Lily's strong entree into the Australian jazz scene has led her to perform with many of the country's most accomplished musicians, including: Barney McAll, Roger Frampton, Tony Buck, Tim Hopkins, Jonathan Zwartz, Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton, Sandy Evans, Mike Nock, Mark Isaacs, Dale Barlow and the Paul Grabowsky Trio. Her performance credits also include appearances with Renee Geyer, DIG, The Mighty Reapers, Kate Ceberano and Alex Lloyd.
Lily has appeared at many jazz festivals including Jazz in the Vines, Kiama, Bellingen, Wangaratta, Adelaide, Thredbo, Manly, Wollongong, Magnetic Island, Noosa and many more. Concert highlights include the Jazz Action Society's 25th anniversary at The Studio and the Wollongong Benefit for the late Roger Frampton, as well as the critically acclaimed "Testimony" where she performed with The Australian Art Orchestra at The Opera House, "Dior presided like a Pagan Priestess" SMH.
Television appearances include ABC's O'Loghlin on Saturday Night, The Arts Show as well as "The Pulse", an exciting ten part series made about the Australian Contemporary Jazz Scene.
Travelling the globe from the tender age of three weeks, Lily's life has been filled with music and exotic locations. She spent her first five years touring Asia with her parents, both professional musicians who met and married in London.
Although surrounded by music, her first love was dance. She studied classical ballet and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance in Sydney, set for a career as a prima ballerina. This changed when Lily moved to Bellingen as a teenager to live with her father. Influenced by the excitement of the annual Bellingen Jazz Festival, she began to explore the world of jazz and find her own voice. Her love of singing and thirst for new sounds led her on a musical journey that would eventually lure her down the coast to Sydney.
Lily's first project was the highly successful A Night Of Lady Day, a tribute to Billie Holiday, which she wrote and produced. She performed a four month sell-out season which introduced her to the Sydney scene and attracted the attention of Jackie Orszaczky, who invited her to become one of the founding members of the soul/funk supergroup The Godmothers.
Lily's voice has been described as "deep, full, heart-stopping and sultry." ( Bruce Elder, Sydney Morning Herald). Of her performance, Jim McLeod wrote: "She can belt out a song, dramatize a lyric, swing hard and earthy, flirt, sing a tender song - Lily can 'tell a story'."
1998 saw the long-awaited release of her debut album 'Invitation', which has been enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike. Craig N. Pearce of Drum Media wrote: "Invitation is a deep, moving piece of work that is almost ridiculously listenable and is destined to be required listening for any music lover possessing a cultured taste." In October of that year, audiences were treated to the riveting performance which earned her second place at the National Jazz Awards.
In August 2000, Lily travelled to New York on an Australia Council Study Grant for three months to partake in workshops and private lessons with the great Mark Murphy and was invited up to perform at one of his rare New York appearances. That same year she was singled out by legendary arranger/pianist Dave Matthews' to perform with his band The Manhattan Jazz Quintet at Sydneys Lyric Theatre.
A regular presenter at Sydney's leading jazz station Eastside Radio, Lily first became involved in radio as a teenager at Bellingens 2BBB. Her weekly program 'Voices' has enjoyed a dedicated following since it's inception in 98.
Over the last few years Lily has been building a considerable reputation overseas with performances in New Zealand, London, Japan and Shanghai and has just released her new CD 'Clear Day' on Jazzgroove Records.
What a wonderful soul-jazz gig on Thursday with the Dior Quartet plus jammers. Gerard a treat on keyboard, Alex on funky bass and the new blond boy on drums! Thank you for some great music. See it again in May?
Hi Lily, if ur around and free come see me sing my guts out ;-). Doing folksy versions of songs off my debut album SOUL VOLITION. Be good to see u again. GXO
