Jazz Footprints: Recent Episodes
RNZ
Since sailing on his yacht to New Zealand from his homeland Germany in 2002, bassist Olivier Holland has made an impact on the local jazz scene, performing with many of the top musicians around the country while also keeping up collaborations with other European jazz artists. He lectures at The University of Auckland and has recently submitted his PhD thesis on bass playing technique.
Pianist Aron Ottignon has a new single Starfish and is set to release his second jazz album later this year. He grew up in Auckland, and if you've been following New Zealand jazz, you may recognise him as the young teen who picked up the award for New Zealand's Most Outstanding Jazz Musician Under 25. Although promising as a jazz player, he lends his hands to all types of music. Now living in Paris he's featured on the huge European hit Papaoutai by Stromae, and is wrapping up a three year world tour with Woodkid at the end of 2014.
From playing with Howard Morrison to Hayley Westenra, in pit orchestras to pubs - some of guitarist Lance Sua's latest projects have included volunteering with at-risk youth and getting the Le VA project underway in Auckland. Lance is passionate about enabling young Pacific people to engage in creative activity, and starting new dialogues within music with a strong interest in jazz.
Inspired to learn from jazz great Mike Nock, New Zealand pianist Gerard Masters moved to Australia after hearing his album Ondas - an album that's had a deep impact on him. Gerard has gone on to create a career as a sideman, session musician, producer and arranger.
Christchurch jazz singer Jennine Bailey chats about the release of her second CD, teaching vocals, gaining her long list of qualifications which includes researching the Oral History of Jazz in Christchurch, and the work behind the Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert she's presented at a number of New Zealand festivals.
Christchurch jazz legend, itinerant music teacher and sax player Stu Buchanan chats about his recently released CD 'Hey! What's The Time?', which features his compositions recorded with the Garden City Big Band. Hear how he funded the CD, his thoughts on teaching and his passion for what he describes as 'low-brow' music.
Listen to some exciting modern jazz coming out of New Zealand as Jazz Footprints presents local musicians featured in The Wellington Jazz Festival - from Auckland quartet DOG, to Alda Rezende, The Nigel Patterson Quartet, The JAC and Reuben Bradley's Cthulhu Three.
Expat jazz bassist Matt Penman has based himself in the USA for over 20 years. He gives us an insight into his early years of playing at Berklee College of Music and the ensuing years in New York since the early 1990s. Right now he's playing with some of the best jazz musicians in the world, including the Zach Brock Quartet, The San Francisco Jazz Collective and Nils Wogram's Root 70.
Dunedin pianist and bandleader Calder Prescott has been performing since the 1950s and founded the Dunedin City Jazz Orchestra in the 1980s. He guides us through some of his favourite big band tracks including Benny Goodman, Harry James and Johnny Dankworth, and also shares fond memories of pianist Julian Lee.
Wellington guitarist Nick Granville discusses two albums he's recently released - 'Refractions' and 'Home'.
Take a glimpse into life as a musician aboard a cruise liner with the much travelled jazz trumpeter, international music director and educator Chris Harris.
In the lead up to the awards, the three finalists for the Tui Award for Best Jazz Album of the Year 2014 chat about their albums; Reuben Bradley for 'Mantis: The Music of Drew Menzies', Phil Broadhurst for 'Flaubert's Dance', and eventual winner Nathan Haines for 'Vermillion Skies'.
Steve Garden who helped found music label Rattle Records always saw jazz as an important part of the label's vision, though the Rattle Jazz imprint only began with the release of The FSH Trio's 'Irony' in 2009. Steve works from his home studio, The Garden Shed.
Chromatic Harmonica player Nola Mills is based in Christchurch. She began playing at the age of 5, and shared the stage with one of her idols, the great Larry Adler, while in her teens.
Jazz drummer and composer John Rae completed his placement of Composer-In-Residence at Victoria University in 2010. He has made Wellington his musical base, and began the group 'The Troubles' with local saxophone player Lucien Johnson and bassist Patrick Bleakley.
Reed player Colin Hemmingsen has been playing for over 30 years. He discusses bringing his dual careers in classical and jazz music together, and interchanging between his many instruments.
