WJC Sunday Sessions At Third Eye feature compositions by great jazz artist. The house band will open with a couple of tunes and then invite musicians to join in.
Featured composer: Wes Montgomery
House Band: Alex Boulton (g), Daniel Yeabsley (b) and Mark Lockett (d).
Date and time: Sunday 18 March 2018, 2-4pm
Venue: The Third Eye, 30 Arthur Street, Te Aro.
Sartorial saxophonist Oscar Laven’s latest project is a suite of new original compositions inspired by the early works of Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. This concert features the talents of John Rae, Patrick Bleakley, Mike Taylor and Ayrton Foote playing new music seeped in charisma and spontaneity
Oscar Laven Quintet
Featuring: Oscar Laven (s), John Rae (d), Patrick Bleakley (b), Mike Taylor (T), Ayrton Foote (p).
Date: Thur 15 Mar 2018
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $15 General, $8 Members and Students with ID
The first ever regular WJC Sunday Sessions At Third Eye starts Sunday 11 March 2-4pm.
Each week will feature compositions by great jazz artist, starting with pianist BILL EVANS. The house band will open with a couple of Bill’s tunes and then musicians will be invited up to join in. This weeks house band will be George Maclaurin, Chris Beernink, and Mark Lockett.
Did I say that Wilsons food truck will be on site poppin out some mighty tasty bites.
Date and time: Sunday 11 March 2018, 2-4pm
Venue: The Third Eye, 30 Arthur Street, Te Aro.
The world of songwriting is steeped in stories, people, places, and portraits. Join vocalist Lauren Armstrong and her quintet in a focused experience, as they embark on an exploration of the muses and preludes to some of the most captivating jewels of jazz songwriting. Accompanied by a peppering of original compositions from the band.
Lauren Armstrong presents ‘Portraits in Sound.’
Featuring: Lauren Armstrong (vocals), Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (drums), Scott Maynard (double bass), Alexander Boulton – (guitar), Ben Hunt (trumpet) and Oscar Laven (bass clarinet)
Date: Thur 28 Feb 2018
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $15 General, $8 Members and Students with ID
Wellington Jazz Cooperative is pleased to open its 2018 gig season with the Steven Barry Quartet featuring Steve Barry (piano), Jake Baxendale (alto sax), Nick Tipping (bass) and Shaun Anderson (drums).
Barry has a growing list of awards and nominations, including the Bell Award for Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year, 2nd place in the National Jazz Awards and a finalist in the APRA Professional Development Awards.
Blueprints & Vignettes is the third album from Sydney-based, NZ-born pianist and composer Steve Barry. A product of his recently completed PhD at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the album synergises Barry’s parallel interests in jazz and 20th century classical music by juxtaposing intricate compositions and free improvisation, and reflects influences as diverse as Paul Bley and Elliott Carter.
Steve Barry Quartet
Featuring: Steve Barry (p), Jake Baxendale (as), Nick Tipping (b and Shaun Anderson (d)
Date: Thur 15 Feb 2018
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $15 General, $8 Members and Students with ID
2017 was a wonderful first year at WJC. The support has been amazing. We certainly hope you will join us in 2018 for another great year of Jazz!
Paul has delighted audiences in New Zealand on more than 14 occasions. His long standing collaboration of 15 years with colleague Mark Lockett (drums) is known to produce music that is highly interactive, energetic, and engaging.
Paul’s compositions are influenced by jazz, classical, Cuban and folk traditions, producing music that’s rich in detail, varied in character, yet remaining uniquely personal. His music simultaneously pays tribute to the Jazz greats whilst being highly energetic and reflecting personal life experiences.
