Dr Steve Barry is a multi-award winning pianist, Hammond organist, composer and improviser, and the Program Leader for Jazz at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Born & raised in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and now for many years living and creating on Gadigal land, Barry works across the music industry as a performer, accompanist, educator and consultant.
Rooted in the spirit of soul jazz and amplified by influences from Brazil to Blake Mills and Béla Bartók, Barry’s Hammond trio weaves a lyrical melodicism with a modernist harmonic sensibility, underpinned by the trio’s liquid improvisatory rapport.
Barry’s creative output moves fluidly across the jazz, contemporary classical and improvised music worlds. His 2023 album In The Waves – featuring drummer Eric Harland and saxophonist Will Vinson (USA) – received 4.5 stars in the Weekend Australian and was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as “…the finest instalment yet of the pianist’s bristling musical intelligence, rhythmic mutability, melodic flair and compositional gifts.”
In recent years his work has increasingly involved intercultural practice, including projects with bassist Yoshio Suzuki (JPN, former Art Blakey Jazz Messenger), koto player Michiyo Yagi (JPN), and most recently with Vietnamese musicians Nguyen Thanh Thuy (dan bau) and Ngo Tra My (dan tranh).
The Band:
Steve Barry – Hammond organ
Harley Coleman – guitar
Alex Young – drums
GIG DETAILS:
Friday 13th February 2026
$20 Entry (+GST & BF)
Doors open from 7:30pm
Music starts at 8pm
ALL AGES (people under 18 need to be accompanied by a guardian)
LICENSED BAR
Head to our Humanitix to purchase limited seated tickets
How do I purchase a ticket?
Tickets are being sold through Humanitix. Purchase limited seated tickets here. Due to JMI Live being an intimate space, we have a maximum number of guests allowed in the venue. We highly recommend it is best to get in early before tickets sell out.
What is JMI Live?
JMI Live presents live jazz in Brisbane every Thursday night from 8pm and a jam session after each gig. JMI Live is renowned for its intimate setting, providing the best opportunity to listen to live jazz in Brisbane. Just like a jazz club in New York, this venue is the ideal location for great jazz music, acoustics and atmosphere.
Location
JMI Live is located at 10 Exhibition Street, Bowen Hills.
Ticket Refund Policy
If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms and are unable to attend after having purchased a ticket, please contact the JMI office (07 3216 1110 or email play@jazz.qld.edu.au) as soon as possible during business hours (10AM-4PM) to let us know you won’t be able to attend. A full refund will be given if we are contacted prior to a performance. Refunds will not be processed if we are contacted after the gig.