Wellington Jazz Club: Latest Newsletter page 1

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011

President's Message

Next Club Meetings

This Month's Gig - The Boptet – 4.45pm 20 November

Of Boptets, Hobbits & Babes

City Jazz / The Valley Stompers

Club Diary

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:

Hello everyone,

On Sunday 30th October, we hosted Hot Cafe, who presented a brilliant performance of gypsy jazz. Nik Brown’s dynamic violin with brilliant playing by Leigh Jackson and Nick Granville on guitars and George Packard on Bass kept the audience on the edge of their seats. It was a driving, passionate and exciting performance and left us wanting more. The audience was rapt! I hope we can get them back again soon!

We were also treated to a pre-concert programme of big band jazz from the 17 x piece Aspire Academy Band who played a good selection of standards ‘How High the Moon, In the Mood, It Don’t Mean a Thing, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, My Funny Valentine, Night and Day, Route 66, Something’s Got to Give, Sway and They Can’t Take it Away from Me’.. The band was led by Philip Hawkey (MD), and Rick Godenho (Manager) and comprised Geoff Hooper and Tony Jenkins on trumpets, Gavin Knight (tutor) and Simon Wright on troms, David Burns eupho, Paul Caddis and Jim Szymnkowiak altos, Rick Godenho and David Tuck tenors, Paul Langham baritone sax, Keryn Campbell clarinet, Emma King piano, Steve Limmer guitar, Allan Holden bass, Colin Chase drums and Andre Coulston vocals. The band played well and received a great reception from the audience and proved that the era of big band jazz is still popular. It was good to see young musicians playing big band jazz so well. The band was located beside the open doors and could be heard clearly outside the venue, which added to the excitement of the evening’s entertainment.

The Aspire Academy Band is active in performing for community events and is available for musicians wanting exposure to big band jazz. Both the Academy band and the Aspire Big Band are always on the lookout for keen musicians.

On 20th November we will be excited to welcome the reknowned ‘Boptet’, who have agreed to perform for the Jazz Club prior to their regular appearance at the Lido. They will be starting at the earlier time of 4.45pm to enable them to meet their other commitment later. The group comprises Tim Hopkins on tenor sax, Anita Schwabe on keyboard, Paul Dyne on bass and Roger Sellers on drums. They are all most experienced and skilled jazz musicians and will introduce bebop by example of the role of each instrument in this fascinating genre. This is guaranteed to be an informative and most entertaining night of jazz of the highest quality. Not to be missed!

On 11th December, we will celebrate the Festive Season with some dixie and swing presented by City Jazz and happy trad jazz by The Valley Stompers, both back by popular request. It should be a fun toe-tapping event to suitably finish another year of great entertainment.

See you all on 20th November and again on 11th December at the Chicago. They will both be nights to remember. Try not to miss them!

The first gig next year will be the Club’s ‘Tribute to Terry Crayford’, to be held at West Plaza Hotel, Wakefield St, on Sunday 19th February. This will be a very auspicious event which has already attracted leading jazz musicians from all over the country, keen to be part of it. The venue has plenty of room and it will be a memorable event in the life of the Jazz Club and the wider jazz community. It will be another event ‘not to be missed’.
The Jazz Club is an excellent venue for entertaining friends and celebrating special events. Organise a party to come with you and enjoy the best jazz that the Capital has to offer in convivial and friendly surroundings over a tipple or three and a nice meal.
If you are not yet a member, then please join the Club in helping to keeping jazz ball bouncing along in the Capital.

A big welcome to new members Toni and Ashley Houghton, and Raewyn and Keith Taylor.

If I don’t get the opportunity again, please accept the Committee’s best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

We are already looking forward to more top-quality jazz in 2012.

Michael Bain
President

NEXT CLUB MEETINGS:

5 pm Sunday, 20 November 2011 4.45pm - The Boptet

5 pm Sunday, 11 December 2011 5.00pm - City Jazz / The Valley Stompers

(At Chicago Sports Bar)

Members $12
Public $15
Students $5

THIS MONTH'S GIG:

Here is our your chance to learn more about Bebop at this month's gig with local band Boptet.

Paul Dyne will talk about the bebop style and demonstrate with some tunes and musical examples together and on each of the instruments. He will lead the discussion as a convener and get the others to talk about the role of specific instruments in the Bebop style. He has had lecturing experience in Jazz History, Jazz Theory, Improvisation and Combos so it should be informative. And hopefully there will be some questions.

The Boptet has in various lineups been performing every Sunday night for close to 20 years. Roger Sellers has been in the band the longest, since close to the start and Paul Dyne follows with a close second. All the musicians have been involved with top level performers during their careers, Tim mostly in Australia with a long stint in Mike Nock's band. Roger and Paul have been the rhythm section for a who's who of visiting jazz performers. Anita is the pianist for Roger Fox's Wellington Jazz Orchestra and has backed a number of international artists. All of the band are involved in the New Zealand School of Music.

