The Happy Hoppy Orchestra (named after a non-alcoholic beer-flavoured soda, which is mixed with shochu) return. With leader James Macaulay based in Tokyo in the pre-COVID period (where he recorded Today Will Be Another Day, the HHO’s impressive debut album in 2016), this will be the group’s first Melbourne gig since their performance at the MJC’s 35th anniversary. With a couple of new faces playing music from the mind of trombonist Macaulay (2017 National Jazz Brass Award winner), the band explores an eclectic range of notated and improvised music, from sung songs, chamber vignettes and energetic free jazz to earnest acoustic pop.

Featuring the many talents of Ben Harrison (trumpet and voice), Scott McConnachie (saxophones), Ben Gillespie (trombone and voice), James Bowers (piano), Helen Svoboda (double bass and voice), and Joe Talia (drums), the Happy Hoppy Orchestra present James Macaulay’s strange musical worldview with his favourite Melbourne artists.