Record Store Day 2020

Sure Covid has hit us all hard but when the opportunity arises music lovers grab the opportunity to celebrate. Under level 2/3 conditions NZ will be buying up large on the vinyl.

Whether bands will be playing in store is yet to be determined. We'll let you know what our friends at Slowboat and Rough Peel are up to. So stay tuned in.

In the meantime check out the world wide releases here

Top Five Silver Scroll Nominees Announced today!

The top five nominations for the APRA 2020 Silver Scroll songwriting award have been decided. 

The Silver Scroll Award recognises excellence in songwriting.  

They are: Reb Fountain - ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’, written by Reb Fountain Nadia Reid - ‘Get The Devil Out’, written by Nadia Reid BENEE - ‘Glitter’, written by Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djesian Suskov L.A.B. - ‘In The Air’, written by Ara Adams-Tamatea, Brad Kora, Stu Kora, Joel Shadbolt, and Miharo Gregory Troy Kingi - ‘Mighty Invader’, written by Troy Kingi. 

The top five Silver Scroll song nominations were voted on by members of APRA (the Australasian Performing Rights Association), which represents songwriters in New Zealand. They chose from a long list of 20 songs, which was compiled from more than 200 entries by a judging panel of 10 songwriters. 

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will (hopefully, Covid-willing) be presented at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 14 October.  That award will be one of five awards, which includes the APRA Maioha Award (celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo);  SOUNZ Contemporary Award (which honours contemporary compositions); the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and the APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award.   

Photo by Tim Gruar

Reb Fountain - ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’ 

Reb’s been in the Aotearoa music scene for many years, but the release of her third, self-titled album earlier this year has seen her sultry voice and alt-folk sensibilities reach a whole new audience. ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’ is an intimate, but bold ballad, that explores identity, and calls on the listener to “dig deep, wake up, open your eyes and beat your own drum.” - according to Reb Fountain. 

Photo by Tim Gruar

Nadia Reid - 'Get The Devil Out’ 

Nadia was in the Scrolls the top five in 2017 for her song ‘Richard’. This year it’s for ‘Get The Devil Out’ from her third album Out Of My Province. The song covers past and present selves, looking for reconciliation. 

Photo by Tim Gruar

Benee - ‘Glitter’ 

Last year that Stella Bennett (Benee) along with co-writers Djeisan Suskov and Josh Fountain, took out a top five spot with their track ‘Soaked’. This year they are back with ‘Glitter’ from Benee’s 2019 EP Fire on Marzz, which saw huge international success. ‘Glitter’ is an easy-going pop-ode to the people you still want to party with after everyone else has left. The song pairs Benee’s mischievous and husky voice with the sunny, confident sound of Josh and Djeisan’s production to create a mellow post-party vibe. 

L.A.B. - ‘In the Air’ In March 

L.A.B became the first local independent act to have a song hit #1 in NZ since 2012, spending three weeks at the top. A laid-back reggae and blues groove, ‘In The Air’ showcases L.A.B’s talent for a catchy melody. Combining vocalist Joel Shadbolt’s crooner skills with guest vocalist, and our very good friend,  Lisa Tomlins.  The song is a real good vibe, slow-burned with heaps of nostalgic love song feels to it.  The real success of it is down to the super-tight instrumental interplay between Brad Kora (drums), Stu Kora (guitar, keys), Ara Adams-Tamatea (bass), and Miharo Gregory (keys). 

Photo by Tim Gruar

Troy Kingi - ‘Mighty Invader’ 

 In 2018, Troy Kingi was a finalist for his song ‘Aztechknowledgey’, and this year he’s back with ‘Mighty Invader’, from his 2019 reggae album Holy Colony Burning Acres. The song explores the painful legacy of colonisation, providing a visceral picture of Captain Cook’s arrival in the Pacific, and the oppression of indigenous people that followed. Marika Hodgson’s wonderfully melodic bass lines, and rousing horns from Guy Harrison are woven into Troy’s smooth vocals.

For the whole store check it out here: https://apraamcos.co.nz/awards/awards/silver-scroll-awards/

Avantdale Bowling Club to headline the 2020 Wellington Jazz Festival

West Auckland rapper and hip hop artist Tom Scott will bring his “stunning” (NPR) genre-pushing jazz, hip-hop project Avantdale Bowling Club to Wellington for “an incredible journey of jazz, rap, soul, and spoken word” (Radio13) at the Opera House on Saturday 21 November. 

