Carl Dewhurst

A leading figure in the jazz and improvised music scene, Carl can effortlessly slide across genres from pop to world music, rock to blues, blurring them at will.

Carl has led his own jazz trio and quartet and is co-leader of Showa 44, with drummer Simon Barker. He also led the genre defying trio The Drip Hards and was a member of the legendary free-jazz quartet NUDE with Lisa Parrott, Cam Undy and Louis Burdett. He performed for many years with Undy’s 20th Century Dog and Numerology. He recorded with Parrott on her album “Round Tripper” which earned four stars in Downbeat magazine.

He is a member of Korean/Australian ensemble Daorum, with whom he performed at The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, Scott Tinkler’s power trio DRUB; Band of Five Names, and Stu Hunter’s Migration. He was a long time member of the the Australian Art Orchestra and was a regular member of the James Morrison Quintet for over fifteen years. He has collaborated for nearly twenty years with vocalist Susan Gai Dowling.

He currently performs with Jade MacRae, The Catholics, Emma Pask, Clayton Doley, Martha Marlow, Phil Stack and Frances Madden to name a few.

His versatility and innate musicianship have seen Carl become a much sought-after collaborator, recording, performing and touring with an international roll-call of jazz, rock, pop and world artists including: Jim Black, Mike Nock, Tony Buck, Bernie McGann, Will Vinson, Sandy Evans, Jonathan Zwartz, Chris Abrahams, Julien Wilson, Tina Harrod, Barney McCall, Lucie Thorne, Robbie Avenaim, Michelle Nicolle, Oren Ambarchi, Dale Barlow, James Muller, Sean Wayland, Bobby Previte, Benny Maupuin, Steve Hunter, Clayton Thomas, Terumasa Hino, Jeff Clayton, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Peter Scherr, Vince Jones, Jackie Orszacsky, Synergy Percussion, George Washingmachine, Oran Etkin, Kim Dong Won, Bae Il Dong, The Young Wagilak (Arnhem Land, NT), the Sruti Laya Ensemble (India), Paul Capsis, Opera Australia, Jimmy Dowling, Ruby Hunter, Moscow Circus, Bobby Shew, Caroline Nin, Wycliffe Gordon, Archie Roach, The Potbelleez, Paul Young, Wendy Matthews, Leo Sayer, Steve Clisby, Dan Barnett, The Catholics, Uncle Jed, Glenn Shorrock, Rick Springfield.

Always seeking to explore new musical territories, Carl’s compositional skills have also segued into the theatre and cinema. He composed and performed the soundtrack for the Company B production Scorched in 2008 (directed by Neil Armfield) and the music of Showa 44 is featured in Emma Franz’s award winning documentary Intangible Asset No. 82 and Khao Do’s feature film Missing Water. He was a co-composer on the Legs on the Wall / Asia Now production Tale Of Samulnori.
Carl is an accomplished songwriter; his material has been recorded by several artists including Lily Dior, Susan Gai Dowling, Lucinda Peters and Dewey. He has studied songwriting with Berklee professor Pat Pattison.

Carl began teaching guitar at age fifteen. He taught at Guitar Institute in London, Thames Valley University and the Australian Institute of Music, and has led masterclasses at the ANU School of Music, Victorian College of the Arts, Southern Cross University, James Morrison Academy of Music and Auckland School of Music. He also worked for many years at Moriah College and Sydney Boys High.
He has a Diploma of Music and a Masters Degree of Music from the Australian National University.
Carl is a lecturer in jazz and improvisation at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and was instrumental in the development of the BMus of Improvised Music.

Carl was the winner of both the judges’ and people’s choice awards at the Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar competition in 1998 and was runner-up at the National Jazz Awards in 2000. He was president of the Jazzgroove Association from 2008 to 2011 and was founding member in 1998.

During his thirty five year professional career Carl has lived and worked in Sydney, New York, London and Amsterdam.