Due to circumstances beyond our control, tonight’s performance has been cancelled.

This July Andy Sugg returns for his third tour of New Zealand. Andy’s musical connection with New Zealand has grown strong in recent years with his last tour featuring his Australasian project three tenor sax band, TTTenor (lookout for a possible TTTenor tour in September).

For this concert the group will play originals from the last three of these albums, all recorded in New York City. Making the WJC gig even more special, Andy gets to play this music with New Zealand’s best jazz musicians. His stellar group features Duncan Haynes on piano, Umar Zakaria on bass and Mark Lockett on drums. The music is contemporary acoustic fusion at its best.

“Brilliant, sparkling, strongly surging… Sugg is a high order musician.” Sydney Morning Herald

Andy Sugg Group
Featuring: Andy Sugg (p), Duncan Haynes (p), Umar Zakaria (b), Mark Lockett d)
Date: Thur 15 July 2021, 7.30pm
Venue: Lovebite, 2 Forresters Lane
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda.co.nz

Having arranged music for the Roger Fox New Zealand Jazz Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington and the infamous Crown Law concerts at St Andrews, Daniel Hayles is surely one of Wellingtons most sort after musician/arrangers.

Playing a range of styles from stomping New Orleans rhythm and blues with Gold Nugget Pawn Shop, raging party times with the unstoppable Richter City Rebels, ripping organ hits with JB3, the occasional piano chair with Orchestra Wellington, to international touring with the likes of Lord Echo, Louis Baker and Hollie Smith.

Daniel Hayles Trio
Featuring: Daniel Hayles (piano) will be Johnny Lawrence (bass) and Cory Champion (drums)
Date: Thur 08 July 2021, 7.30pm
Venue: Lovebite, 2 Forresters Lane
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda.co.nz

Soul-jazz and boogaloo beat with Wellington staples Chris Yeabsley (organ), Cory Champion (drumset), and Whanganui rising star, James “Guitar” Paul (guitar).

Tickets available on Eventfinda.co.nz

May is NZ Music month and this year WJC is pleased to present two promising emerging artists Nicolas Baucke-Mausell and Elizabeth Hocking.

Nicholas Baucke-Maunsell will be performing with Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa on Drums, Seth Boy on Bass, and Leonardo Coghini on Keys. They will be performing some of Nicholas’s original music as well as some music from his recent mentors and heroes Immanuel Wilkins and Giveton Gelin.

Alto saxophonist Elizabeth Hocking joins long-time friends and collaborators Seth Boy (bass) and Alexander Boulton (guitar) in her newly-formed trio. The group will play a selection of Elizabeth’s original compositions, which are inspired by the “chamber jazz” approach of the Jimmy Guiffre 3 trio. 

Doors open at 6.30pm. Pre-purchasing tickets highly recommended.

Saxophonist Louisa Williamson presents a concert of original compositions with a stellar line up of some of Wellington’s finest. 

Louisa is driven to compose music that is meaningful and reflective of the world around her, embracing a selfless attitude towards composing and performing. Creating music with strong intentions and purpose is at the forefront of Louisa’s mind as a musician. Louisa hopes to release her debut album this year, featuring some of the music presented at this concert.

Louisa Williamson Quartet
Featuring: Louisa Williamson – Saxophone, Daniel Hayles – Piano, Johnny Lawrence – Bass, Cory Champion – Drums
Date: Thur 13 May 2021, 7.30pm
Venue: Lovebite, 2 Forresters Lane
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda, Door sales: General $20, WJC members $15, and Students with ID $10

The Ollie Bomann Quartet was founded as a means to bridge the musical gap between the contemporary Jazz scenes of New York and Wellington. Ollie has lived and worked as a professional musician in New York and aims to bring the performance aesthetics and practices to a Wellington audience. This new quartet of his will be presenting original compositions by all members of the band as well as music written by some of the band’s favourite post-bop artists: Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, etc.

Ollie Bomann Quartet
Featuring: Ollie Bomann (b), James Guilford-Smith (t), Leonardo Coghini (p), Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (d)
Date: Thur 29 Apr 2021, 7.30pm
Venue: Lovebite, 2 Forresters Lane
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda, Door sales: General $20, WJC members $15, and Students with ID $10

The Woods’ are a quartet from Wellington, NZ, playing original instrumental music. Their influences are broad, taking in jazz artists like Pharoah Sanders and Henry Threadgill, the blues of John Lee Hooker, Zimbabwe highlife, Peruvian mountain music, Ethio Jazz etc. Members of ‘The Woods’ have featured in a number of Wellington bands including The Noveltones, Mean Bones, Kita, Little Bushman, The Phoenix Foundation

Their debut EP ‘Manyana’ and follow up EP ‘Magic Ocean Tree’ are both available on bandcamp: https://thewoods4.bandcamp.com/

“A burst of big healthy vibes. A high-intensity chill-out. It’s laid back and cool, but always solid in its groove. I love the range, from sultry blues to pagan ritual, with pretty much everything in between. It’s like latter-day troubadours have come to town. These are great earthy, singable tunes, and everyone of them with a unique twist.  The writing and playing are constantly inspired. This is an awesome dose of positively-energised music.” 

– John Psathas, Composer (Athens Olympic ceremonies) 

The Woods
Featuring: Blair Latham (Tenor Sax, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Guitar), Joe Callwood (Guitar), Tom Callwood (Bass), Rick Cranson (Drums) 
Date: Thur 15 Apr 2021, 7.30pm
Venue: Lovebite, 2 Forresters Lane
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda, Door sales: General $20, WJC members $15, and Students with ID $10

Born in New Zealand into a musical family, Adrienne acquired her first organ in 2003 when she imported a Hammond C3 from Canada. She taught herself to play by copying recordings by Jimmy Smith, Joey DeFrancesco, Groove Holmes and Jack McDuff. In 2008,after performing clubs and festivals throughout New Zealand and Australia, Adrienne moved to the USA sharing the stage with Joey Defrancesco, Ronnie Cuber, Bruce Forman, Victor Jones, Tony Monaco, Sherrie Maricle and headlined jazz clubs including Cliff Bells (Detroit), The Blue Wisp (Cincinnati, OH), Jazz Central (Dayton, Oh) and Night Town (Cleveland, OH).  Now based in New York City performing in clubs such as Minton’s, The Garage, Smoke, Showman’s, Red Rooster, and BB Kings.

Adrienne McKay Trio
Featuring: Adrienne McKay (o), Mark Lockett (d) and Callum Allardice (g). 
Date: Thur 1 Apr 2021, 7.30pm
Venue: Lovebite, 2 Forresters Lane
Price: Tickets available on Eventfinda, Door sales: General $20, WJC members $15, and Students with ID $10