Album review: Royal New Zealand Air Force Jazz Orchestra - Kaiwhakatere (Navigator)

Oscar Lavën, Hayden Hockley (alto sax); Blair Latham (tenor sax, clarinet); Louisa Williamson (tenor sax, flute); Andre Paris (baritone sax); Ben Hunt, Cam Robertson, Mike Costeloe (trumpet); James Guilford (trumpet, flugel); Kaito Walley, Mike Ashton, Sarah Rathbun (trombone); Kelvin Payne or Ben Robertson bass trombone); Leonardo Coghini (piano); Seth Boy (bass); Darren Mathiassen (drums) + Stephanie Paris (vocal on 1 tk); Frank Talbot (clarinet on 2 tks)

I haven't listed the ranks of the individual musicians but, collectively they include all ranks plus one officer, Squadron Leader David Gallaher who (naturally) is the director of music.

However, as they are all part-time reservists I don't suppose they've got many flying hours in the cockpit but what they do have, on the strength of this album, is many hours practice time spent honing their musical skills.

It's not a swing band as such although it does swing in every conceivable which way possible.

Behemoth of the Bathyal Wastes features Loisa Williamson's alto and Cam Robertson on trumpet. This is what Kenton may have sounded like if he'd been born say a half a century later. He'd have loved the title! 

View to the Sea is more restrained but with great solos from Guilford and Andre Paris on baritone and this one swings by anyone's standards.

Let's Not Fall in Love features Stephanie Paris on a lovely tune that was unfamiliar to me but seemingly composed by LAC Seth Boy and is much superior to the Asian song of the same name. Absolutely delightful.

Birds of Prey, a somewhat abstract composition that brings George Russell to mind or maybe Kenton's City of Glass if, as I said earlier, he'd been born ... Listen to the brass! This is a wild explosion with Latham, Talbot and Mathiassen at the forefront. The various station bands that I played in during my National Service were never as exciting as this! In fairness, neither were the Squadronaires or the Skyrockets. How could they be? They came first!

Drifting does just that with some coordinated section work and Coghini tinkling the ivories to great effect.

Royal Blue kicks off with an explosion from Mattiassen leading into a trumpet solo as modern as tomorrow from Costeloe, followed by Walley and Lavën . This is like latter-day Basie, Herman, Rich - love it!

Pigeons - Reprise. I'm not sure what they're reprising but it's the weakest track on an exceptional album. 

As a matter of local interest, well just up the road and over the border, Alistair Isdale co-produced the album with expat drummer John Rae of the well known Scottish jazz dynasty. Lance

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