Australian jazz trombonist Paul Ingle

Australian jazz trombonist, vocalist, and bandleader Paul Ingle died on January 12th, he was 75. Ingle was a mainstay of the Australian traditional jazz scene, active for decades in clubs, festivals, and special projects at home and abroad. His death prompted tributes from the Australian Jazz Museum, regional jazz clubs, and festivals that remembered him as both a gentlemanly presence and a versatile, hard-swinging player.

Based in Melbourne’s southeast, Ingle developed as a broadly skilled trombonist with experience in brass bands, youth orchestras, cover bands, and small jazz ensembles. Within that wide background he gravitated toward traditional jazz and swing, becoming a reliable fixture with Melbourne-area trad bands and a frequent featured trombone and vocal soloist. In the 2010s he was closely associated with the Lightning Jazz Band, which took over the long-running monthly Sunday jam sessions at the Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave from March 2021, sustaining one of the city’s key jazz gatherings following the retirement of the New Melbourne Jazz Band .

Ingle also led small groups under his own name, including Paul Ingle’s Swamp Dogs, appearing regularly on suburban and regional jazz-club programs and festival bills. His bands were valued for disciplined ensemble work, accessible repertoire, and an easy rapport with audiences. Clubs such as the Ballarat Jazz Club, Werribee Jazz Club, Peninsula Jazz Club, and the Victorian Jazz Club remembered him as a consistently professional and warmly regarded performer. He was a regular musical supporter of the Australian Jazz Museum’s open days.

Internationally, Ingle was revently known for conceiving and leading Australian Jazz Connection, formed for the 2019 Jubilee by the Sea festival in Pismo Beach, California. That project brought together Australian and expatriate players, including Simon Stribling and Jon Hunt, to create a showcase of contemporary Australian traditional jazz on the U.S. festival circuit, and reflected Ingle’s ongoing role as a connector within the Australian jazz diaspora. He could be heard at Jazz Jubilee by the Sea in California, playing alongside fellow Australian Adrian Cunningham, as recently as 2023.