Our History

Forty years in the moment.

For over four decades, SIMA has championed a unique, potent and specifically Australian form of jazz. Founded in 1984 by impresario, Peter Rechniewski, on the suggestion of renowned writer, Eric Myers, the Sydney Improvised Music Association at once filled a gap and created a space for an emerging generation of creative musicians. Formally launched in 1985 with the ‘State of the Art’ jazz concert series at the Sydney Festival, SIMA introduced our city to a new sound and energy; Strident, emotional, personal and somehow devoid of mainstream cliché. The success of the initial series proved there was an audience for the most cutting-edge jazz in Sydney. Soon SIMA began expanding from one-off events to regular series and festivals.

From platforming local heroes like Roger Frampton, Sandy Evans, John Pochee and others, to promoting international ones, SIMA helped bring a new generation of American jazz musicians to Australian shores, connecting communities of improvisers who were building on – not stuck in – the tradition. These events brought a tidal wave of creative energy into the city, with James Carter, Dewey Redman, Andrew Hill, Don Pullen and Jane Bunnett, Oliver Lake, Roy Haynes, Betty Carter, John Hicks, Kirk Lightsey, Steve Lacy, Horace Tapscott and more, inspiring our own creative impulses.

As SIMA’s renown and impact grew, it not only supported the community but also helped to shape a more inclusive one. Women have always played a vital role in the development and growth of jazz, as composers, arrangers, bandleaders and instrumentalists. Icons like Sandy Evans and Judy Bailey have inspired generations of young women to pursue a life in jazz, and SIMA has always been there to support them. Sandy developed SIMA’s award-winning Young Women’s Jazz Workshop, established in 2002, a program that has played a significant role in redressing the gender imbalance in jazz and improvised music in Sydney and across Australia. Sandy also co-manages The Jann Rutherford Memorial Award, created in 2005, which continues to create opportunities for young women at the heart of Sydney’s thriving young scene. The Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival, conceived by Peter Rechniewski along with Joanne Kee and Amy Curl and debuting in 2012, is now an internationally acclaimed event and SIMA’s largest annual presentation, one which ensures the central role of women composer-performers is celebrated and nurtured.

For over forty years (and counting,) SIMA has grown, shifted, transformed and responded to the moment, like the incredible improviser she is. As we move into the next quarter of the 21st century, our Jazz:NOW series is presenting groundbreaking contemporary improvisation, the Inner West Jazz Fest is connecting generational talents with a fiercely independent approach, and our flagship programs are going from strength to strength. Our vision is to continue to nurture the talents and passions of our remarkable city, and champion creativity in jazz and improvised music, and the community it touches.