Currently finishing his degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Eamon Dilworth has been playing trumpet since he was eight years old and is regarded as one of our most prodigious young jazz talents. Chris Ruhle chats with him about his career to date and his plans for the future.

CR: How did you first start with music and what instruments did you play?
ED: My mother started a school band program which included my older brother and sister and when I reached Year 2 it was decided I’d learn the violin, then later the trumpet, double bass and French horn. At one point I was playing the horn and trumpet in the concert band at the same time!

CR: What were some of your first musical influences?
ED: I remember going to James Morrison concerts at the Opera House and falling asleep, but I think he was one of the first people to really inspire me to play music for a living. His brother John has been something of a mentor to me over the years and together they demonstrated how music could be enjoyable and entertaining. Later I met Phil Slater and Warwick Alder, which is when I started discovering the more modern and improvised music that largely influences me today.

CR: Your current musical project is The Dilworths. How did this group come together and tell us about the musicians you have assembled?
ED: After my first New York experience I decided I needed to start my own band with guys that were going to push me to play better. Karl Laskowski (tenor sax) has been one of my favourite players for years, Alex Boneham (bass) and I have been playing together since we were thirteen and Hugh Barrett (piano) and Cam Reid (drums) make one of the most supportive and attentive rhythm sections in town. These guys are more than just band members, they are my brothers!

CR: You are launching your new album for Jazzgroove this month. Tell us about the music on that album?
ED: This is high energy, highly interactive jazz. They are all tunes I’ve written over the last two years and are inspired by the energy and vibe I discovered whilst hanging in New York, hearing music every night.

CR: Ideally, where would you like to see your career heading in the future?
ED: Next year will see the band doing some touring, and I will spend three to four months overseas on a scholarship from the Big Brother foundation where I plan to play with as many different people as I can in New York and Europe. Further than that I have no idea but hope it’ll involve making music with many more people.

Eamon launched his new album for Jazzgroove Records with his band The Dilworths at The Basement with special guest Judy Bailey on 9 December.