Way Out West are an Australian jazz group, formed in 2001.
[1] They originated in the western suburbs of Melbourne and are noted for their unusual instrumentation which includes West African drumming, and many traditional Vietnamese string instruments such as a dan tranh, dan nguyet and dan bau.
Their second album, Old Grooves for New Streets (2007), received five star reviews in Australia, and a review by America's All About Jazz said, "Certainly a candidate for Best Release of the Year – I hope lots of ears hear this one!".
[2] In 2009 the group won the Bell Award for Australian Jazz Ensemble of the year.
The Sydney Morning Herald observed, "That these exotic sounds blend so well with jazz is a mysterious Melbourne alchemy".