Big band brings the best to NZ
The Rodger Fox Big Band is celebrating its 45th birthday in style – with world-renowned drummer Steve Gadd travelling from the United States to join the band.
‘‘Over 45 years, we have brought out many artists and Steven has always been one I’ve had on the radar,’’ band founder and musician Rodger Fox said.
Since Gadd’s first solo album in 1968, he’s played with the likes of Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Steely Dan.
‘‘So people might not know his name but they’ve heard him play,’’ Fox said.
Fox met the drummer about 18 years ago and has spent the better part of a decade getting him to play in New Zealand.
This month, everything lined up – Gadd was on his way for a national tour with the band. He’ll be joined by saxophonist James Carter.
Breaking the news to his band was fun for Fox. ‘‘Firstly, it was stunned silence, then the music arrived,’’ he said.
In the band’s 45-year history, Fox has brought in about 150 to 180 artists to perform alongside it – he estimated it worked out at about four or five guest musicians a year.
When Fox started the band, he had no idea it would end up with international tours and high-level musicians dropping by a country at the bottom of the world.
‘‘It was 1973 and I was 20 going on 21. I started the band because the older musicians at the time really didn’t let the younger players play. They were all 45, 50 and they had all the jobs around town. We just didn’t get the opportunity to play in those bands.’’
The solution, he decided, was to start his own band.
More than four decades later, most of the musicians in the Rodger Fox Big Band were between 25 and 35, he said.
‘‘What the band is really there for is to be a focal point for the better players in Wellington.’’
Having Gadd play with the band will soon be one of Fox’s standout moments of the band’s history but there are others too. In 1984, Fox and the band travelled to Switzerland for a music festival – a massive undertaking at the time. Then in 2004, American saxophonist Michael Brecker came to New Zealand to play with the band.
Steve Gadd and James Carter will be playing with the Rodger Fox Big Band on Friday, 8pm at Wellington’s Opera House. Tickets through Ticketmaster. Gadd will also be hosting an educational workshop tomorrow.