We have just returned from New York and I’m pleased to say that there is a lot of interest from musicians wanting to come to New Zealand including guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Danny Walsh and pianist and owner of Smalls Jazz Club Spike Wilner. So watch this space!
Phil Boniface
Phil Boniface is traveling from Palmerston North, unfortunately due to the extreme weather conditions Phil Boniface will not be playing at WJC tonight. Instead we will be featuring the talented Callum Allardice, Chris Beernink, Mark Lockett and Jake Baxendale (thats if his flight arrives from Nelson in time).
Phil Boniface – To be rescheduled.
On Thursday, 13th of July, double bass player Phil Boniface will present two diverse sets of music:
Set one will bring together Phil and Taonga Pūoro practitioner Alistair Fraser with their new project of duo improvisations. Alistair has 18 years experience in construction, performance, composition and research. He has worked extensively both solo and collaboratively with others including Richard Nunns, Patricia Grace and The New Zealand String Quartet. Alistair is a researcher at Otago University investigating Chatham Island Moriori and Māori Taonga Pūoro.
Set two will encompass a trio of original music and new compositions with Wellington based guitarist Callum Allardice (from ‘The Jac’ & ‘The Antipodes’) and drummer Mark Lockett, who has recently returned from NYC.
Since graduating from the Conservatorium of Music in Wellington in 2000, Phil Boniface spent 11 years residing in Vancouver, Canada where he was performed with many of Canada’s finest west coast jazz musicians. He produced and recorded his first album ‘BaixaBlue’ as band leader in Vancouver in 2015 which was funded by FACTOR.
Review from Simon Sweetman http://offthetracks.co.nz/phil-boniface-baixablue/
Phil Boniface
Featuring:Alistair Fraser (Taonga Pūoro), Callum Allardice (g), Mark Lockett (d) and Phil Boniface (b)
Date: Thurs 13 Jul 2017 – TO BE RESCHEDULED
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID
Roger Manins Trio
“I first heard Mostyn Cole way back in 2004 I think; in Christchurch and on electric. I still remember the feeling, wondering what he was going to do next, and of course his sound- so warm, so creative, and so great to play with. Next I played a gig with Reuben at the Lido. Energy, creativity and spirit and I knew I had my trio. We rehearsed a lot in 2005. We recorded for the ABC Jazz, we played Wangaratta Jazz festival. Later, we released TRIO on Rattle- an album I still am really proud of. Its true, we have not played together as this trio in a long while, but we have continued playing a lot in different bands over the years. I have played on a tonne of Reuben’s projects, and Mostyn is in my band GRG67, so we are COOL. So, expect some joy, some empathy, some energy and humour and spirit. I am really excited about this gig and hope you can come. ”
Roger Manins Trio
Featuring: Roger Manins (s), Mostyn Cole (b) and Reuben Bradley (d)
Date: Thurs 29 Jun 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID
Announcement – George Garzone to play WJC
We’re thrilled to announce Tenor sax heavyweight and renowned educator George Garzone will be visiting New Zealand in August, with gigs and workshops in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Garzone is well-known as a sought-after jazz educator, currently teaching at the Berklee College of Music. He has also previously taught at New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music, New York University, Manhattan School of Music, Northeastern University and the New School University. He has pioneered the triadic chromatic approach and students of his have included Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Teadross Avery, Luciana Souza, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Doug Yates and Danilo Perez, to name a few.
Details onhis Wellington gigs to be announced in June, so watch this space.
Ari Hoenig Group
See event listing for 7 June for more details.
Ari and Nitai will be play CJC (Auckland) on 9 June, tickets available from Event finder. The Christchurch show is at Orange Studios on 10 June, tickets available from Cosmic Ticketing.
Ari Hoenig Group
Featuring: Nitai Hershkvits (k) and Ari Hoenig (d)
Date: Thurs 8 Jun 2017, 8pm and 10pm
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Price: $34, tickets available from under the radar.
Ari Hoenig Group
WJC is pleased to presents Ari Hoenig Group (USA) for 2 dates at the Wellington Jazz Festival. Ari is a jazz drummer, known for his unusual and intense approach to drumming emphasizing complex rhythms in direct harmony with other group members. He is widely noted particularly for his drumming not being relegated to just keeping tempo, or being a side issue to the music he plays in, but rather for elevating drumming as an indispensable part of the performance. He is also known for his unique ability to modify the pitch of a drum by using drum sticks, mallets, and even parts of his body. Using this technique, he can play any note in the chromatic scale, virtually any melody, and even improvise on a chord structure in the same way as any other instrumentalist would. For this concert Hoenig will be joined by outstanding piano/organist Nitai Hershkvits.
