{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} <!---"JazzLab" (and variations) redirect here---> The '''Bennetts Lane Jazz Club''' was an Australian live jazz performance music venue in Melbourne. The club was established by entrepreneur Michael Tortoni and located at the end of its namesake lane off Little Lonsdale Street from November 1992 to February 2017. New owners planned to reopen the club in new premises in Flinders Lane in the 2020s, but this plan has not come to fruition {{as of|lc=yes|2023}}.
Tortoni opened a new jazz club, called The JazzLab (which had been the name of an earlier performance space in the Bennetts Lane Club), in April 2017 in Leslie Street, Brunswick.
==History== ===Early days=== Entrepreneur Michael Tortoni opened the Bennetts Lane Jazz Club on 27 November 1992,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bennettslane.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303212721/http://www.bennettslane.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=3 March 2000|title=Bennetts Lane |website=Bennettslane.com |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> located at the end of its namesake lane off Little Lonsdale Street.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode&time&date&ttype&q=25+Bennetts+Lane,+Melbourne,+Victoria,+Australia&ie=UTF8&hq=25+Bennetts+Lane,+Melbourne,+Victoria,_Australia| title=Google Maps |website=Google.com|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref>
A second performance space was added in an adjoining building to the north called The JazzLab<ref>{{cite web | title=About The JazzLab | website=Jazzlab | date=10 November 2021 | url=https://thejazzlab.com.au/about-the-jazzlab/ | access-date=11 November 2023}}</ref> in January 2000 for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.<ref>{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20120213222952/http://bennettslane.com/discover-the-lane.php "Discover the Lane"]}}, Bennett's Lane. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref><ref>Claire Halliday, [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Can-you-dig-it/2005/05/01/1114886251962.html "Can you dig it?"], ''The Age'', 2 May 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> The venue's opening night featured a concert by David Jones' band AtmaSphere.<ref name=atma>{{cite web | title=AtmaSphere | website=David Jones Drummer | date=23 August 2022 | url=https://davidjonesdrums.com/projects/atmasphere/ | access-date=11 November 2023}}</ref>
===Change of management (2015)=== The venue closed on 15 June 2015, following the sale of the real estate assets by Tortoni for $10 million<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/capital-gain-bennetts-lane-jazz-club-to-move-to-grand-hyatt-20150709-gi8boc.html| title=Capital Gain: Bennetts Lane Jazz Club to move to Grand Hyatt |last=Pallisco |first=Marc |date=2015-07-10 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref> to a developer intent on building an apartment complex on the site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.domain.com.au/news/controversial-tower-given-vcat-approval-to-replace-bennetts-lane-jazz-club-20151011-gk57tf/|title=Controversial tower given VCAT approval to replace Bennetts Lane Jazz Club|last=Robb|first=Kirsten|website=Domain|language=en-AU|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref> Tortoni then sold the intellectual property of the club, including the employment of long-time manager Megan Evans, to entrepreneur David Marriner in June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://australianjazz.net/2016/09/megan-evans-how-allan-browne-saved-bennetts-lane/|title=Megan Evans: How Allan Browne saved Bennetts Lane |date=2016-09-23 |website=AustralianJazz.net|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref>
Marriner negotiated with the developer to retain the club at its original site until they were ready to begin works. The club reopened 10 weeks after initially closing, on 27 August 2015, with a performance by Yvette Johansson, and an updated interior, air conditioning and sound system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/bennetts-lane-jazz-club-reopens-with-yvette-johansson-20150814-giza9i.html|title=Bennetts Lane Jazz Club reopens with Yvette Johansson|last=Dwyer|first=Michael|date=2015-08-14|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref> During this time Marriner enlisted Evans' design studio, Brolly Studios, to design the new club at its future location in Flinders Lane, behind the Grand Hyatt,<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/743/13386/JUL16%20FMC1%20AGENDA%20ITEM%206.5%20121-131%20Collins%20Street,%20Melbourne.pdf|title=Council Meeting - Bennetts Lane July 2016|last=|first=|date=|website=Melbourne.vic.gov.au|access-date=}}</ref> the plans for which were approved in 2016. The studios closed to allow space for the developer to install a display suite, and Flipboard Cafe,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://architectureau.com/articles/flipboard-cafe/|title=Flipboard Cafe| website= ArchitectureAU |language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref> also onsite, continued to operate. Due to the club still operating, the opportunity to reconsider the design allowed Marriner and Evans to update their design. The new design was approved by the Melbourne City Council in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/jazz-club-to-reopen-in-upmarket-hyatt-hotel-building-2-864656/| title=Jazz club to reopen in upmarket Hyatt hotel building| last=Johanson |first=Simon| date=2019-07-30| website=Commercial Real Estate|language=en-AU|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref>
