Australian jazz has always lived in the shadow of its American and European cousins, at least in the public imagination. But anyone who’s spent time in the crates knows that this country produced extraordinary jazz records from the 1960s through to the late 1980s, and a handful of labels are now giving that catalogue the vinyl treatment it deserves.

Here’s what’s landed in the shop so far this year, and what’s worth your money.

Umbrella Music’s Jazz Series

Umbrella Music has been quietly assembling a run of Australian jazz reissues, and the quality is excellent. Their early 2026 batch includes a stunning repress of Brian Brown’s Carlton Streets, which originally came out on a Mushroom offshoot in 1982 and has been near-impossible to find for under $150.

The new pressing is cut from the original master tapes, pressed at Zenith in Brunswick, and packaged with a gatefold sleeve that includes liner notes from Gail Priest. The vinyl itself is dead quiet. No surface noise, good weight, proper centring. This is how you do a reissue.

They’ve also put out Don Burrows’ At the Sydney Opera House. Burrows’ tone on flute comes through beautifully, and the live recording has a warmth that gets lost on digital transfers.

Efficient Space Digs Deeper

Efficient Space, based here in Melbourne, have branched into jazz-adjacent territory with a compilation called Improvisers’ Circuit, gathering live recordings from Australian free jazz performances between 1974 and 1986.

This isn’t easy listening. It’s challenging, occasionally confrontational music from the Melbourne free improvisation scene that never got documented properly. The compilation draws on ABC archives, private collections, and university concert series.

They’ve used Bernie Grundman Mastering for the cut, which tells you they’re serious. Limited to 1,000 copies, and I’d be surprised if it lasts long.

Northside Records’ Reissue Programme

Northside in Fitzroy have partnered with estates and rights holders to release Australian jazz recordings that never made it to vinyl. The standout is a collection of studio recordings by Paul Grabowsky from sessions originally only released on cassette in the early 1980s.

Grabowsky went on to become one of Australia’s most prominent jazz musicians, but these early recordings capture something raw that his later, more produced work sometimes lacks. The trio format is intimate and the playing is confident without being flashy.

Pressed on standard black 180g through Zenith. No gimmicks, no coloured vinyl, no “deluxe” edition with a poster you’ll never hang up. Just the music, presented well.

The Labels Getting It Wrong

Not every reissue deserves praise. There’s been a run of “Australian jazz classics” from an overseas label that are clearly mastered from digital sources, not original tapes. The dynamic range is compressed, the vinyl is thin and noisy, and the packaging looks like it was designed by someone who’s never held the original pressings.

If you’re buying a reissue, check the credits. Look for mastering engineer names, pressing plant information, and some indication the label contacted the original artists or their estates. A reissue without provenance is just a bootleg with nicer artwork.

What’s Coming Next

I’ve heard reliable whispers about a comprehensive reissue of the Jazznote Records catalogue, which includes some of the best Australian jazz recordings of the 1990s. If done properly, it could be the most significant Australian jazz reissue project in years.

There’s also movement around the Horst Liepolt catalogue. Liepolt was instrumental in documenting Australian jazz in the 1960s and 1970s, and his recordings have been out of print for decades.

The Bigger Picture

What I find encouraging is that the labels involved clearly care about the music. These aren’t opportunistic cash-ins riding the vinyl hype. They’re considered projects from people who understand the history.

Australian jazz has always had a documentation problem. Much of the best work was recorded for tiny labels, pressed in small quantities, and never reissued. There’s something about holding a properly pressed vinyl record — reading the liner notes, seeing the artwork at full size — that connects you to the music in a way a Spotify link never will.

Support the labels doing this work. They’re preserving something important.