2020 SOUNZ Jazz Recording Project | Ngā Hopuranga Puoro Tautito a SOUNZ recipient announced.
Thomas Botting and his group ‘The Tom Botting Home Ensemble’ have been selected for the 2020 SOUNZ Jazz Recording Project | Ngā Hopuranga Puoro Tautito a SOUNZ.
The SOUNZ Jazz Recording Project | Ngā Hopuranga Puoro Tautito a SOUNZ aims to create high-quality recordings (audio and video) of original jazz compositions by New Zealand jazz composers.
“We celebrate New Zealand jazz composition with the SOUNZ Jazz Recording Project. The project provides jazz composers with the opportunity to have their music filmed and then streamed for promotion in New Zealand and abroad. This is the fourth year that this project has been running with Anita Schwabe, Jasmine Lovell-Smith and John Rae being the recipients in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively. We are looking forward to another successful collaboration with Thomas Botting and his ‘Home Ensemble’,” said SOUNZ’s Executive Director Diana Marsh.
Botting said, “On behalf of the Home Ensemble, I am extremely happy and honoured to be the recipient of the SOUNZ Jazz Recording Project. The music I have composed for this ensemble emerged from the ceaseless exploration of the concept of ‘home’, a familiar journey for the multitude of kiwis who, like myself, have spent a long time living abroad. After returning to Aotearoa New Zealand due to the ongoing global pandemic, this year has been, for myself and so many others, very much centred around reconnecting with this land and its people. The opportunity to record and video this music in the country that largely inspired it with a group of great friends is incredibly exciting and I’m immensely looking forward to sharing the results!”
The recordings will be made in December at the Massey University recording studios in Wellington. Following the final editing process, the recordings will be made available for streaming and promoting on the SOUNZ website and embedding on the composer’s website.