Ari Hoenig Group
Featuring: Nitai Hershkvits (k) and Ari Hoenig (d)
Date: Wed 7 Jun 2017, 8pm and 10pm
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Price: $34, tickets available from under the radar.
Ari will also be holding a workshop at Musicworks 6pm Wed 7th. Tickets $15 from Musicworks Wellington.
French Johnson Bleakey Rae
In a rare turn of events, these iconoclastic musicians share the stage at the Wellington Jazz Co-op, playing new music and deranged standards.
French Johnson Bleakey Rae
Featuring: Lex French (t), Lucien Johnson (ts), Patrick Bleakley (b), John Rae (d)
Date: Thurs 1 Jun 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID
Callum Allardice Quartet
Born and raised in small town Motueka, it took some time for Callum to discover jazz. However, it quickly became an enduring passion. In 2008, he left to study at the New Zealand School of Music, completing a Bachelor of Music and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Jazz Performance. During this time he started writing and performing his own compositions with long-time collaborator Jake Baxendale. Together they started The Jac, an all-original eight-piece jazz ensemble, now with a Tui-nomination and two albums under their belt.
Seeking new sounds and inspiration, Callum moved to Berlin in 2013 and immersed himself in the local jazz scene. Since his return to NZ the following year, he has been busy writing fresh tunes to take on tour. In 2014 and 2015 tours, New Zealand and Australia revelled in the latest compositions of The Jac, as well as Antipodes, a creative contemporary jazz sextet playing works by Callum, Jake and Australian pianist and composer, Luke Sweeting. Recent performances of the Callum Allardice Quintet have revealed a captivating new direction for his small group writing and playing.
Callum continues to write for his various projects and is currently pursuing a long-time desire to write larger ensemble pieces.
“…his guitar soared as if free of gravity…” John Fenton
“…his authoritative solos and fills just sing. He gives a soft but penetrating edge to the mix.” John Fenton
Callum Allardice Quartet
Featuring: Dan Millward (p), Paul Dyne (b), Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (d), Callum Allardice (g)
Date: Thursday 18 May 2017, 8pm
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID
Matt Steele Quartet
Matt grew up in Lower Hutt and discovered a passion for jazz during high school, which he honed with studies at the University of Auckland under the tutelage of pianists Kevin Field and Stephen Small. He was the first jazz pianist to win the Lewis Eady Emerging Artists Series in 2013 and graduated with First Class Honours in Jazz Performance in 2014. This will be Matt’s last gig in Wellington for a while, as he is soon off ‘across the ditch’ to Melbourne. The quartet will be showcasing its member’s original music as well as one or two favourites from the repertoire.
“Steele is always an interesting pianist and always one to watch. It is his determination, his preparedness to take risks and his ability to learn on the bandstand that marks him out from many of his peers. He grows as an artist each time I see him.” – John Fenton, Jazz Journalists Association, 2015
Matt Steele Quartet
Featuring: Blair Latham (s), Johnny Lawrence (b), Cory Champion (d) and Matt Steele (p)
Date: Thursday 4 May 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID
Peter Koopman Trio
Since leaving behind the lush, verdant countryside north of the mighty Waikato river in his native New Zealand in 2011, guitarist Peter Koopman has become a regular fixture on Australia’s music scene. In addition to (occasionally) leading his own trio, he also plays with Katie Noonan’s Vanguard, jazz-metalheads Scoredatura and jazz/apparel enthusiasts The Turtlenecks among various others. In 2014 Peter placed 3rd in the national jazz awards at the Wangaratta jazz festival. Brought together by a mutual love for genre-crossing, rhythmic interplay and Vietnamese pork rolls, this new band will feature deadset legends Max Alduca and Tim Geldens on bass and drums respectively.
Peter Koopman Trio
Featuring: Max Alduca (b), Tim Geldens (d) and Peter Koopman (g)
Date: Thurs 20 Apr 2017
Venue: Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki St.
Time: 8pm
Price: $10 General, $5 Members and Students with ID