===Closure (2015)=== The club finally closed in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web | title=Bennetts Lane |first=Roger| last= Mitchell | website=Ausjazz Blog | date=7 April 2017 | url=https://ausjazz.net/tag/bennetts-lane/ | access-date=11 November 2023}}</ref> After its closure, David Marriner and his team awaited the go-ahead by the Grand Hyatt land owners to begin construction.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/jazz-club-to-reopen-in-upmarket-hyatt-hotel-building-20190729-p52bt8.html|title=Jazz club to reopen in upmarket Hyatt hotel building| first=Simon |last=Johanson| date=30 July 2019|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> As of February 2020 there was no news of construction or projected opening dates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cbdnews.com.au/where-is-marriners-jazz-club/|title=Where is Marriner's Jazz Club?|website=Cbdnews.com.au|date=19 February 2020|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> On 13 November 2022, the owners appeared to have made the decision to put their efforts on hold for the time being.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/113047945423687/posts/pfbid0oXQqBp1QMebCisec8mzkbKtWnBjugXTuqeDZh5K4nzKY9TGY3WLF711K9MVcQ8Ssl|title=Bennetts Lane Decision| website=facebook.com| date=13 November 2022|access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref>
===New JazzLab=== Tortoni opened a new jazz club called The JazzLab in April 2017, located in Leslie Street, Brunswick.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jazzlab.club/|title=JazzLab Club : Homepage|website=Jazzlab.club|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://heraldsun.com.au/leader/north-west/jazzlab-in-brunswick-is-pushing-music-boundaries-says-bennetts-lane-founder/news-story/e68e53536f19f4e124f0279c9aef0b8f|title=Not a lounge — ‘it’s a hard-core jazz club’| first=Emma |last=Hastings |website= Herald Sun|date=1 August 2017|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref>
==Significance and recognition== The club hosted local, national and international musicians and was the flagship venue for the Melbourne Jazz Festival for many years. ''Lonely Planet'' called it "The World's Best Jazz Club" and it won the Best Venue Award at the Australian Jazz Awards in 2003<ref>Carolyn Webb, [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/28/1062028273626.html "Top honour for jazz veteran 'Lazy Ade'"], ''The Age'', 29 August 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> and 2004 (the award being discontinued thereafter).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burchall |first=Greg |date=May 24, 2006 |title=Giving is its own award |url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/giving-is-its-own-award-20060524-ge2dfv.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251202222054/https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/giving-is-its-own-award-20060524-ge2dfv.html |archive-date=December 2, 2025 |access-date=December 2, 2025 |website=The Age |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Andra Jackson, [http://www.theage.com.au/national/round-midnight-in-melbourne-20090418-aaid.html "Round midnight in Melbourne"], ''The Age'', 18 April 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref>
==Performers== Musicians who performed at the club include: {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *Allan Browne<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/australian-jazz-community-mourns-death-of-drummer-and-composer-allan-browne-20150615-ghol10.html|title=Australian Jazz community mourns death of drummer and composer Allan Browne|first=Ebony|last=Bowden|date=15 June 2015|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> *AtmaSphere<ref name=atma/> *The Cat Empire * Hayley Clare<ref>Middleton, Carol (27 January 2007) [https://www.australianstage.com.au/20070127104/reviews/melbourne/hayley-clare-quintet.html "Hayley Clare Quintet"], Retrieved 8 September 2022</ref> *Harry Connick Jr. *Chick Corea<ref>Michael Dwyer, [http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/prodigy-makes-great-corea-move-on-her-stairway-to-jazz-heaven/2007/05/04/1177788401820.html "Prodigy makes great Corea move on her stairway to jazz heaven"], ''The Age'', 5 May 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> *Kurt Elling *Sandy Evans<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/event/evans-swanton-hall|title=Evans/Swanton/Hall|website=Australianmusiccentre.com.au|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> *Renee Geyer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/stares-whispers-and-heavy-metal-swing-20111013-1lmyj.html|title=Stares, whispers and heavy metal swing|first=Michael|last=Dwyer|date=13 October 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> *Herbie Hancock *Abdullah Ibrahim<ref>Andra Jackson, [http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/dont-ask-me-im-the-conduit/2008/04/17/1208025384638.html "Don't ask me, I'm the conduit"], ''The Age'', 19 April 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> *Andrea Keller<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.andreakellerpiano.com.au/events/2016/8/23/transient-tuesdays-bennetts-lane|title=Transient Tuesdays @ Bennetts Lane|website=Andreakellerpiano.com.au|access-date=20 November 2021}}{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> *Branford Marsalis *Wynton Marsalis *Brad Mehldau *The Necks<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/melbourne-music-listings-28-february--6-march-2014-20140227-33jxq.html|title=Melbourne Music Listings 28 February - 6 March 2014|date=27 February 2014|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> *Esperanza Spalding<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beat.com.au/esperanza-spalding-bennetts-lane/|title=Esperanza Spalding @ Bennetts Lane|website=Beat.com.au|date=3 June 2016|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> *Justin Timberlake *Prince<ref>Patrick Donovan, [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/20/1066631353007.html "Prince's secret gig not-so-secret"], ''The Age'', 12 October 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> {{div col end}}
==See also== *Culture of Melbourne *Village Vanguard
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{Coord|37|48|32|S|144|58|3|E|region:AU-VIC_type:landmark|display=title}}
Category:Jazz clubs in Australia Category:Music venues in Melbourne Category:Music venues completed in 1992