UK Jazz singer Clare Teal was in New Zealand earlier in 2012 and came in to talk about her 10th album Hey Ho which she describes as a celebration of the Great British Songbook.
Tamara Smith is a flautist based in Christchurch. Her World-Jazz band Mundi features banjo, marimba, and an eclectic mix of travelling musicians. "In the Blink Of An Eye" is the name of their latest album.
The three finalists of the New Zealand Music Awards for Best Jazz Album 2012 talk about their albums. Pianist Phil Broadhurst shares his love of France and French pianist Michel Petrucciani, saxophonist Tim Hopkins puts into practice the theory of going bassless, and the Jazz Tui Award winner - Rodger Fox's Wellington Jazz Orchestra working with composer Alan Broadbent and their impending trip to tour the USA.
Grammy Award winning vocalist Kurt Elling talks about getting started in the music business and has advice for young singers.
A small tribute to guitarist Martin Winch who died earlier this year. Interview from 2004, by Keith Newman.
This week: host Colette Jansen chats with Brazilian singer Alda Rezende who now calls Wellington home. She is currently part of Zirigidum, a nine-piece Kiwi/Brazillion collective exploring Afro-Brazilian music, and has her own quintet with some of Wellington's finest musicians. Alda talks about her voice, training, languages and Brazil.
On Jazz Footprints this week, Kevin Clark - passionate pianist, trumpeter and traveller who shares some stories from his 40 plus years as a working musician, including some about his travels. Kevin is a dedicated student of music - travelling to South America and Andalusia in his search to further educate himself. He has also won New Zealand's Tui award for Best Jazz Album twice: Once Upon A Song I Flew (2003) and Live At The Sandbar Sessions (2005).
On Jazz Footprints this week, world music and jazz vocalist Carolina Moon expresses her love of language. Originally from the U.K., her study of music and language took her to India where she studied Indian vocal techniques and raga, and Sydney where she studied Mideaval language. Now based at Auckland University teaching Jazz Vocals, her most recent CD is "Mother Tongue: Songs from The Medieval Heart of Judeo Spain."
Rodger Fox is passionate about the trombone and leading big bands. Here he talks with host Colette Jansen about these and his two latest CDs: Funk City Ola with the NZ School of Music Big Band and his collaboration with Alan Broadbent, Journey Home.
Colette Jansen talks to Music Historian and New Zealand Post Book award winner Chris Bourke. They look back on Mavis Rivers, Julian Lee and Crombie Murdoch.
Tom Rainey is well known for his jazz piano and bass skills, and arranging for the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Cameron is also a skilled arranger and jazz trumpet player. They both work at the CPIT School of Performing Art and they chat about the Jazz School's name, other courses it now offers and how it's come through the quakes.
Daniel Beban's studies in Ethnomusocolgy have taken him from recording the voices of New Zealand to his travels in South East Asia. He's active in the creative music scene in Wellington - managing the venue FREDS as a performance and art space - and builds instruments for his band Orchestra of Spheres.
Colette Jansen talks to the tenor sax player from Australian group Jazzerati, Craig Henicek.
Reuben Bradley talks about his trip to New York and studying with drummer Barry Altschul. His album 'Resonator' won the Tui award for Best Jazz Album. Due to copyright issues all music has been removed.
Christchurch pianist Doug Caldwell has recently released his book 'My Life In The Key of Jazz' co-written with Rosa Shiels and published by the Christchurch Polytechnic. Doug has been playing and performing for over 60 years and host Colette Jansen talks with him about the inspiration for his book. All music has been removed for copyright reasons.
Liam Ryan is best known as the keyboardist in 1980s band The Narcs. He still regularly plays and writes music and is also the artistic director for Tauranga's National Jazz Festival. Due to copyright issues all music has been removed.
Colette Jansen talks to guitar and banjo played Neill Pickard about establishing the Christchurch Jazz School, working in and around Christchurch with his Dixieland Jazz Band, and life after the Christchurch Earthquake. Due to copyright issues all music has been removed.