Wine tasting for the new list

Of the 50 wines tasted, in categories such as 'Australian Sauvignon Blanc + blends', 'NZ Sauvignon Blanc', 'Pinot Gris', 'Aromatic Whites', 'Chardonnay', 'Rose', 'Shiraz' and 'Cabernet', there were very few poor quality wines, and some exceptional stand-outs. Of course the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs were received really well, but the surprise win of the whites was a Gewurtztraminer - all aromatic nose, sweet juicy lime and peach, with a long minerally backbone. Keep an eye on the next list for that one, for sure. The win of the reds was a WA Cabernet Malbec - all rich juice and spiced, tobaccoey length. Yum.

We tasted the wines masked (the wines were masked, not the tasters) with a range of palates from casual drinkers to professional industry tasters. The results show us that the wines that are technically sound are very often the wines that are most appealing to all. We approached the tasting professionally, and everyone was still lucid by the end of the 50th - of course, by then, with 50 bottles open, the same can't be said for two hours later...! And even later, there may have been pool-side shenanigans, though there is thankfully no photographic evidence (yet...).

LD

Deep in thought

A seven for taste.

Blind bottles, mental note next time don't use newspaper, black hands.

Dinner #1 of 2 - have to keep the crew sober (ish)

Waiting for the non-tasters to show up to start on all those 1/2 empties

Few drinks down

Jovial

Just getting started...

First Soho nights success

About fifty people enjoyed a fun time with Libby Hammer and her selection of cabaret, Cole Porter and risque songs such as the wonderfully entertaining The Masochistic Tango.

The mood was relaxed and friendly, and we ran until 12:30 before closing the bar. That was a decent start, considering the night of the week, but considering the size of the queer community in Perth we expect it to get much bigger.

LD

Interestingly, today and last night, the blog entries and Twitter tweets about this night by far (and we mean by far) outnumbered any other event yet held at The Ellington. With that word of mouth (everyone loved it) we suspect next fortnights Soho nights will be a lot bigger.

DB

Rising star ascends to The Ellington Stage

Sensational new vocal talent Shameem Taheri-Lee will be providing a musical treat this Thursday night at the Ellington Jazz Club. A rising star in the Perth jazz scene, Shameem will be leading an all star jazz combo to create a musical smorgasbord that will delight any listener.

With a warm and soulful voice, when Shameem sings she seems to speak directly to the hearts of her audience. Whether you’re a jazz fan or just a lover of good music, you’re bound to enjoy this performance. Shameem enjoys taking familiar tunes and giving them her own distinct flavour. So don’t be surprised if you come across a pop-rock hit and a Nova Scotia folk song back-to-back, both miraculously transformed.

“I grew up surrounded by many different styles of music: from classical and show tunes to disco and funk,” says Shameem, “and I learnt to love all good music as good music, no matter what genre you might label it.

“I’m very excited to be performing at such a fine venue as the Ellington for the first time.” The Ellington Jazz Club is Perth’s most exciting, new live music venue and set to be Australia's finest jazz club and a cultural institution in Perth city.

Shameem will be performing with her quintet on Thursday 16th April, 8:30pm.

Order Tickets Online

Inaugural Soho Nights Tonight

On Tuesday 14 April we will be hosting the inaugural Soho Nights, a night at The Ellington featuring Jazz and Caberet acts in a fun evening for the gay and lesbian community.

The one and only Libby Hammer will kick off the series with a range of Cole Porter and cabaret classics.

If you miss this one, the next Soho nights will be in a fortnight on Tuesday 28 April featuring Ali Bodycoat.

Awesome Sunday Times Coverage

We were part of an awesome six page spread plus front page in the Sunday Times glossy STM Magazine last weekend.

The article was about the rising Jazz scene in Perth and how The Ellington was part of it.

A great read, we will get a scan up in the Media section of the website soon hopefully.