Don’t miss this great event.

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Of Boptets, Hobbits & Babes

by Sol Weinstein

A fearsome foursome of modern jazz practitioners will be in our Chicago venue around 4.45pm Sunday 20 November --- The Drum Daddy, the Boss Bass, a towering tenorman from Oz and piano dazzler the Schwabe Babe.

They’re better known as the Boptet, and they include Roger Sellers, Paul Dyne, Tim Hopkins and Anita Schwabe, masters of their implements and mentors to many upcoming jazz players who’ll be tomorrow’s headliners after their New Zealand School of Music stints.

And they’ve been around. Roger put in time at Ronnie Scott’s famed London jazzery and idolized percussionists Dave Tough, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and bop drummers Max Roach, Kenny Clarke et al. Paul still talks glowingly of bassists Ray Brown & Paul Chambers and his ten years in Canada with fantastic gigs backing US saxophone legend Sonny Stitt. Anita was also in the land of hockey and polar bears where she worked with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and dug pianist Red Garland, Wynton Kelly and of course the mad Monk, Thelonius.

As for Hopkins, it suffices to say that Kiwi keyboard icon Mike Nock chose to record with Tim. ‘Nuff said?

As soon as they finish wowing our Chicago fans they’ll be popping over to the Lido Café in Wakefield Street to continue the awesome two-decade skein of Sunday night jazz sessions about 7.30pm Two decades, a jazz player’s dream! One Boptet star I’ll miss is Vaughn Roberts, trumpet man, crooner, band leader, etc. who currently is doing one of those shipboard engagements. I sincerely hope the craft is not the Rena and that the only tune he’s playing is “Oil of Me, Why Not Take Oil of Me?”

Our own Wellington Jazz Club band will open the Chicago festivity with their own improvisational skills. Remember – good nibbles and drinks at Chicago to cap a fine evening!

LATE FLASH! At 8pm Friday 25 November at the Mana Little Theatre in Plimmerton (for reservations ring 233 9357), pianist-trumpeter Kevin Clark and vocalist Fran Barton will do a “Jazz N’ other Stuff” concert accompanied by Rowan Clark on bass and John Rae on drums. The Barton Babe will introduce a new comedy number Kevin and I did for Fran to sing called “Here Come the Hobbits”. If you’re a fan of Frodo, Bilbo, Groucho, Chico and Harpo – whatever - come on down.

Sol Weinstein

CITY JAZZ

A versatile eight-piece Wellington-based Dixieland and Swing Jazz Band, formed in 2000, which has performed for wedding receptions, birthday parties, conference dinners and dances, balls, graduation celebrations, Christmas celebrations, exhibition openings, commercial promotion concerts, Charity fund-raising concerts including annual concerts at All Saints Otaki, retirement villages, Festivals in Wellington and Wanganui, Jazz Clubs in Hawkes Bay, Wanganui and Rotorua, social functions held by Government Departments and the Military Services, functions at Parliament and Government House, accompanied the Cantate and the Wellington Male Voice Choirs, Old St Pauls Lunchtime concerts, and Chinese functions for the VUW Confucius Institute.

City Jazz’s repertoire includes standard Dixieland, swing and dance music from the 1900’s, and a neat selection of ballads and vocals, and a growing selection of Chinese.popular melodies.

Trumpet: Grant Hannis
Clarinet/Saxes: Michael Bain
Saxes: Chris Buckland
Trombone: Steve Holt
Banjo/Guitar: Alastair Carr
Piano: Peter Holt
Bass: Alistair McLeod
Drums: Don Mander

THE VALLEY STOMPERS

Wellington’s leading traditional Dixieland jazz band, which plays a lively selection of jazz and blues. The band was formed in 1970 and has played at charity fund-raising and local festival concerts, jazz festivals, jazz clubs, garden parties, wedding receptions, and commercial promotions including events at Parliament and Government House and Old St Paul's.

The Valley Stompers features trumpet/vocals, clarinet/sax, trombone, banjo/guitar, sousaphone and drums, and the band’s repertoire includes standard Dixieland jazz from the early 20th Century, with a selection of more modern arrangements. The music is clean, bright and exciting.

Trumpet/Vocals: Mike Green
Clarinet/Sax: Michael Bain
Trombone: Chris Caudwell
Banjo/Guitar: Alastair Carr
Sousaphone: Roger Metcalfe
Drums: Howard Thompson

CLUB DIARY

20 November - "The Boptet"

11 December - "City Jazz and The Valley Stompers"

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