The Jac

New album “Walking Spirits” out now!

Tour dates

The Jac is back! A year on from the COVID-enforced online release of their third studio album A Gathering, the band is reforming in 2021 to tour Aotearoa once again with a follow up album, Walking Spirits.

  • PALMERSTON NORTH: Manawatu Jazz and Blues Festival, Globe theatre. 8:00pm, June 3rd. TICKETS
  • KĀPITI COAST: Te Raukura ki Kāpiti, Kāpiti Performing Arts Center. 7:30pm, June 5th. TICKETS
  • WELLINGTON: Wellington Jazz Festival, City Gallery Auditorium. 5:00pm, June 13th TICKETS
  • CHRISTCHURCH: 03 Sessions, Space Academy. 8:00pm, June 17th. TICKETS
  • Oamaru Opera House. 8:00pm, June 18th. TICKETS
  • DUNEDIN: Dunedin Jazz Club Concert Series, Hanover Hall. 8:00pm, June 19th TICKETS
  • AUCKLAND: Creative Jazz Club, Anthology Lounge. 8:00pm, August 25th. TICKETS
  • HAMILTON: Nivara Lounge. 8:00pm, August 26th TICKETS
  • NELSON: Fairfield House. 7:30pm, September 3rd. TICKETS
  • MOTUEKA: Chanel Arts Centre. 7:30pm, September 4th TICKETS
  • GOLDEN BAY: The Mussel Inn. 8:00pm, September 5th. TICKETS

About the albums

Featuring material from their 2017 collaboration with Korean traditional quartet Black String, plus a swathe of brand new original compositions, the two albums encapsulate a milestone in their sound.

Recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, they are a beautifully produced illustration of a band at the height of its powers; showcasing their intricate and immersive compositions; tight ensemble playing, and assertive, individual improvising voices.

Two of the tracks, “Beyond the Palace” and “A Gathering” were nominated for the 2018 APRA/AMCOS Best Jazz Composition of the Year Award. A third, “Tui”, won the same award in 2020.


About The Jac

Since 2010 the 8-piece ensemble The Jac has been a leading voice in the New Zealand jazz scene, pushing a modern sound with their distinctive, through-composed compositions, tight ensemble playing and impressive live shows. Based in Wellington and drawing talent from Melbourne and Montreal, the band brings together musicians from the jazz, classical and metal scenes.

The Jac have gone from strength to strength: their debut album Nerve (2014) was nominated for the NZ Music Awards Best Jazz Album of the year; the opening track “Sons of Thunder” from The Green Hour (2015) won New Zealand’s inaugural Jazz Composition of the Year award; in 2017 they performed 12 shows around the country as part of Chamber Music New Zealand’s “Encompass” tour, solidifying their cross-genre credentials; and this was followed by a headlining concert with Korean traditional/jazz fusion group, Black String, at the Wellington Jazz Festival, which sold out and garnered rave reviews. A spot at the Jarasum International Jazz Festival and a tour of 6 cities in South Korea followed. In 2019 they were again awarded Jazz Composition of the Year award for “Chungin’”

The band features musicians bringing influences and expertise from outside the jazz spectrum. Notable among these are Matthew Allison, associate principal trombonist in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Shaun Anderson, drummer for metal bands Saving Grace and Depths. Completing the line-up are Alexis French, trumpet; Nick Tipping, bass; Chris Buckland, saxophones; Daniel Millward, piano and compositions; Callum Allardice, guitar and compositions; and Jake Baxendale, saxophones and compositions.