Jazz Footprints

Since sailing on his yacht to New Zealand from his homeland Germany in 2002, bassist Olivier Holland has made an impact on the local jazz scene, performing with many of the top musicians around the country while also keeping up collaborations with other European jazz artists. He lectures at The University of Auckland and has recently submitted his PhD thesis on bass playing technique.

Pianist Aron Ottignon has a new single Starfish and is set to release his second jazz album later this year. He grew up in Auckland, and if you've been following New Zealand jazz, you may recognise him as the young teen who picked up the award for New Zealand's Most Outstanding Jazz Musician Under 25. Although promising as a jazz player, he lends his hands to all types of music. Now living in Paris he's featured on the huge European hit Papaoutai by Stromae, and is wrapping up a three year world tour with Woodkid at the end of 2014.

From playing with Howard Morrison to Hayley Westenra, in pit orchestras to pubs - some of guitarist Lance Sua's latest projects have included volunteering with at-risk youth and getting the Le VA project underway in Auckland. Lance is passionate about enabling young Pacific people to engage in creative activity, and starting new dialogues within music with a strong interest in jazz.

Inspired to learn from jazz great Mike Nock, New Zealand pianist Gerard Masters moved to Australia after hearing his album Ondas - an album that's had a deep impact on him. Gerard has gone on to create a career as a sideman, session musician, producer and arranger.

Christchurch jazz singer Jennine Bailey chats about the release of her second CD, teaching vocals, gaining her long list of qualifications which includes researching the Oral History of Jazz in Christchurch, and the work behind the Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert she's presented at a number of New Zealand festivals.

Christchurch jazz legend, itinerant music teacher and sax player Stu Buchanan chats about his recently released CD 'Hey! What's The Time?', which features his compositions recorded with the Garden City Big Band. Hear how he funded the CD, his thoughts on teaching and his passion for what he describes as 'low-brow' music.

Listen to some exciting modern jazz coming out of New Zealand as Jazz Footprints presents local musicians featured in The Wellington Jazz Festival - from Auckland quartet DOG, to Alda Rezende, The Nigel Patterson Quartet, The JAC and Reuben Bradley's Cthulhu Three.

Expat jazz bassist Matt Penman has based himself in the USA for over 20 years. He gives us an insight into his early years of playing at Berklee College of Music and the ensuing years in New York since the early 1990s. Right now he's playing with some of the best jazz musicians in the world, including the Zach Brock Quartet, The San Francisco Jazz Collective and Nils Wogram's Root 70.

Dunedin pianist and bandleader Calder Prescott has been performing since the 1950s and founded the Dunedin City Jazz Orchestra in the 1980s. He guides us through some of his favourite big band tracks including Benny Goodman, Harry James and Johnny Dankworth, and also shares fond memories of pianist Julian Lee.

Wellington guitarist Nick Granville discusses two albums he's recently released - 'Refractions' and 'Home'.