Wellington Jazz Club

Geoff Culverwell
2025-05-18 17:00 - 19:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Meow Cafe, 9 Edward Street, Wellington, New Zealand
Geoff Culverwell: Flute/ vocals/keys/trumpet and other horns

Paul Dyne: Bass

Guss Reece: Guitar

Russell Henderson : Sax

Shaun Anderson: Drums

Be ready to enjoy an eclectic concert that includes reimagined standards, interpretations of Geoff’s recent recordings with Roy Phillips (voice of The Pedlars), and some original compositions. Geoff is a former member of three New Zealand super groups and has recorded and toured extensively internationally. His band is superb.

Paul is an honorary member of the Wellington Jazz Club and has an extraordinary track record on jazz base.

Gus is a guitarist in the Rodger Fox Big Band.

Shaun is a drummer in one of the country’s top jazz groups, The Jac.

And Russell is a wonderful tenor sax player with a string of UK performances to his credit.

Geoff and the band look forward to seeing you at this exciting concert

Tiptet - 15 June Gig
2025-06-15 08:00 - 17:00
Prepare for a night of effervescent swing, labyrinthine grooves, and velvet-hued harmonies as Nick Tipping’s Tiptet takes the stage! This ensemble of audacious improvisers weaves kaleidoscopic textures and rhythmic sleight-of-hand, fusing the vintage with the vanguard. From slinky bebop escapades to smoldering blues interludes, their sound is equal parts swagger and sorcery.

The Tiptet will be playing music by legends including Billy Strayhorn, Roy Hargrove, and Kenny Garrett, and the evening will feature an engaging presentation from RNZ’s own jazz expert Nick Tipping.

Nick Tipping – bass

Michael Costeloe – trumpet

Russell Henderson – sax

Ayrton Foote – piano

Mike Jensen – drums

Nick Tipping's Tiptet
2025-06-15 17:00 - 19:00
Prepare for a night of effervescent swing, labyrinthine grooves, and velvet-hued harmonies as Nick Tipping’s Tiptet takes the stage! This ensemble of audacious improvisers weaves kaleidoscopic textures and rhythmic sleight-of-hand, fusing the vintage with the vanguard. From slinky bebop escapades to smoldering blues interludes, their sound is equal parts swagger and sorcery.
The Tiptet will be playing music by legends including Billy Strayhorn, Roy Hargrove, and Kenny Garrett, and the evening will feature engaging presentation from RNZ’s own jazz expert Nick Tipping.
Nick Tipping – bass
Michael Costeloe – trumpet
Russell Henderson – sax
Ayrton Foote – piano
Mike Jensen – drums

Hot Cafe
2025-07-20 17:00 - 19:00
One of the country’s best exponents of the gypsy jazz genre, Leigh Jackson returns to the Wellington Jazz Club bringing his band Hot Café back for another gig of exciting rhythms and spectacular guitar technique. Driving up tempo numbers, slower evocative melodies, the hot rhythms and soaring solos make for a passionate, exciting blend of gypsy jazz paying homage to Django Reinhardt in the style of the Hot Club of France.
Expect to hear tunes such as La Mer, Under Paris Skies, Douce Ambiance and Django Reinhardt classics from the Manouche repertoire.
Leigh Jackson was born ‘within the sound of Bow Bells’ in Marylebone, London and has been playing the guitar since an early age. His first influence was through his uncle in London who was a recognised player in the gypsy and flamenco style. Leigh moved to New Zealand in his teens and has been playing professionally for more than 30 years and is fortunate to have shared the stage with many international and local artists as a Jazz, Rock and Fusion guitarist.
In his varied career he has been a producer, university lecturer, teacher and composer and holds a Masters degree with distinction in jazz guitar performance.

