Gregg Arthur: Live at City Recital Hall will premiere on SBS and SBS On Demand, inviting audiences to experience a rare cinematic jazz concert that celebrates musicianship, collaboration, and a lifelong dedication to song.
—Lucy Scott
Something very rare is happening on Australian television. In a landscape where live jazz concerts are seldom broadcast, SBS will premiere Gregg Arthur: Live at City Recital Hall, a major new music special co-produced with Australian Theatre Live. The broadcast offers audiences across the country an opportunity to experience an artform rarely showcased on screen, presented through the work of one of Australia’s most respected and internationally recognised jazz vocalists.
The concert has already been met with exceptional critical praise, receiving a five-star review from Eric Myers of the Weekend Australian.
Gregg Arthur has enjoyed a distinguished three-decade career across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. Known for his elegance, warm vocal style, and refined storytelling, he has received praise from some of the most esteemed figures in music. Tony Bennett once said, “I love the way you sing. You are yourself, which makes you an original singer. Your phrasing is perfection.” Critics have also celebrated Gregg’s work as a songwriter, with John Shand noting that “most contemporary jazz singers would kill to pen songs the quality of Arthur’s originals”.
Gregg’s international career includes several years in Los Angeles, where highlights included performing and recording an album at Capitol Records with Tom Ranier, the pianist for Tony Bennett, a residency at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill, and close collaboration with Vincent Falcone, Sinatra’s former musical director. He has also recorded multiple albums in Australia, including collections of jazz standards with legendary maestro Tommy Tycho, and more recently a new album of original songs supported by Sound NSW. Recently, in Australia he has toured 23 concerts nationally with John Morrison’s Big Band featuring trumpeter James Morrison, appeared at major festivals, and performed to sold out audiences in concert halls and leading jazz venues.
Filmed live at Sydney’s City Recital Hall, the special brings together the musicians who have shaped Gregg’s artistic life, including Peter Locke on piano, Craig Scott on bass, Andrew Dickeson on drums, with guests Charlie Meadows on guitar and Craig Walters on saxophone. Their long-standing musical relationship creates a performance defined by intimacy, clarity, and a shared musical language developed over many years.
The production was made possible with the generous support of members of Sydney’s jazz and arts community, whose contributions enabled both the concert and its filming. Their involvement reflects the collaborative spirit and resilience of Australia’s creative sector and the strong appetite for Australian made jazz content on screen.
Gregg Arthur: Live at City Recital Hall will premiere on SBS and SBS On Demand, inviting audiences to experience a rare cinematic jazz concert that celebrates musicianship, collaboration, and a lifelong dedication to song.
The concert has already been met with exceptional critical praise, receiving a five-star review from Eric Myers of the Weekend Australian.
Gregg Arthur has enjoyed a distinguished three-decade career across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. Known for his elegance, warm vocal style, and refined storytelling, he has received praise from some of the most esteemed figures in music. Tony Bennett once said, “I love the way you sing. You are yourself, which makes you an original singer. Your phrasing is perfection.” Critics have also celebrated Gregg’s work as a songwriter, with John Shand noting that “most contemporary jazz singers would kill to pen songs the quality of Arthur’s originals”.
Gregg’s international career includes several years in Los Angeles, where highlights included performing and recording an album at Capitol Records with Tom Ranier, the pianist for Tony Bennett, a residency at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill, and close collaboration with Vincent Falcone, Sinatra’s former musical director. He has also recorded multiple albums in Australia, including collections of jazz standards with legendary maestro Tommy Tycho, and more recently a new album of original songs supported by Sound NSW. Recently, in Australia he has toured 23 concerts nationally with John Morrison’s Big Band featuring trumpeter James Morrison, appeared at major festivals, and performed to sold out audiences in concert halls and leading jazz venues.
Filmed live at Sydney’s City Recital Hall, the special brings together the musicians who have shaped Gregg’s artistic life, including Peter Locke on piano, Craig Scott on bass, Andrew Dickeson on drums, with guests Charlie Meadows on guitar and Craig Walters on saxophone. Their long-standing musical relationship creates a performance defined by intimacy, clarity, and a shared musical language developed over many years.
The production was made possible with the generous support of members of Sydney’s jazz and arts community, whose contributions enabled both the concert and its filming. Their involvement reflects the collaborative spirit and resilience of Australia’s creative sector and the strong appetite for Australian made jazz content on screen.
Gregg Arthur: Live at City Recital Hall will premiere on SBS and SBS On Demand, inviting audiences to experience a rare cinematic jazz concert that celebrates musicianship, collaboration, and a lifelong dedication to song.
