very first time vinyl!) These sessions reunited Leigh with all his regular bandmates, allowing the group to develop even further Leigh’s vision of an inclusive and diverse music, where one finds the all the critical elements of blues, swing, hot jazz and classic themes, at the heart of an exuberant, spontaneous and virtuosic orchestra. On the new album and now in 2025 live on tour in Australia, vocalist and violinist Heather Stewart anchors these musical comrades with her moving and swinging voice, while the orchestra traverses a rich palette of rhythm melody and improvisation.
Leigh Barker – bass, Heather Stewart – vocals and violin, Eamon McNelise – trumpet, Max Teakle – piano, Abby Constable – drums, Special Guest
$20 non-members, $15 for SJC members, pay (cash only) as you enter.
The Freeway Hotel has great facilities including a large dance floor / extensive food menu.
For the convenience of our members and guests travelling by train, the hotel will provide a free small coach pick up service from the shops side of Artarmon Station every 10 / 15 minutes from 11.30 – 12.30 and return from 3.30 – 4.00. Look for the Freeway Logo on the bus – it may be waiting at the pedestrian tunnel under the station depending on parking and traffic.
Call the Freeway if you need help on (02) 9437 0000
Come along and listen to the wonderful music.