Joined by some of the country’s top musicians, Scott’s “turn-on-a-pin rhythmic cadence” (Metromag) and his “brutally honest, startlingly raw” lyrics (NZ Herald) promise one of the best nights of live music you’ll experience this year. 

In 2019, his first album under the moniker Avantdale Bowling Club saw Scott win the Taite Music Prize, Album of the Year and Hip-hop Artist awards at the New Zealand Music Awards, as well as being named a finalist at the Silver Scrolls for the song Years Gone By. 

Influenced by the likes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane, Scott describes his latest album as “a self-help book addressed to myself” that was four years in the making.   

Avantdale Bowling Club’s genre isn’t easy to pin down. Typically irreverent, Scott’s Spotify profile for the project calls it “irrelevant jazz from an island nation off the coast of Antarctica.”   

“The album’s about home and its inhabitants, with all their inadequacies and complexities. It’s about finding peace in the little piece of land you stand on,” he says. 

Scott first emerged in 2007 with Home Brew, a band that still performs live. His other projects – Average Rap Band, @Peace, a new Average Man collaboration and his new label ‘Years Gone By’, ensure that he continues to influence a generation of young rappers and push boundaries across genres. 

Scott has been hard at work on ABC 2, so the Wellington Jazz Festival audience is likely to hear new material from his stellar ensemble including Tonga Vaea (vocals/keys/trumpet), Guy Harrison (keys/trumpet), JY Lee (saxophone), Ben Turua (upright bass/bass guitar) and Julien Dyne (drums). 

Wellington Jazz Festival Creative Director Marnie Karmelita says she is looking forward to Wellington Jazz Festival audiences experiencing the incredible ensemble for themselves.  

“Surrounding himself with some of the best jazz musicians in the country, Tom Scott’s latest project has been recognised for its innovation and sheer brilliance. I’m thrilled we were still able to secure them for the rescheduled Wellington Jazz Festival in November this year in a completely New Zealand focused programme.” 

Tickets for Avantdale Bowling Club will be on public sale from 1 September on Ticketmaster. There will be a Culture Club supporters pre-sale from 25 August. Head here to join and find out more.

Keep an eye out for further programme updates over the coming weeks. 

 

World of Words Goes Digital / He Kōrero Matihiko o Te Ao

WOMAD NZ is excited to present a new online programme featuring some of New Zealand's most diverse voices, authors, comedians, musicians and poets.

'World of Words Goes Digital' is a series of 9 rich conversations programmed weekly and starting Sunday 5 July 2020. Each series shares words of wisdom, inspiration, personal challenges and journeys from an inspiring line up which includes Tame Iti, Mike Chunn, Penny Ashton, Chessie Henry, Te Radar, Elizabeth Smither, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Paul Cleave and Paula Morris.

'World of Words Goes Digital' is a celebration of the spoken word, and will have you thinking, laughing, listening and learning. Join the livestream at 9am every Sunday on Youtube or our Facebook page, or watch later here on the WOMAD website

Here's a taster: World of Words Goes Digital | He Kōrero Matihiko o Te Ao | Series 2: Mike Chunn

EVENT: Six on Cuba

Orchestra Wellington is bringing music back to the inner city through a creative partnership with CubaDupa organisers and WellingtonNZ, which will see twenty ensembles play over one hundred events in fifteen venues.

Musicians from Orchestra Wellington have been rehearsing in lockdown to perform in cafes, restaurants and bars at Classical on Cuba on the 27th and 28th June, in a magical interactive playground of delight, sound and taste.

The intention behind the event is to support the Cuba Street precinct bars and restaurants to bring intimate live classical music to the ears of patrons seated at their tables. The orchestra will be divided into small chamber music groups to make up twenty ensembles including string quartets, brass trios, a percussion quintet, a harp and trombone duo, flute and marimba duo and will feature a percussion trio who will deliver a lively family show in the afternoon.

Voices New Zealand are presenting a six-piece vocal ensemble called “Six on Cuba”. The hosting venues will include some of the Cuba Precinct’s most iconic establishments, including San Fran, Laundry Bar, the Rogue & Vagabond, Hotel Bristol, Fortune Favours, Eva Beva, 1154 Pastaria and {Suite} Gallery. Stay up to date over on our their Classical on Cuba Facebook page.

Tickets are $5 per show and go on sale Tuesday 9th June.
They can be purchased through Orchestra Wellington or go here on the CubaDupa website.

All proceeds go towards participating venues.  Classical on Cuba will happen on: Saturday 27th June from 1:00pm Sunday 28th June from 12:00pm 

https://www.cubadupa.co.nz/classicaloncuba/

The Jac wins a Tui with "Tui". Now The Full Album, A Gathering, is here!