It's De-Lovely!
2025-08-17 17:00 - 19:00
The Zak Pack featuring Lisa Tomlins sing Cole Porter
Zak Dikvert & The Zak Pack are leading this musical celebration of American singer-songwriter Cole Porter featuring NZ legend Lisa Tomlins (Vocals) and a lineup of a brilliant performance band including Zak Dikvert (Guitar & Vocals), Anita Schwabe (Piano), Russell Henderson (Saxophones), Nick Tipping (Bass) and Greg Crayford (Drums).

The Wellington Heads
2025-09-21 17:00 - 19:00

20 Summers of Jazz - Note October Gig now on Sunday 12th.
2025-10-12 17:00 - 19:00
Important – October Gig now on Sunday 12th.
To avoid clashing with the Wellington Jazz Festival the October gig is on Sunday October 12th at the usual 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
It will feature Greg Crayford’s ‘Best of the Realm’ musicians and playbook. See you there!
Aotearoa musical stalwart Greg Crayford has been running high-quality jazz nights at The Realm in Hataitai for twenty years. October’s WJC gig will present a summary of some of that incredible magic with a roster of artists, based on the very successful celebration gig on Saturday 30th August. Long term jazz club fans will remember that the last time Greg presented such a concert for us a 6.5 richter scale earthquake interrupted proceedings, down at Chicago Bar on the waterfront. Amazingly, the concert was presented two weeks later at the same venue with the same artists, for the jazz club, to great success. It was professionally recorded, resulting in a Tui-nominated jazz album entitled ‘Rattledog!’ (available at all good music merchants). This will be a celebratory night to remember!

Capital City Big Band
2025-11-16 17:00 - 19:00
Capital City Big Band (CCBB) is thrilled to perform for the Wellington Jazz Club — a true cornerstone of live jazz in the capital! CCBB is a dynamic ensemble made up of top professional players, standout community musicians, and emerging young talent from across the Wellington region. Over the years, the band has flourished under the leadership of several respected musical directors, including – in 2025 – the incomparable Vaughn Roberts, helping shape our sound and spirit. With a passion for the big band tradition — from timeless swing to bold modern charts — we’re dedicated to keeping big band music alive and sharing it with audiences across Aotearoa.

The River City Jazzmen
2025-12-14 15:30 - 17:30
A treat to blow the last notes on an excellent year. We have The River City Jazzmen from Christchurch with their authentic brand of Dixieland jazz. Note the earlier time, 3:30-5:30.

April Phillips
2026-02-15 17:00 - 19:00
April Phillips – April’s Fools – Don’t miss it!

April’s Fools are a chic, cool jazz, swing and blues band that will transport you back in time and forward in class. Evoking the smokey, laid-back vibes of dim-lit speakeasy clubs, April Phillips’ smooth and sultry voice is perfectly complemented by some of the capital’s hottest musicians. This band doesn’t just play music; they create an experience that transports the audience to another era, where the essence of jazz and blues reigns supreme.

The Cuzzies
2026-03-15 17:00 - 19:00

New Orleans Joymakers
2026-04-19 17:00 - 19:00
The New Orleans Joymakers is a 7 piece Trad’ jazz band from Auckland. They play swinging music from classic and New Orleans Jazz, through to the Dixieland Music of the Kenny Ball and Chris Barber bands of the 50s and 60s.

They play regularly in Auckland and have recently played at the Northern Jazz Club (Whangarei), The Auckland Jazz and Blues Club and in 2025 were a headline act at the Tauranga Jazz Festival.

The key to the band’s swinging, driving sound is the 4-piece rhythm section: Ben Fernandez (piano), Pete McGregor (Double Bass), Bruce King (Drums) and the virtuoso Phillip Beatson on acoustic guitar. The front line features Brian Kelly – trumpet and leader, Frank Talbot – clarinet and Tenor Sax, and Alistair McMillan on Trombone.

This is happy, swinging trad’ Jazz and the Joymakers are one of the leading bands in New Zealand in this style. As well as very accomplished musicians, they always put on a fun, entertaining show. The band played with us 18 months ago and are back by popular request.

