The October edition of the Dunedin Jazz Club features the swinging trumpet and soulful singing of Edwina Thorne – a legend of New Zealand jazz who has pioneered the artform for female musicians both internationally and domestically. She performs a selection of her own compositions and jazz standards with local musicians Bill Martin (piano), Andy Lynch (bass) and Carl Woodward (drums). Audiences will also be treated this month to a full opening set by the Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra, who will perform five new professional Big Band charts.

Edwina Thorne has been a trailblazer for female jazz musicians in this country. After leaving high school, she studied at Berklee College before living and performing as a jazz musician in New York for five years. Edwina has performed at every major jazz festival in New Zealand and was recently invited to perform at the Women’s Jazz Festival at the Lincoln Centre, New York. She has recorded six albums, including Favourite Sounds, (1992) Original, (1996) Tokyo Blues, (2002) Latin Lover (2007), and more recently, two releases under the name of the “Edwina Thorne Electrik Band”. Throughout the course of her career, she has performed with luminaries such as Vince Herring, Mel Lewis, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Etta James, Houston Pearson, Dave Stahl, Allen Carter, and Jimmy Owens. 

Support on the night will be provided by the energetic and swinging sounds of the Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra. Directed by Bill Martin, the DYJO is a seventeen piece Big Band that features the best young improvising talent in Dunedin, including Isaac Randel (tenor), Jack Ta (alto), Tobias Devereux (trumpet), Matthew Tait (piano), Albert Bauemer (guitar) and Finn McKinlay (trombone). Many of these musicians have been regular performers at the recently established “Cats on the Corner” jam session which has been running on Tuesday nights. At this gig, these musicians will perform professional Big Band arrangements of five classic jazz standards, including Celia, Tenderly, All the Things You Are, On Green Dolphin Street and Lush Life.

Note: The Dunedin Jazz Club is a licensed venue with a cash bar. Patrons may be asked for identification when purchasing alcohol.

Personnel: 

Edwina Thorne (trumpet and vocals)

Bill Martin (piano)

Andy Lynch (bass)

Carl Woodward (drums)

Timing

7:15 Doors Open

7:45 The Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra presents “Standards”

8:30 break

8:45 Edwina Thorne Quartet

9:45 Finish