Carl
Riseley

Speaker Profile

Swing King Carl Riseley has been a jazz man ever since he was big enough to hold his first instrument - and first love - the cornet. At age 16 he found his true calling in the trumpet and later joined the Royal Australian Navy. Playing in everything from the Navy's Concert Band to the Jazz Quartet, Carl developed his versatility and skills as a musician, eventually discovering his talents for singing with the Rock Band. During his time with the RAN, he was deployed to the Solomon Islands and performed for the troops on NYE in 2004 and 2005 in Iraq, an experience Carl describes as one of the best of his life.

After leaving the Navy, and despite being new to the world of singing, Carl auditioned for the fifth season of Australian Idol in 2007. A huge public favourite throughout, he became widely respected throughout the music industry for sticking to his guns and staying true to his original big-band style, earning him a spot in the Top 12 and eventually the final three.

He has since recorded two albums with Mercury Australia, his first, a collection of covers titled The Rise debuted and peaked at #5 on the Australian albums chart; his second, The Stillest Hour, debuted as the #1 jazz album on the Australian Aria charts.