Local Wellington Trumpeter presents music for Jazz quintet. Mike spent 9 years in New York City, returning to the vibrant Wellington scene in 2017. Mike’s music draws from Pan-American improvised music traditions.

Michael Taylor Quintet
Featuring: Michael Taylor (t), Louisa Williamson (s), Ayrton Foote (p), Chris Beernink (b), John Rae (d)
Date: Thu 12 Nov 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10.

Jasmine Lovell-Smith is a composer and soprano saxophonist based in Wellington. Her music combines influences from jazz, classical, and folk music traditions, and has been described as “arrestingly wry and lyrical” (New York City Jazz Record), “honest, intelligent chamber jazz” (Jazz Times) & “[an] unashamedly rich tapestry of sound” (Dominion Post, NZ). After a number of years based in New York, Connecticut and Mexico, Jasmine rejoined the Wellington scene in 2017. Recent projects have included the Noveltones, the Arthur Street Loft Orchestra, and commissions for the Wellington Jazz Festival and Stroma. Much of Jasmine’s recent work has focused on the intersection of jazz and chamber music, but for this special WJC concert she is looking forward to debuting some new music for the traditional jazz quartet format.

Jasmine Lovell-Smith Quartet
Featuring: Jasmine Lovell-Smith (s), Daniel Hayles (p), Emma Hattaway (b), Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (d) 
Date: Thu 29 Oct 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10.

Ahead of the Wellington Jazz Festival, WJC has been fortunate to have a recipient of the 2020 Wellington Jazz Festival Commissions Anita Schwabe to perform for us. Anita is a Wellington jazz pianist and composer who has studied both here in NZ and overseas at the Koninklijk Conservatorium, Banff Centre for the Arts Canada and Berklee College of Music USA. She has performed at all the major jazz festivals in NZ with her own group and with other NZ and overseas musicians. In 2018 she recorded her album “Eat Your Greens” (available on Rattle Records) and won the APRA composition award for her composition “Spring Tide”.

Anita Schwabe Quartet
Featuring: Anita Schwabe (piano), Nick Tipping (bass), Lance Philip (drums), Callum Allardice (guitar).
Date: Thu 15 Oct 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda
General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10.

The WJC Roger Sellers Emerging Artist Series was established to remember and pay tribute to much loved and respected drummer, educator, and mentor Roger Sellers. Dedicating his life to the art form of jazz, he was a consulate and prolific jazz musician who performed with countless international and local groups. Roger nurtured and mentored thousands of students helping them on their musical journey and making a difference to so many lives.

George Maclaurin is an jazz piano honours student at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, drawing influence from pianists old and new such as Ahmad Jamal, Gerald Clayton, Sonny Clark and Aaron Parks. He has gradually established himself in the Wellington jazz scene as a sideman and is now playing the first gig under his own name, performing both originals and songs from the Jazz standard repertoire. Joining him will be Callum Allardice (g), Louisa Williamson (ts), Umar Zakaria (b) and Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (ds).

Lily Shaw has recently completed a BMus(Hons) in jazz performance from Te Koki, New Zealand School of Music, where she studied tenor saxophone and classical voice as a second instrument. Lily’s original compositions reflect her background as a student of multiple genres, and is working to create music which melds both of her instruments. She will be joined by a stellar line up of: Phoebe Johnson (b) Cory Champion (d), Hector Mclachlan (p).

Roger Sellers Emerging Artist Series
Date: Thu 1 Oct 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda.co.nz.
General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10.

Recipient of the 2020 Wellington Jazz Festival Commissions Riki Gooch presents the NZ Idol Quartet. Featuring the talents of Jacqui Nyman on Double Bass, Ruby May Solly on Cello, Jeff Henderson on Saxophones and Riki Gooch on Drums/Electronics. The quartet will perform a mix of improvised and composed pieces inspired by Henry Threadgill, Milford Graves and the Mōteatea song-form.

Riki Gooch (NZ Idol Quartet)
Featuring:  Jacqui Nyman (b), Ruby May Solly (c), Jeff Henderson (s), Riki Gooch (d/e).
Date: Thu 17 Sep 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10

Rachelle Eastwood is a New Zealand jazz flutist.  This year Rachelle returned to Wellington after 2 and a half years in Montreal, also spending time in New York and Cuba (studying with the great Orlando ‘Maraca’ Valle). The band will be playing brand new tunes by Rachelle as well as tunes by greats such as Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd and Bobby Hutchinson.

Rachelle Eastwood Quartet
Featuring:  Rachelle Eastwood (f), John Rae (d), Aryton Foote (p), Dan Yeabsley (b)
Date: Thu 3 Sep 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10

After two successful showings post-lockdown, eclectic saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Oscar Lavën and his quintet are back. They will present a further selection of bold new music, mixing influences from the sanguine later music of John Coltrane with the surreal energy of early swing records. 

Oscar Lavën Quintet
Featuring:  Oscar Lavën (s/h), Michael Talor (t), John Rae (d), Patrick Bleakley (b), Ayrton Foote (p)
Date: Thu 20 Aug 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $15, WJC members $10, and Students with ID $10

Canadian guitarist and composer Keith Price recently moved to New Zealand to lecture in jazz studies at the University of Auckland. While Price learned his first chords from his Grandfather, the intensity and rawness of John Coltrane’s musical expression drew him into the world of jazz at age fifteen. Later, Price studied at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the University of Manitoba before completing undergraduate and graduate degrees at Brandon University where he studied with internationally recognized pianist and composer Michael Cain.

Price’s omnivorous listening habits are the foundation of his expressive musical style which combines old jazz, new jazz, folk, noise and funk. His sound is a mixture of colours, textures, and flavours from different genres, filtered on stage through the process of improvisation. Whether performing with a double-quartet, a trio, or as a solo guitarist, Price’s musical approach focuses on openness, imagination, and the search for a shared connection with the audience.

‘The notes and chords he uses weaves this dream-like atmosphere in his environment. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of silence with his instrument and he knows how to use space in his playing, the result being that the atmosphere stays even though he doesn’t play constantly. The rest of the band carries the atmosphere he’s created.’ –TicketMOMster

Keith Price has released seven albums; Trio Antipodes: Upside Downwards (2019), Double Quartet (2017), Live at 101.5 UMFM (2015), The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (2015), Solo Guitar (2013), Gaia/Goya (2011), and Breakfast of Champions (2009).

Performance highlights include Montreal International Jazz Festival, CBC Canada Live, Yardbird Suite (Edmonton), Rainbow Trout Music Festival, and Jazz on the Rooftop at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Keith has had the honour of opening shows for Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, and The Bad Plus.

Keith Price Trio
Featuring:  Keith Price (g), Seth Boy (b), Mark Lockett (d)
Date: Thu 6 Aug 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $20, WJC members $15, and Students with ID $10

Since completing a Master of Music in Composition in May 2020, Louisa has been practising and working towards producing fresh music, hopefully for an album by the end of the year. Louisa aims to create meaningful and purposeful music which reflects the world around her.

Louisa Williamson Quartet
Featuring:  Louisa Williamson (s), Callum Allardice (g), Daniel Hayles (p), Johnny Lawrence (b), Luther Hunt (d)
Date: Thu 23 Jul 2020, 8pm
Venue: The Third Eye, Upstairs at 30 Arthur St. Te Aro
Price: General $15, WJC members and Students with ID $10