Now over two decades into their journey, The Vampires remain one of Australia's most distinctive and acclaimed jazz ensembles. Formed in Sydney in 2005, the ARIA Award-winning quartet — Jeremy Rose (saxophone, bass clarinet), Nick Garbett (trumpet), Noel Mason (bass) and Alex Masso (drums) — has carved out a unique place in the international jazz scene, melding intertwining saxophone and trumpet lines with hypnotic grooves and genre-defying textures drawn from jazz, afrobeat, dub, and psychedelia. Their sound is instantly recognisable: immersive, exploratory, and always pushing boundaries.

Critics have hailed their music as "phenomenal" (DownBeat), "a masterpiece" (The Australian), and "seductive creativity" (The Guardian UK).

2026 marks the band's 20th anniversary, celebrated with the release of their eighth studio album, Skydancer (Earshift Music). Expanding on the layered textures and spacious sound world explored on Nightjar, the album has drawn acclaim from critics across Australia, Europe, and the US, with MOJO (UK) praising its "seductive melodic quest" and Jazzthetik (Germany) calling the band "true aesthetes," among many others.

Deeply rooted in the expansive landscapes of Australia yet drawing from a global palette, The Vampires' music merges composed and improvised parts seamlessly, creating a hypnotic flow that captivates audiences. With appearances at leading festivals and venues including A Love Supreme (UK), Enjoy Jazz (Germany), and every major Australian jazz festival, the band continues to expand its horizons while celebrating a remarkable legacy of innovation.

Their celebrated collaborations include projects with The Necks' Chris Abrahams (Nightjar, ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album), guitarist Lionel Loueke (The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke, shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize), and trombonist Shannon Barnett (South Coasting, Chellowdene, Garfish).

"...free and yet unpredictable...  ...an almost dreamlike tension at times and in the next moment with daring freshness.... The Vampires have found their very own twist.”
Stefan Michalzik, Live review from Frankfurt

Reviews for Skydancer:

"Two decades in, the Australian jazz quartet favour subtlety over virtuosity... they weave textural experiments into a seductive melodic quest." ★★★★ MOJO, UK

"A thoroughly distinctive, deeply appealing and remarkably mature-sounding approach... true aesthetes." ★★★★ Jazzthetik, DE (translated from German)

"This is the absolute top tier of Australian jazz... Skydancer is an absolute must-have. The Vampires still bite — but with class these days." Robert Kozubal, Jazzda, PL (translated from Polish)

"Sorrow and hope intertwine throughout Skydancer, but hope ultimately wins out... music that can make you start shifting your weight rhythmically from foot to foot, but can also make you sit down on a roadside stone to worry about the future of the world." Sebastian Chosiński, Esensja, PL (translated from Polish)

"A group that has spent two decades refining a musical language all their own... Jazz, dub, folk melody, and a fondness for repetition all find their way into the band's music, though rarely in predictable ways." Tim Larsen, JazzViews, UK

"An album to give yourself up to, letting the thoughtful, hypnotic and deeply listenable music sink in." UK Vibe, UK

"These vampires don't suck." George W. Harris, JazzWeekly, USA

"In one fell swoop, two of the strongest forces in Australian jazz, both of whose music is drenched in melodic beauty, are joined, creating what is palpably a masterpiece." ★★★★★ The Australian, review for Nightjar

"There's a seductive precision to the music" ★★★★ Jazzwise, editors choice

"Nightjar invites you on a relaxed sound journey, and those who close their eyes can easily imagine the vastness of the continent Down Under in their mind's eye." ★★★★★ Jazzthetik, DE

"The partnership between The Vampires & Abrahams sounds perfectly natural and organic and there’s a lot of mutual trust & respect from both parties. It’s only surprising that it hasn’t happened before." ★★★★ Jazzmann, UK

"enticing psychedelic immersion... ...a kind of permanent musical flow, in which each new note confirms the unique common hypnotic flow of the band, which we would like to listen only on and on. Judge for yourself." His Voice, Czech Rep.

"A captivating jazz experience, Nightjar is lit up by twinkling piano and sweet, sonorous brass." Bandcamp, new and notable

"Chris Abrahams' minimalist approach blends seamlessly into the interaction of the group while he pristine spaces with thrifty harmonic formulas and textural paint overtone layers." ★★★★ 1/2 Concerto Magazine, Austria

"It's really a great album... which I can't find fault with." Off Topic Magazine, Italy

"...ten excellently captivating songs." Nieuwe Noten, NL

"Chris Abrahams’ inclusion in the former group is about as fluent as if he was with the band at its inception." Something Else, USA

"The whole album maintains a relaxed style, not aggressive even in its improvisational moments, pulsing with melodic, journeying self- awareness." Rocking, Greece

"A doubly refined album of well-composed and stylistically convincing songs." Verhoovens Jazz, DE

"Lyrical and rhythmic tracks are in perfect balance on the album, as well as composed and improvised parts." SK Jazz, Slovakia

“In a head-bopping nod to the obvious, The Vampires play vamps. Yet, these are no ordinary vamps. Written and improvised melodies are beautiful and flawless, and the harmonies between the three voices (woodwinds, brass, bass) ring with pitch-perfect sonority. There is a sublime pacing to each of the tunes here, with strategic shifts in texture, tonality, rhythm or intensity twisting the narrative of each hypnotic groove into an ever-unfolding and irresistible arc.”

**** Gary Fukushima, Downbeat

"This is such a good album that it's difficult to know which superlatives to start with.... This is state-of-the-art modern jazz at the highest level"

****1/2  Eric Myers, The Australian

"Not only is the composing and improvising exceptional, it’s the Vampires’ best-recorded album, too.…carrying faint (and thrilling) echoes of the Art Ensemble of Chicago."

**** John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald

“Simpler nature, yet equally expressive soundscapes… reminiscent of the fusion 'milestone' Bitches Brew.”

**** Freidrich Kunzman, All About Jazz

"If jazz music is about continuously reinventing and staying on your toes, then 'The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke' is a phenomenal jazz record by a worldly, talented, and newly minted five-piece band."

****  Chris Tart (Downbeat)

“It is gold all over. Original, melodically minimal compositions with hidden details scattered in every corner you look—covering nearly every topographic musical element and framed in a cohesive whole.”

Friedrich Kunzman, All About Jazz

“One of my favourite albums of the year was a jazz recording.. …It’s beautifully constructed melody sounded so classic, so perfect, that it had already become deeply ingrained in my memory. Of course, I have been listening to this album a lot. This one’s a real winner.”

David Faulkner, The Saturday Paper, Australian Music Prize chair

“Seductive, genre-hopping creativity: The references embrace reggae, classic Cuban son, high life, pre-electric Miles Davis and hints of Blue Note soul-jazz or Henri Texier’s cinematically scene-setting music..."

**** John Fordham, The Guardian UK

"This was the perfect summer record that pulled off the trick of being both an ambient soundtrack to life on the move while remaining capable of standing up to concentrated home listening." 

Phil Barnes, All About Jazz