Leading New Zealand 8-piece ensemble The Jac is marking a decade of making music together, with their third release "A Gathering''.

Featuring material from their 2017 collaboration with Korean quartet Black String, plus a swathe of brand new original compositions, the album encapsulates a milestone in their sound. Recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, NZ, it is a beautifully produced illustration of a band at the height of its powers; showcasing their intricate and immersive compositions; tight ensemble playing, and assertive, individual improvising voices. 

The track "Tui" won the NZ Music Award for Best Jazz Composition 2020; and two of the tracks from the album, “Beyond the Palace” and “A Gathering” were nominated for the same award in 2018.

Since 2010 the 8-piece ensemble The Jac has been a leading voice in the New Zealand jazz scene, pushing a modern sound with their distinctive, through-composed compositions, tight ensemble playing and impressive live shows. 

Based in Wellington and drawing talent from Melbourne, Australia and Montreal, Canada, and boasting seven NZ Music Awards between them, the band brings together musicians from the jazz, classical and metal scenes.

http://www.jakebaxendale.com/the-jac/

2020’S BEST JAZZ ARTIST 

AND BEST JAZZ COMPOSITION WINNERS

Winners of the Recorded Music NZ Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa|Best Jazz Artist and the APRA Best Jazz Composition.

Dixon Nacey was awarded Best Jazz Artist Tui for his 2019 album The Edge of Chaos, while Jake Baxendale received the APRA Best Jazz Composition award for his work ‘Tui’.

These awards would normally be celebrated at a ceremony as part of the Wellington Jazz Festival. Unfortunately, the festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the winners were announced live on Radio New Zealand’s Music 101 this afternoon.

During a 27-year long career, Dixon Nacey has worked with some of the finest local and international musicians across a wide range of genres – and now adds the Tui for Best Jazz Artist to his mantle.

For his debut as bandleader, the 2019 album The Edge of Chaos featured a raft of talented musicians including Dixon on guitar, Roger Manins (saxophone), Kevin Field (piano), Olivier Holland (bass) and Andy Keegan (drums) across seven outstanding songs.

Jake Baxendale is no stranger to the Jazz Awards or the upper echelons of the Aotearoa jazz community. As a saxophonist and composer for two stalwart ensembles – Antipodes, and The Jac – he has been a finalist in both categories multiple times.

This year he’s being recognised for his composition ‘Tui’, which is part of the brand-new album The Gathering released by The Jac yesterday.

‘Tui’ is a bold, seductive, rhythmic work for the luminary 8-piece ensemble (Matthew Allison – trombone, Shaun Anderson – drummer, Alexis French – trumpet, Nick Tipping – bass, Chris Buckland – saxophones, Daniel Millward – piano, Callum Allardice – guitar, Jake Baxendale – saxophones) which highlights their collaborative prowess.

Recorded Music CEO Damian Vaughan says: “Every year, the calibre of our finalists for Te Kaipuoro Tautito Toa continues to impress. Safe to say, this year’s winner Dixon has paved an impressive career so far and I’m excited to see what he tackles next.”

APRA AMCOS Head of New Zealand Operations Ant Healey says: “The incredible craft and imagination on display in this year’s finalists and winners is continued testament to the quiet hard work of the composers and musicians in our jazz community. The range, expansive vision, and joyful expression in Jake Baxendale’s composition deserves to be celebrated.”

Wellington Jazz Festival Creative Director Marnie Karmelita said: “Congratulations to all the nominees for this year’s awards and in particular the winners Dixon Nacey and Jake Baxendale.

“We are devastated that the impact of Covid-19 necessitated the postponement of the 2020 Wellington Jazz Festival to November but we know how important an event it is for our local musicians and our music and hospitality venues. We can’t wait to come together again to experience and celebrate our incredible Aotearoa-New Zealand jazz musicians and composers.”

Other finalists for the Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Artist were ALCHEMY, and Michal Martyniuk, while Callum Allardice and Myele Manzanza were the finalists for the APRA Best Jazz Composition award.

Finalists for Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Artist

Winner: Dixon Nacey – The Edge of Chaos

ALCHEMY – ALCHEMY

Michal Martyniuk – Resonate

Finalists for APRA Best Jazz Composition

Winner: Jake Baxendale – ‘Tui’

Callum Allardice – ‘Phobos and Deimos’

Myele Manzanza – ‘Mortality’

https://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/announcing-2020s-best-jazz-artist-and-best-jazz-composition-winners/