Jazz with Voices

By William Martin | Posted: Wednesday June 26, 2024

All Blues and the Nautilus Chorale present an evening of jazz and vocals to showcase the musical talent at Otago Girls’ and Boys’ High School and raise funds towards the jazz band’s trip to the Southern Jam in August.

The venue for “Jazz with Voices” is the Dish Cafe and Bar, a moody and intimate setting that usually plays host to Dunedin Jazz Club “Pop-Up” events on Friday nights.

All Blues - the Otago Girls’ and Boys’ High School Jazz Band - is a full, seventeen piece Big Band that received a Silver Award at the Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival in 2023 and continues to reach new heights of excellence as they prepare for upcoming competitions in August. Under the Musical Direction of Bill Martin - who is also the director of the Dunedin Jazz Club - this group has prepared a variety of repertoire, including standards from the swing and bebop eras, as well as funk tunes from the 1970s and beyond. 

For this special, fundraising concert, Bill Martin has collaborated with Ben Madden - director of the Nautilus Chorale - to curate four distinct sets of jazz that feature voices and instruments in different combinations. To begin the evening, All Blues will present a competition set of instrumental jazz standards, including Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight”, Miles Davis’ “Four” and Steely Dan’s “Peg”, to be followed by a short set featuring vocalist Maya Satake singing Big Band arrangements of “All of Me” and “The Way You Look Tonight”. 

In the second half, the Nikita Lu combo will present small combo arrangements of tunes by Gerry Mulligan, including “Bernie’s Tune” and “Five Brothers”. To conclude the show, the award winning Nautilus Chorale will present choral arrangements of the songs “Old Devil Moon”, “City of Stars” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to”, accompanied by a rhythm section including Dr Martin on piano, Mr Shields on the double bass and Choir director Ben Madden on the drums. 

The Dish is a Licensed Venue. Food and beverages are available to purchase, with alcohol strictly limited to those with adult identification. We encourage patrons to attend the event at 6pm to ensure a good seat and purchase their meal / drinks prior to the start of the concert.

Full Details:

Jazz with Voices: a fundraising gig

Friday, 26 July, 7-9pm

The Dish Cafe and Bar, 8 Stafford Street

All Blues directed by Bill Martin
Nautilus Chorale directed by Mr Ben Madden
Nikita Lu Combo
Maya Satake (featured vocalist)

Tickets $20 from the OGHS office, strictly limited to 80

Reservations: contact Mr Shields at [email protected]

Timings: 

6:00 pm Doors open - food and drinks available from the Dish Cafe and Bar

7:00 pm All Blues directed by Bill Martin, instrumental set

7:30 pm All Blues featuring Maya Satake

8:00 pm Nikita Lu Combo and guests

8:30 pm Nautilus Chorale accompanied by jazz rhythm section