Tribute to Chet Baker: Let's Get Lost

Let's Get Lost: A Tribute to Chet Baker
GIANNI MARINUCCI ( Vocals & Trumpet), PAUL WILLIAMSON ( Saxophone) SIMON WIGNEY ( Guitar), BEN GIBBONS ( Double Bass)

This tribute concert brings together the enormous vocal and trumpeting talent of Gianni Marinucci and the equal talent of Paul Williamson on saxophone, ably supported by Simon Wigney on guitar and Ben Gibbons on bass.

To this day, Chet Baker remains one of the most iconic and tragic figures in jazz. Blessed with an immense talent and Hollywood movie star looks he was destined for greatness. That was until addiction and imprisonment interrupted his career. Unable to play after an assault he went on to rebuild his career and made music of incredible power and beauty right up until his tragic death.

This event will pay tribute to some of the songs most strongly associated with Chet and different points in his career and promises to be an evening of intimate swinging music featuring the vocals and trumpet of Gianni Marinucci plus Ben and Simon.

'Gianni’s trumpet is like …poetry of the heart, vividly unique, vulnerable, yet filled with emotional depth.' Nick Mondello ‘Live at Bennetts Lane’ 2015

7.30pm Saturday 9 August 2025
Tickets $25; $68 Share Package [2 tickets plus bottle of wine]

Gianni Marinucci - Biography

Trumpeter Gianni Marinucci has had a wide and varied career. As a student he has taken lessons in the USA with Warren Vache, Laurie Frink and Bobby Shew.
He has toured internationally to Hong Kong, Thailand and Europe. He has played with many seminal Australian jazz figures such as Don Burrows and James Morrison.He has been a featured performer at many festivals in Australia. Gianni led the late night jazz at the Melbourne International Festival of Brass for its duration.

He is a highly sort after jazz musician who collaborates in many ensembles around Australia. He also heads his own trio, quartet and nonet and is a regular performer at in Melbourne Jazz clubs

Gianni has released 4 recordings under his own name and has also been featured on many radio broadcasts on the Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC.

In 2009 he opened the Melbourne Italian Festival with a concert of the music of Ennio Morricone. In 2014 Gianni was featured at The Melbourne Recital Centre as featured soloist with the New Palm Court Orchestra. In 2016 Gianni was a featured performer at the 2016 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Los Angeles.

Gianni Marinucci's tonal expressions is to hear poetry of the heart. It is no different here with Live @ Bennett's Lane. From the first few pitches on this vividly unique performance—vulnerable, yet filled with emotional depth—to the joyous last few, the Australian trumpeter and his sidekicks, Colin Hopkins and Frank DiSario provide an enthralling near hour of gorgeous, thought-provoking balladic material. And, given that this is a live effort, any warts that surface seem to be part of the art in a Miles Davis sort of non-silent way.

Paul Williamson (Saxophone)

Paul started his association with the music industry as a busy freelance player with R&B and Rock groups, as well as Big Bands and Cabaret work. This led to offers of touring and recording work. The first of which was with Rock band the DUGITES for a six-week Australian tour. On returning to Melbourne he auditioned for Joe Camilleri’s JO JO ZEP - 12 piece CHA Band (from the album of the same name, to promote the hit singles TAXI MARY and WALK ON BY) This, finally , prompted the decision to try it as a professional musician.

After completing the CHA tour in February 1983, the offer came to tour with English rock group DIRE STRAITS. An initial tour of Australia was extended with the invitation to accompany them to New Zealand playing to in excess of 200,000 people. He then continued with the band for an extensive tour of Japan. On returning to Australia Paul began to freelance- mainly as a Jazz musician with artists such as VINCE JONES and JANE CLIFTON.

Since then he has played with artists and groups including:

BLACK SORROWS (1984)
STEPHEN CUMMINGS
DYNAMIC HEPNOTICS JANE CLIFTON (1983 -1992)
VINCE JONES (1983-1988)
MEN AT WORK (1985 tour of Australia and Japan
RUBY CARTER
CORNELL DUPREE (American guitarist-Melbourne Oct. ‘95)
JOANNE JACKSON (American singer- Melb ‘89)
BIG JAY McNEELY (American R&B saxophonist)
JIMMY McGRIFF (American Hammond Organist- Aust tour ‘90,New York ‘90)
LUCKY PETERSON (American Hammond Organist-Melb. ’92)
SWINGIN’ SIDEWALKS
ZYDECO JUMP
JEX SARALAAHT NIKO
GEORGE COLEMAN (Studied with in New York 1987)
LENNY PICKETT (Studied with in New York 1987)