The Fret Benders
Jess Green Aaron Flower Ben Hauptmann Guy Strazz
Aaron Flower, Guy Strazz, Jess Green, and Ben Hauptmann, come together in an electrifying instrumental quartet unlike anything you've heard before.
Expect shimmering harmonies layered with fluid improvisation, rhythms that shift from meditative to fiery, and a palette that spans jazz, world, and contemporary textures. Their interplay is conversational and deeply responsive — weaving delicate acoustic lines with electrified intensity — creating music that feels both expansive and intimate, rooted in virtuosity but alive with spontaneity.
Strazz's lyrical global influences meet Hauptmann's fluid virtuosity; Flower's fearless improvisation collides with Green's bold rhythmic invention. Together they create a dynamic conversation of strings — intricate, grooving, and deeply expressive.
"The Fret Benders - four of Australia's most distinctive guitar voices." - The Village
Gigs coming up
NIMA Newcastle 8 Sep 2026
Sydney Rocks Square 24 Sep 2026
Guy Strazz
Guy Strazz is an award-winning master guitarist, composer, and educator based on the Central Coast, North of Sydney. He Holds a PhD in improvisation and composition, his signature sound and style seamlessly bridge modern jazz, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, and classical traditions. He is an Australia Council Music Fellowship recipient. He has played with Matt McMahon, Mike Stern, Martin Taylor, Vince Jones, and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
"Guy has a voice on the acoustic guitar."
- Ira Gitler, Downbeat
Aaron Flower
Aaron Flower (AKA Baz) is one of Australia’s most versatile session guitarists, composers, and ARIA Award-winning producers based on the Central Coast. Winner of the 2007 National Jazz Award and a Freedman Jazz Fellowship finalist, he has performed with top-tier acts including Vince Jones, The Catholics, and Katie Noonan.
“Flower’s compositions are as masterful as his playing.”
— Jessica Nicolas (The Age)
Ben Hauptmann
Ben Hauptman is a prestigious touring and session guitarist based on the Central Coast, North of Sydney. Winner of the 2010 Freedman Jazz Fellowship, he has shared the stage with a diverse range of artists including Mavis Staples, Joss Stone, James Morrison, and Tal Wilkenfeld. He is currently a highly sought-after performer, recording artist, and educator across Australia.
"Benjamin Hauptmann is a performer who quietly, but forcefully, demands an audience's attention."
— Megaphone Oz
Jess Green
Jess Green (AKA Pheno) is an acclaimed Australian guitarist, vocalist, and genre-defying composer with a twenty-year career. She has performed with luminaries like Sandy Evans and Renee Geyer, recorded two critically acclaimed instrumental jazz albums, and composed commissions for The Australian Art Orchestra.
“Green’s virtuosity bears comparison with the work of Mary Halvorson.”
— Rhythms Magazine