WJC are delighted and proud to present our first emerging artist series in honour of the recent passing of jazz drummer and educator Roger Sellers.  This will be an annual event and we hope to provide a platform to showcase two chosen emerging artists with outstanding talent in both performance and composition to present a suite of mostly original music with their groups at our WJC fortnightly head-liner series.  

We would like to acknowledge the recent passing of much loved and respected jazz drummer and educator Roger Sellers.  Roger was a world-renowned musician who was possibly best known internationally for his work with the famous UK fusion band ‘Nucleus’ during the 1970’s.  Deciding to leave London Roger migrated to Wellington in 1981 where he devoted the remaining 38 years of his life to playing with, teaching, encouraging and inspiring students at the Wellington Poly-tech jazz conservatorium (now known as NZSM).  He also led his popular group ‘The Boptet’ which had a long-standing residency which ran for more than 20 years at Lido Cafe in Wellington. During his time as an educator at such a high-level Roger would have passed his knowledge and wisdom so gracefully onto thousands of budding young jazz students and in doing so gave them crucial industry skills and the confidence to go on to achieve great things on both the local and international scene.  

I’m sure that the NZ music scene would not be in the fine state it is today had Roger chosen to settle back in his hometown Melbourne upon leaving London and his return down under.  Here’s a lovely quote ‘Take music seriously but not too seriously but, most of all be a good guy’. (Roger Sellers).

For this our inaugural concert we will be featuring bassist Phoebe Johnson with her quintet.  For our second set, we present trombonist Martin Greshoff with his septet.  

Emerging Artist – Phoebe Johnson
Featuring: Joining Phoebe are Lily Shaw (s), Luca Sturney (g), Ben Stewart (p) and Olivia Campion (d)

Emerging Artist – Martin Greshoff
Featuring: Joining Martin are James Guilford-Smith (t), Louisa Williamson (s), Nicholas baucke-Maunsell (s), Leonardo Coghini (p), Seth Boy (b) and James Feekes (d).  

Date: Thur 30 August 2018
Venue: Pyramid Club, Level, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: General $15, WJC members and Students with ID $8