Oscar Laven Quartet at Dunedin Jazz Club

Oscar Laven is one of the hardest working reed players on the Wellington scene and is regarded as one the top saxophone players in the country - period. Fortunately for local audiences, he travels to Dunedin with double bassist Patrick Bleakley this April to perform some of his original compositions and a selection of standards with local players Bill Martin and Carl Woodward at Hanover Hall. Laven has mastered all genres of the jazz tradition - ranging from New Orleans and Big Band music to Bebop and Hard Bop - yet through all this training and experience, Laven has emerged with a distinct personality of his own that registers all the nuances of that heritage....

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Oscar Laven is one of the hardest working reed players on the Wellington scene and is regarded as one the top saxophone players in the country - period. Fortunately for local audiences, he travels to Dunedin with double bassist Patrick Bleakley this April to perform some of his original compositions and a selection of standards with local players Bill Martin and Carl Woodward at Hanover Hall. Laven has mastered all genres of the jazz tradition - ranging from New Orleans and Big Band music to Bebop and Hard Bop - yet through all this training and experience, Laven has emerged with a distinct personality of his own that registers all the nuances of that heritage.

For this special concert, Laven will perform pieces from his new album, “Questions in Red”, released by Thick Records in late 2022. Laven is well known for his playing in New Zealand, however, this record has garnered attention from critics all over the globe. In London Jazz News, for instance, reviewer Nathan Wyde writes that “His improvisations consistently reveal an immersion in the tradition balanced with a fearless, joyful and searching personality of his own”. Similarly, on a popular jazz blog, the reviewer writes that “This is a very good album with a strong line-up of musicians delivering a varied menu of excellent jazz music that is both innovative and reassuringly familiar at the same time.” (Simply Jazz Talk)

Laven’s compositions explore all tempos and forms within the jazz genre, including fast bop numbers, ballads, blues and modern jazz compositions that feature the different tones and overtones that can be made by the tenor saxophone. Placed in the marvellous acoustics at Hanover Hall, this will be a concert to celebrate the classic sounds of an acoustic jazz quartet in a warm and atmospheric setting.

Dunedin Jazz Club is a licensed venue with a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased from Eventfinda for $25 (plus booking fees) with a range of concessions.

Personnel:
Oscar Laven: Tenor Saxophone
Bill Martin: Piano
Patrick Bleakley: Double Bass
Carl Woodward: Drums

Bio:

Oscar Laven is an eclectic saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist based in Wellington, New Zealand. A frequently appearing personality in the Wellington jazz scene, Laven is a busy full-time performer, composer and teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree in jazz and classical performance from the New Zealand School of Music. He has performed/recorded internationally and across the country with many ensembles including the Oscar Laven Quartet, Laven-French Quintet, his big band The Neo Hot Jive Orchestra, The Royal New Zealand Airforce Band, Orchestra Wellington, The Rodger Fox Big Band, New Zealand School of Music Big Band, National Youth Orchestra and Youth Jazz Orchestra, Black Spider Stomp, The Wellington City Shake ‘Em On Downers and many others

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