East of The Sun comes to Titirangi

The Auckland Jazz Orchestra has joined with renowned songstress Caitlin Smith for a series of concerts around Auckland to celebrate the release of East of The Sun.

East of The Sun, their third album, and the first to feature a singer, highlights original contemporary arrangements of jazz standards with Caitlin’s stunning vocal interpretations. The band breathes fresh life into some well-loved tunes, such as Ellington’s Solitude, You Don’t Know What Love Is, and Triste by Anotonio Carlos Jobim, all arranged by members of the 18-piece ensemble.

As a singer, songwriter, performer and poet, Caitlin Smith is loved by audiences and has been a mainstay of the music scene both in front of the mic and as a vocal coach behind many of the voices you hear in New Zealand pop. Caitlin is fresh off a 23-date New Zealandwide tour with Brave Caitlin’s Imaginary Band.

AJO has a long history of collaboration with vocalist Caitlin Smith, going back to a programme of Duke Ellington’s music the band arranged specially for her and which debuted at the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga in 2014 and also at the Titirangi Festival.

Festival Director David Parker says “We are so fortunate to have performers of the calibre of Caitlin and the AJO performing locally, they really are superb and audiences won’t be disappointed”.

“Caitlin’s vocal range is incredible,” says saxophonist and former Titirangi-local, Ben McNicoll. “We love how she interprets these sometimes challenging arrangements of familiar music, that push both her and the band into new territory. And her ability to connect an audience with the emotion of a lyric is what makes these concerts special, and opens us to a wider audience. We’re lucky to have such a world-class singer on our doorstep to work with.”

Auckland Jazz Orchestra and Caitlin Smith perform East of The Sun in the Titirangi Theatre in Lopdell House on Saturday, October 2, 8pm. Tickets ($39 or $25 for students/children) are available from Eventfinda, or the band’s website www.ajo.co.nz. Get in quick as seats are limited.

For more information contact Ben McNicoll: ben@ saxophone.co.nz or 021 439 294.

Caitlin Smith with the Auckland Jazz Orchestra are to perform in Titirangi. Photo by Dennis Thorpe.

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“The singer Anton Newcombe had a reputation as being a wild frontman who at times would get into arguments with the crowd and other band members. He was on really good form and was swigging from a 40-ounce bottle of vodka in between songs. I couldn’t figure out how he could drink that much and keep it together. About an hour into the show something snapped and he just lost it. Abusing and firing members of his band onstage and yelling obscenities at the crowd. Then he just dropped his guitar and walked out the door. The crowd was stunned, it was nuts!”

Andrew’s current band is called The New Existentialists. “I play bass in it with Dunedin legend George Henderson who used to be in the Puddle. It’s going really well. George has all these great songs that are really challenging and fun to play. We’re about to do some recording – I can’t wait!”

Alongside watching skating vids, making more films, listening to and playing music, Andrew hopes to get better at his home renovations. His King Loser doco will be out later this year. Keep an eye on www. facebook.com/kingloserfilm for more information.

You can order copies of his skateboarding doco No More Heroes at https://www.defstore.co.nz/products/no-more-heroes-nz-skate-docodvd and read more about the making of the film here: https://www. facebook.com/nomoreheroesfilm.

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