“On ballads, (Paul) could wring a tear from a walnut and when playing up tempo he navigates the terrain with ease. His compositions are engaging.” – John Fenton
“Hard fast and exciting playing…with great ideas….that’s what I like about Paul Van Ross and his music…check him out.” – George Garzone
Paul Van Ross Trio
Featuring: Mark Lockett (d), Chris Beernink (b) and Paul Van Ross (s)
Date: Thur 14 Dec 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $15 General, $10 Members and Students with ID
The Wellington Mingus Ensemble is back, in all its ruthless glory. Join this full-strength big band for their debut obliteration of the Wellington Jazz Cooperative as they perform the beautifully dangerous music of visionary prophet Charles Mingus. Fierce, spontaneous and brimming with vibe, The Wellington Mingus Ensemble is a jazz orchestra not to be missed
Wellington Mingus Ensemble
Featuring: Bryn Van Vliet, Eilish Wilson, Jake Baxendale, Garam Jung, Me, Kaito Walley, Raymond Doell, Julian Kirgan, Patrick DiSomma, Ben Hunt, Michael Costelloe, Dan Windsor, Chris Selley, Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Chris Bernink, Ayrton Foote.
Date: Thur 30 Nov 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID
For this special concert, visiting Australian artists Hetty Kate (voice) and James Sherlock (guitar) will perform a selection of compositions by some of the most influential cool and bop pianists in jazz history. These timeless compositions are full of colour, and often began as instrumentals, with lyrics being only added later by trusted collaborators. Occasionally they were written with a singer in mind, but with or without voice, all of them found their way into the repertoires of jazz musicians around the world. Composers include Tadd Dameron, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Horace Silver and more.
About Hetty
Pure of tone and sweet sounding, jazz vocalist Hetty Kate was born in England and moved to Melbourne as a young teenager. With nine diverse albums under her belt in the last decade, and a regular international touring schedule, Hetty has built a reputation for being ‘truly one of the best swing-style singers on the current scene’ (Will Friedwald, jazz critic and author.) She approaches each song and performance with a natural musicality, and is often lauded for the clarity in her voice. Hetty spent three years touring with James Morrison and was the featured vocalist in his award-winning symphonic concert ‘The A to Z of Jazz’ which toured NZ in 2015. She is a regular at festivals around Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and her career highlights range from singing at the Sydney Opera House to touring Victoria with the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Share The Music Program. Hetty is now based in Paris, France.
“a stage presence only matched by the clarity of her voice” James Morrison AM (AU)
About James
Outstanding guitarist James Sherlock was born in Christchurch, before moving to Brisbane as a young teenager. Known for his ability to convey a lyrical and luscious timbre on his instrument, James has an ongoing duo project with celebrated Brisbane vocalist Kristin Berardi, and has worked with a variety of Australia’s finest; as well as many visiting artists such as Leroy Jones, Sheila Jordan, Cyrille Aimee, Jon Riley and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts. He was awarded the Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar Award and as a bandleader has released six albums as well as appearing on many more for other artists. Close to home, James has a weekly residency with Melbourne bebop sextet Bopstretch, and is currently completing an new album, to be released late 2017.
“Sherlock is a wonderful guitarist, and a craftsman of songs possessing beauty and depth.” Ian Patterson : All About Jazz Magazine (USA)
Hetty Kate and James Sherlock
Featuring: Mark Lockett (d), Nick Tipping (b), James Sherlock (g), Hetty Kate (v)
Date: Thurs 16 Nov 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $20 General, $15 Members and Students with ID
Adventurous Jazz trio the Melancholy Babes have been performing their incendiary improvised music in New Zealand for over 15 years.
The band of saxophonist Jeff Henderson, bass player Tom Callwood and drummer Anthony Donaldson have released three albums on iiii Records and are due to release a new album of live material in November 2017. Recorded at the 2017 Wellington International Jazz Festival, the album ‘Bootleg’ sees the Melancholy Babes reach new heights of intensity and drama – careering from expressionist freefalls to contemplative soundscapes to psychedelic rock outs.
Originally performing musical compositions and games, the trio now focus on freely improvised music which encompasses a huge range of influences and inspirations.
The Melancholy Babes are some of New Zealand’s most seasoned Free Jazz and improvised music performers, collectively having performed with such renowned international figures as Steve Lacy, Marilyn Crispell, Han Bennink, Peter Broetzmann, Frode Gjerstad, Mike Nock and Evan Parker to name a few.
Melancholy Babes
Featuring: Jeff Henderson (s), bass player Tom Callwood (b) and Anthony Donaldson (d)
Date: Thur 02 Nov 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID