Blair
Latham
Jazz
Saxophone
Bass Clarinet
& More
Projects on the go
A quick overview of various groups where you can hear Blair at the moment
Fire Waltz
Created by Blair along with good friend and bassist Alastair Isdale as a project to write and play fiery straight ahead jazz with an emphasis on swing. We started with personnel and invited Leo Coghini, a piano player who'd been impressing everyone in Wellington with his chops and imagination and then invited drummer Rick Cranson, who brings an amazing groove and fire to whatever situation he's involved in.
We first recorded as a quartet and used rearrangements of standards that the two of us had enjoyed playing together as a duo, and have been slowly adding in more originals as time goes on. This is fun music that although restricted by normal jazz structures always feels very exploratory.
Alastair Isdale ~ Acoustic Bass
Leo Coghini ~ Piano
Rick Cranson ~ Drums
Little Symphony Sax Quartet
Started originally back in 2003 as a creative wind trio of saxes and clarinets called Fracas with Anton Wuts and Nils Olsen, the group gigged sporadically but mainly at The Space in Newtown, an integral part of the Wellington improvised music scene. It was restarted in 2015 with Jake Baxendale, Oscar Laven and later trombonist Kaito Walley. The group plays mainly originals and some arrangements, and looks to explore the power that minimalising music down to 3 or 4 woven lines at a time can bring.
Jake Baxendale ~ Alto & Tenor Sax/Bass Clarinet
Oscar Laven ~ Tenor Sax/Bassoon/Clarinet
Kaito Walley ~ Trombone
Anton Wuts ~ Saxes and Clarinets
Devils Gate Outfit
Blair was originally invited to fill in for the late great saxophonist Neill Duncan when lockdown prevented his coming back to NZ from Australia for gigs, and he has carried on in the group in his place now that he is unfortunately no longer with us. This band really grew musically through a residency at Meow when audience numbers were limited by covid restrictions, and it's now a bit of an underground favourite of the Wellington scene. Stacked with beautiful improvising musicians, the band brings a true mixture of styles and sounds to the compositions performed.
Anthony Donaldson - drums
Tom Callwood - double bass
Steve Roche - cornet/baritone horn/casio
David Donaldson - bass banjo/percussion
Daniel Beban - guitar/electronics
Cory Champion - vibes/percussion/synthesizer
Dancing and Drinking Society
This is a fun band led by Mat Enright on vocals, guitar and trumpet that plays New Orleans swing standards from the 20's and 30's and a few originals that are in the same vein. They've been going about 10 years, playing around Wellington with trips away to the Taranaki Jazz club and Art Deco weekend in Napier sprinkled in between. The vibe is always great with these guys and the music they play, and they somehow make tunes from over a century ago sound fresh and fun. Having a Wellington institution in Dan Yeabsley kicking ass on Tuba helps to make that happen.
Here's a recording with the lovely sax player Nils Olsen on horns (who Blair ended up replacing when Nils left to live in Germany).
Mat Enright ~ Vocals, Trumpet, Guitar
Adrian Jensen ~ Guitar
Dan Yeabsley ~ Tuba/Bass Sax
The Woods
Blair has been playing with the Callwood brothers Tom and Joe for over 30 years in a variety of set ups, and he always loves it. This group is one of his favourites. The music is open and groove based, and although Blair has contributed a few tunes, and the drummer Rick Cranson has a big influence on how they play stylistically, the music is a summation of what makes Joe and Tom tick musically. The band originally had the incomparable saxophonist Jeff Henderson often playing with them, when Blair arrived back from a long stint in Mexico he tried to somewhat fill those big shoes, and after many many gigs at the Raumati Social Club on the Kapiti Coast and others in Wellington they've developed a sound that is pretty unique.
Joe Callwood ~ Guitars
Tom Callwood ~ Electric and Acoustic Bass
Rick Cranson ~ Drums
Particle Explosion
RNZAF Jazz Orchestra
Blair rejoined the Central Air Force Band in 2019. Although the unit is mainly a Symphonic band, they do have a number of other ensembles including this one. During the pandemic and after it band members were commissioned to write for the big band, following this a recording was undertaken at the newly refurbished studio at Massey University in 2022 with the album Kaiwhakatere released a year later. The band is often a feature at the local Jazz Festival, where they differentiate themselves from the other main Wellington large jazz ensemble (The Roger Fox Big Band) by playing more traditional works, such as Ellington's Black Brown and Beige Suite, or music by Thad Jones, Count Basie or John Coltrane.
This Band developed out of the regular Monday night sessions at the Tuatara called the Arthur Street Loft Sessions. Blair ran a collab with Anton Wuts, and later downsized it into this group. Beginning with original compositions it has developed into an improvisation group, albeit focusing on regular pulses and the use of more inside harmony. It really relies on the amazing skill of the invited musicians, who are some of the best in NZ on their respective instruments.
Anton Wuts ~ Saxes and keyboard
Peter Elliot ~ Drums
Ed Zuccollo ~ Rhodes/Mini Moog
Tyson Smith ~ Guitar/Vocals
Johnny Lawrence/Paul Mouncey ~ Bass
Andy Wright & Blair Latham
The first time Blair played with Andy he wasn't sure what to expect, and so decided to take to the encounter all manner of sound making paraphenalia. It wasn't needed. This extremely natural and enjoyable collaboration is basic but beautiful. Tenor sax and drums. Enjoy, they do!