Members: $25

Non-members: $35

Students: $10

Hannah Griffin / Blair Latham / Norman Meehan / Paul Dyne
2026-05-17 17:00 - 19:00
Hannah Griffin, Blair Latham and Norman Meehan have been performing together for many years, playing jazz and original music around Aotearoa New Zealand. For their performance at the Wellington Jazz Club in May 2026 they will present music by Norman – mainly jazz settings of poems by such notables as E E Cummings, Wallace Stevens and New Zealand poets Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Hinemoana Baker and Bill Manhire – interspersed with some of the great songs from the jazz repertoire. They are thrilled that bassist Paul Dyne will be joining them. Look forward to an evening of melodic and swinging music from a group that values space and seeks to always make a beautiful sound.

Members: $25

Non-members: $35

Students: $10

Tenors in Love
2026-06-28 17:00 - 19:00
Greg Rogan and Amity Alton-Lee, collectively known as “Gramity” to their bandmates and musical colleagues, are a husband-and-wife saxophone team, bringing you the classic sound of the twin tenors.

Despite being thought of as “interchangeable” in their various bands, Greg and Amity have quite different musical histories: Greg is a talented multi-instrumentalist who has played in dixieland bands, show bands, concert bands, pop bands, and many jazz ensembles. Amity has had a one-track passion for the tenor saxophone since childhood, studying at NZSM, with her playing firmly rooted in the four Bs: Blues, Ballads, Bebop and Big Bands. She’s also one of Wellington’s busiest saxophone teachers.

Amity and Greg are delighted to put their contrasting, yet complimentary styles together at the Wellington Jazz Club, where they will be joined by local legends Aslan Rowlands and Greg Crayford.

Members: $25

Non-members: $35

Students: $10

Kevin Clark & Fran Barton
2026-07-19 17:00 - 19:00
Wellington Jazz Club Honorary Member, Kevin Clark, has been leading groups in Wellington on piano and trumpet for the past 60 years, in restaurants, jazz joints, jazz festivals, radio programmes, television shows and recordings. Of his three jazz albums, two were awarded Tuis , and one was a finalist. He also released three easy listening jazz-tinged albums with vocalist Fran Barton. Fran and Kevin first teamed up in 1971 at the Beefeaters Arms and have been performing together ever since. Many will remember her sparkling performances with Kevin’s group on the weekly Brian Edwards TV show.

The gig will include an entertaining and interesting variety of jazz styles, including Latin, prog-rock, funk, a hymn, easy listening and some Afro influences. There will something for everybody. The group features Fran Barton, vocals; Michael Taylor, trumpet; Rowan Clark, bass; and Lance Philip, drums. A distinctive sound of the group is the use of Fran’s voice as an instrument in many of the compositions.

Members: $25

Non-members: $35

Students: $10

NZ School of Music Big Band
2026-08-16 17:00 - 19:00
Te Kōkī Big Band One is the advanced jazz ensemble class of the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington, where developing musicians hone their skills through bi-weekly rehearsals, recording sessions, and numerous gigs in Wellington and throughout the country, most recently in collaboration with Orchestra Wellington. The band is assembled through audition of NZSM jazz and classical students, and is made up of the standard jazz orchestra format of 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxophonists, and rhythm section, as well as featured vocalists. This concert Te Kōkī BigBand One will be playing selections from one of the most significant composers, beyond category, of the 20th century: Duke Ellington.

NZSM’s BigBand One has performed in concert with some the world’s leading jazz artists such as Eric Marienthal, Tom Warrington, Joe LaBarbera, Larry Koonse, Karrin Allyson, Adam Schroeder, Alex Sipiagin, Bennie Maupin, Dick Oatts, Jim Pugh, Bob Sheppard, Bill Reichenbach, Clay Jenkins, and Jon Papenbrook. Their current director, carrying forward the passion and vision of the late great Dr. Rodger Fox, is Wellington bassist Seth Boy.

Members: $25

Non-members: $35

Students: $10
