Walking out onto Federation Square there is a throng of people meandering around, some putting out deck chairs while others tentatively stand further back.

But as the music starts to play everyone becomes one with the beat and each other, and the effects of Jazz bringing people together begins.

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is one for everyone to enjoy. Walking through the crowd there are people from all generations swaying to the music. Whether they have grown up with jazz or are just being introduced, people are enthralled by the smooth, soft beats of the bass, the piano and the drums.

Fittingly named the Opening Celebration Concert, it is clearly a celebration of the music that has shaped so many lives since its beginnings decades ago.

Before the music starts the festival is introduced by former Premier and jazz lover Ted Baillieu.

“The Jazz Festival has always been such a fantastic part of Melbourne’s calendar. It’s a great event, it’s a big event and we are all here to celebrate jazz of the international variety.”

The festival, which runs for eleven days, showcases the finest local and international jazz talent.

Musicians from all over the world have united to put together shows for the people of Melbourne, meaning there really is something for everyone.

The opening concert is just a taster of what is to come in the next few weeks as people are invited to feast their ears on the incredible acts in some of Melbourne’s iconic venues.

First to perform is contemporary trio The Bad Plus. As the music starts more and more people gather in Fed Square, with many taking a seat and settling in for the whole show and others pausing for just one song and then continuing with their busy days, the cold doing nothing to deter them.

The melodies have a calming effect as they enrich the souls of every one who hears them and the dedicated musicians and fans come together in appreciation for such an underrated art form.

Jazz is clearly appreciated by all the people passing the square and is an unlikely escape from the busy work week.

If the Opening Celebration is anything to go by, the festival is set to be a huge success, and as Mr. Baillieu states – “give it a chance, enjoy it, love it.”

The International Jazz Festival runs from May 28th 2015 to June 7th 2015