11/08/2025
Australian jazz pioneer Judy Bailey, accomplished pianist, composer and educator, dies aged 89. The New Zealand-born pianist was one of the most prominent forces on the Australian music scene, ever since she arrived in Australia in the early 1960s.
In 1974, Bailey formed one of her most well-known combos called the Judy Bailey Quartet, featuring Ron Philpott on bass, John Pochee on drums and Ken James on sax.
In the 1980s Bailey started exploring classical and folkloric music, which — in turn — informed her jazz playing.
"I thought, 'You've heard jazz until it's pouring out of your ears. Try to cut the apron strings. Try to find your own direction'," she said.
"And that's the way it still is."
A brilliant musician and composer, Bailey was also a keen educator, with a passion for building up generations of young Australian jazz musicians. Her legacy as a trailblazing pianist and composer in Australia will be long remembered.
Discover the life of Judy Bailey https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-11/judy-bailey-australian-jazz-pioneer-dies/105635268
