Photo: Aotearoa Jazz Orchestra
New Zealand's had the Rodger Fox Big Band, but never a national jazz ensemble - until now.
Next week, the Aotearoa Jazz Orchestra will make its debut as part of the Wellington Jazz Festival, playing a big band masterpiece: Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington's arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.
A national jazz band was a long-held dream of Rodger Fox. Ironically, his death was one of the things that spurred on the upcoming concert.
John Rae, the band's musical director, and concert master Oscar Lavën spoke with RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump ahead of the gig.
Originally from the UK, Rae noticed the lack of a national jazz band - like the one he'd been part of in Scotland - when he arrived in New Zealand back in 2008.
It was something he discussed with Roger Fox and the local bandman agreed.
Fox worked tirelessly to get the idea of a national band taking the best jazz musicians from around the country over the line.
He even persuaded New Zealand First to pitch for government funding of a national jazz band during coalition talks following the 2017 election.
NZ First became part of the government that year, but it seems the proposal for a nationally funded big band fell by the wayside.
Rae and Lavën told Crump the idea couldn't wait for government support, especially after Fox's death last year.
This month's Wellington Jazz Festival gig is just a step along the way. Most of the players are still Wellington based, and there's a lot of work to be done to find funding.
But Rae remains upbeat that those who make it to Meow Nui for the Aotearoa Jazz Orchestra's gig on Thursday 16 October will be witnessing a key moment in the history of music in this country.
Members of the Aotearoa Jazz Orchestra. From left: Concert Master Oscar Lavën, Kaito Walley (lead trombone), Mike Taylor (lead trumpet), Musical Director John Rae. Photo: Supplied
