Jazz in Concert

After a sold out performance in Arrowtown last June, The Queenstown Jazz Orchestra are coming to the Queenstown Memorial Centre this August, with guest musician RODGER FOX himself. Rodger Fox has been described as the “supremo of swing, the icon of individuality and the chief justice of jazz.” Rodger is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) and, in 2005, received the Honorary Doctorate of Music at Massey University.

At present he’s Senior Lecturer at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University. As a performer he leads trios, quartets, combos and big bands, as an administrator he’s artistic director of three annual festivals, as a conductor he has that touch of genius to encourage the right sound and precision from a band and, as senior lecturer, he’s nurtured many students to progress to greater musical glory.

When a career as trombonist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra was denied him in 1970, he turned to jazz, firstly with Quincy Conserve, but then established New Zealand’s pre-eminent big band which remains unparalleled in New Zealand jazz circles today. Rodger is this country’s foremost jazz trombonist, big band leader, jazz educator, arranger, producer, musical director and senior lecturer. “It has to be said that no-one else in New Zealand has achieved so much for jazz and continues to do so.” We are also delighted to have guest vocalist EUGENE WOLFIN joining us for this concert. Eugene hails from Wanaka. After completing his Jazz Vocal Performance degree at the New Zealand School of Music, Eugene Wolfin has stayed a part of the Wellington jazz scene performing in a variety of bands, crooning swing standards and scatting bebop tunes. He has also had a hand in a few local Musical Theatre productions performing lead roles in ‘Chess’ and the modern hit ‘If/Then’. Eugene also has a passion for Soul and Funk music occasionally performing with the popular Wellington band, ‘King Oyster’ and at the front of his own eight-piece funk band, ‘The Grateful 8’. Aside from performing, Eugene spends the daylight hours teaching singing and piano. The Queenstown Jazz Orchestra is a full 16 piece authentic ‘big band’ line-up, featuring the region’s top jazz musicians and vocalists, presenting big-band classics from Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Buddy Rich, with vocals made famous by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé, to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Sarah Vaughn.

This event is proudly supported by Queenstown District Council and Turn Up the Music! Thank you also to the associated corporate sponsors! Come join us for this rare concert performance in the Queenstown Memorial Centre!

This is a General Admission event. Doors will open at 7.00pm.