"The competition was fierce this last year, and there were more popular artists than me in that field," admits Zwartz. "But it was a huge honour."

Born and raised in New Zealand, Jonathan was initially self-taught and a member of the late-70s Kiwi pop group The Crocodiles..

"We relocated to Australia in 1981, but didn't last long as band. I ended up auditioning for the Conservatory of Music and doing the jazz course there. That's when I shifted from electric bass to acoustic double bass, and I was obsessed with it.

Zwartz became a staple within the small Sydney jazz scene, regularly playing with a variety of bands, including The Umbrellas, saxophonist Bernie McGann's trio, pianist Bobby Gebert's group and singer Vince Jones' band.

In 2000 Zwartz hosted a 10-part ABC-TV series called The Pulse, and over the past 20 years he's been one of the driving forces behind The Starfish Club - a monthly jazz jam with ever-changing guests at the Clovelly Bowling Club.

With numerous appearances on other musician's albums, Jonathan has also released three solo albums - 2009's The Sea, which won two categories at the 2010 Australian Jazz Bell Awards; 2013's The Remembering & Forgetting of the Air which was nominated for an ARIA for Best Jazz Album; and 2018's ARIA-winning effort.

"Animarum took me about four years to complete. Because the band is made up of musicians who live in different cities, there was a big logistical side to the organisation of the recording; and a live performance in order to rehearse most effectively given the short amount of time everyone was together."

Two of the musicians who took part in that project will be joining Zwartz's supergroup in Bellingen, including acclaimed Melbourne saxophonist Julien Wilson and drummer Hamish Stuart, along with guitarist Carl Dewhurst.

The Wilson Zwartz Dewhurst Stuart quartet will perform at the Memorial Hall on Sunday, September 29 at 6pm, as part of the Bellingen Fine Music Festival.

Details and bookings at: www.bellingenmusicfestival.com.au