Maestros of Jazz Fusion Come Together

MAESTROS OF JAZZ FUSION COME TOGETHER

There’s funk, Latin, jazz and blues but what happens when you meld them together?

Jazz legend, Rodger Fox, knows and is blending those genre to create a distinctive sound.

Next month he’s taking what is celebrated as jazz fusion on the road and into the studio utilising five pre-eminent musicians who are masters of their craft.

The Rodger Fox FunkBone Experience are performing at the Globe Theatre on October 12 as part of three venue tour before recording their material in Wellington. At each venue the band will hold workshops before the gig.

Two of the musicians, bass player Dewayne Pate and Dave Mathews on keyboard, are direct from the United States and revel in creating the jazz fusion sound.

Dewayne Pate has worked with a wide array of artists including Huey Lewis and The News, Boz Scaggs, Maria Muldaur, Pat Benatar, Chris Cain and Charlie Musselwhite. He has been a columnist for Bassics Magazine and recently toured with Grammy winning trumpet virtuoso, Arturo Sandoval.

Dave Mathews has played with Tower of Power, Pete Escovedo, Pee Wee Ellis, Boz Scaggs and is the current keyboardist with Santana. Until her death, Dave was organist/pianist with Grammy Award winning, Etta James, and appeared with her at most of the world’s major jazz and blues festivals and on seven of Etta’s recordings.

The other three performers are guitarist Nick Granville, one of New Zealand’s fusion/jazz players and guitar tutor at the NZ School of Music, Lance Philips, jazz programme leader at the NZ School of Music and percussionist with the Dance With the Stars band and Rodger Fox himself.

Rodger Fox explains that fusion jazz was popular in New Zealand in the 1980s and ‘90s but then gave way to other expressions of jazz however he believes it’s time to reintroduce it’s vibrant sound to New Zealand audiences.

He’s looking forward to playing with a smaller group as it allows greater versatility. “It gives me more time to showcase the trombone and the other players to improvise around the numbers,” Rodger says. “The end result will be the first small group CD I’ve produced for eight years.”

The programme includes original material and tributes to music by jazz greats Fred Wesley, Sonny Still, Grant Green, the Jazz Crusaders and original compositions.

The Rodger Fox Funkbone Experience perform at:

OCTOBER 12 PALMERSTON NORTH
Globe Theatre 8.00pm
Book: www.globe.theatre.co.nz

OCTOBER 14 AUCKLAND
CJC Jazz Club 8.00pm
The VIC Theatre, Devonport
Book: www.thevic.co.nz

OCTOBER 16 WELLINGTON
The Rogue & Vagabond
Book: www.eventfinda.co.nz

Workshops:

October 12 PALMERSTON NORTH
Globe Theatre 5.30pm

October 13 WELLINGTON
Musiciworks Store 6.00pm

October 15 Auckland
Musicworks Store 10.30am

Book for ALL WORKSHOPS through www.eventfinda.co.nz

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