Jamie Oehlers is one busy man. Winner of the 2003 World Saxophone Competition, recently voted Australian Jazz Musician of the Year at the Australian Jazz Awards and the new director of Jazz Studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Oehlers is also preparing for a national tour with one of his bands in March and April. They have previously played in London, Japan, Switzerland, Wales, the Philippines and Ireland – as well as your favourite Australian cities, of course. Despite his busy schedule, Jamie Oehlers had time to answer a few questions for Vibewire...

How did you it all start? Why jazz? At what point did you realise you wanted to be a saxophonist?

It all started when I was at primary school and I wanted to play an instrument. For some reason (of which I'm not really sure) I was really interested in the saxophone, but all they offered at school was the flute or trombone. After working out that flute was closer to a saxophone than a trombone, I began playing that and moved onto saxophone when I hit high school. Luckily, my first saxophone teacher was/is a fantastic jazz saxophonist (Roger Garrood) and he got me into improvising pretty much straight away. A lot of my muso friends in high school were into jazz and they loaded me up with recordings of Charlie Parker and Coltrane, so I was very fortunate to be surrounded by the right people at the right time.

How has your style developed? What has shaped it?

I started out only listening to jazz and doing everything I could to sound like the great players, specifically Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Lester Young, Ben Webster and Sonny Stitt. As a result of that, my style in the earlier parts of my career was more playing in the style of others rather than having my own identifiable style. Over the last 7 or 8 years, I have made a concerted effort to find my own path and sound in the music. I feel now I'm more influenced by art forms outside of jazz. Anything from classical music to the visual arts and life in general inspires me.

What has been some of your greatest performance moments?

One of the best times I've had with my group was at our week long residency at Ronnie Scotts Club in London. It's very rare these days to play the same club 6 nights in a row, and playing at a venue so rich in history inspired us all to greater musical heights.

Where did you grow up? Why did you choose to base yourself in Melbourne?

I grew up in Perth but chose to relocate to Melbourne in 2000 to make the most of the bountiful performance opportunities offered there. I've recently moved back to Perth to take up the position of Director of Jazz Studies at WAAPA for a couple of years, but travel east every week or so to play with my groups.

How does the Melbourne jazz scene compare to other cities around the world?

The Melbourne scene is one of the most vibrant in the world. There is an amazing array of talented musicians there, and it is an extremely "original music" oriented scene. I had a regular gig there for 5 years at one point, something that is nearly impossible anywhere else.

What challenges are you looking forward to in your new role in Perth?

I look forward to pushing the musical boundaries of the younger players here in Perth and hopefully adding a new dimension to the scene. We've spent a lot of time redesigning the improvisation syllabus at the uni and we've really made it a more forward looking, modern jazz course now.

Have you found online social networks useful in building a fan base or promoting your gigs? Why/why not?

Things like Facebook and MySpace have been good, but I get a bit slack with them. It's hard updating everything including a personal website. I still think there is nothing better than getting out, touring, and putting your product right under people’s noses.

How do you perceive the relationship between the musician and audience?

I don't play for the audience to be totally frank. In a sense, I am quite selfish in this regard, but it means that I don't feel concerned about turning the corner musically and trying something new. If people enjoy the directions that I take and the music I make, then that is an added benefit.

Are you involved in any other artistic/creative projects? (Do you have time?)

Most of my projects are music based, but I am getting more and more interested in collaborating with visual artists (especially with my group "Lost and Found").

What is it like to be continually on the road, travelling from one festival to the next?

I really love the experience of performing to new audiences around the world and seeing the reaction to what we do. Being absorbed by different cultures is an extremely inspiring event in itself. The nuts and bolts of touring, though, can become tedious very quickly –  waking up early after playing late into the night, driving to the airport, flying somewhere new, driving straight to the venue to sound check/rehearse, half and hour off to eat, gig, then do it all again....saying all of that though, I wouldn't trade it for anything in world.

Jamie Oehlers Quartet National Tour

March 6th @ Goulburn Conservatorium (Goulburn)

March 8th @ Kiama Jazz Festival (Kiama)

March 10th @ 505 (Sydney)

March 11th @ Jazzgroove (Sydney)

March 14th @ Cattleman's Hotel (Armidale)

March 15th @ New England Club (Glen Innes)

March 16th @ Brisbane Jazz Club (Brisbane)

March 18th @ Winsome Hotel (Lismore)

March 19th @ Blue Birdy - Buddha Bar (Byron Bay)

March 27th @ The Promethean (Adelaide)

March 29th @ Albany gig - details to come

March 31st @ Perth Jazz Society (Perth) with Jamie Oehlers Quartet

April 5th @ Seymour Centre Sound Lounge (Sydney) with special guest James Muller

April 6th @ Bennett's Lane (Melbourne)

April 11th @ Tanks Arts Centre (Cairns)

Check with your local venue for ticket prices and bookings.