Biography

Enushu Taye (vocals)

Hailing from Ethiopia, Enushu was only a child when she began singing for her local community. In 1992 she was forced to take refuge in Cairo. In 1996 Enushu migrated to Australia bringing to Melbourne her hauntingly beautiful compositions inspired by her remarkable life story and the unique vocal traditions of Ethiopia. Enushu co-led the group GOJAM producing two acclaimed albums ‘World In A Jam’ and ‘Back On Earth’.

Mr Monk (MC)

Of Zimbabwean/Australian heritage and known by his peers as the “lyrical miracle”, Monk represents with rhythmic flows, conscious word play and a definitive raw fire on the mike. Monk cut his teeth on stage with the pioneering live multicultural hip-hop band, Culture Connect. No stranger to the club and festival circuit in Australia, he has collaborated and performed with international touring acts Ganga Giri, Grilla Step, producer Mista Savona (Sizzla), Emdee, and jazz prodigy Aaron Choulai lending his powerful and versatile rap stylings to live reggae, jazzy beats, and electronic dance music both on record and at major dance festivals.

Bob Sedergreen (Piano/Keys)

Jazz great Bob Sedergreen listed in the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, winner Ken Myers and Don banks Music Awards.

Toured with Milt Jackson, Nat Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Witherspoon, Phil Woods, represented Australia at European Jazz Festivals with the Brian Brown Quartet, and Montreal International Jazz Festival with Onage.

Led Blues On The Boil and multicultural pioneers Art Attack.

Recorded with Don Burrows, James Morrison, Brian Brown OAM, Allan Brown OAM, Dr Tony Gould and Ted Vining.

Artistic Director of Montsalvat Jazz Festival 1994-92, Adjunct Professor at VCA , Conservatorium of Music (UOM), NMIT and RMIT.

Published music author.

Peter Harper (tenor saxophone)

Harper has been a torch-bearer for the avant-garde on four continents, as an instrumentalist and as an inspirational composer, since the early 1980’s. His searingly powerful sound manifests his longtime dedication to the practice of overtones and musical studies under Ratu Pandji, and the great Evan Parker. He has performed and recorded worldwide with Musiikki Oy, Steve Lacy, House Arrest (Paul Grabowsky), The Australian Art Orchestra, Mulatu Astatke, Egypt 80, Night Z, Something Else, Where’s Henry, The Big One, GOJAM and BLOW.

Ian co-led ground breaking jazz-hiphop band ‘UTE’ in Australia and in London during the 1980’s and 90’s and is privileged to have worked with many great jazz, classical and contemporary artists in Australia, UK/Europe, America and Africa, including close working relationships with Ethiopian master musician Mulatu Astatke, with iconic German musician Irmin Schmidt (‘Can’) and Kumo, Guru (Keith Elam), Egypt 80, Tim Bowness & ‘No Man’, Max Romeo, ‘Musiikki-Oy/BLOW’, Paul Chivers aka ‘Ramjac’, Dale Barlow and Ray Vega amongst others.

Lorenzo ‘Larry’ Crestani (guitar) 

Larry Crestani is a Melbourne (Naarm)-based guitarist and musician best known for his work with the Ethio-jazz collective Black Jesus eXperience. He is a core member of the band, contributing guitar work to their blend of Ethiopian-inspired music, jazz, funk, and global groove influences.

He is also the bandleader and creative force behind Standing Circle, a Melbourne ensemble featuring rotating local musicians. The group performs their own compositions that combine world music influences, funk, and jazz improvisation in a live, exploratory setting.

Max Raz-Liebman (bass)

A fixture of Melbourne’s vibrant music scene, Max Raz-Liebman’s commitment to expression, groove, and melody, has seen him play with a myriad of artists across genre boundaries.

His playing can be heard on recordings with Australian jazz legends Andrea Keller and Kristin Berardi, as well as with renowned American trumpet player Ingrid Jensen.

His cross-continental influences provide the bustling underpinning to Black Jesus Experience’s unrelenting groove machine.

Kahan Harper (drums and percussion)

Student of Australian Jazz Legends Ted Vining and Bob Sedergreen, Melbourne based Drummer/Percussionist Kahan Harper has toured locally and internationally since the age of eleven.

Kahan has collaborated and performed with a multitude of international artists including Afrobeat giants Egypt 80, Zambian icon Danny Kaya, Senegalese Master percussionist Lamine Sonko, ‘Bob Sedergreen and Friends’, and Umar Zakaria’s ‘Jazz Melayu’, as well as recording and touring internationally with legendary Ethio-Jazz founder Mulatu Astatke.