When there’s nothing right with live jazz, there’s nothing wrong with listening to it.
The Rodger Fox Big Band (RFBB) has just released its latest CD, You Gotta Know, based on a legendary recording session in New York earlier this year.
The RFBB, with stellar jazz vocalist, Erna Ferry, performed two standing ovation concerts in New Orleans at the Jazz
Educational Network Conference in January and then in New York the following week.
They were a prelude to an historic recording of the repertoire at the famed Bunker Studios in Brooklyn.
For the two performances and the recording, the band presented a complete programme of New Zealand compositions.
Vocalist, Erna Ferry, performs in three tracks of the CD. She sings The Herbs’ Sensitive To A Smile, Super Groove’s You
Gotta Know and Carry My Blues Away by Mike Farrell who also composed Midge Marsden’s classic hit, Burning Rain.
You Gotta Know is now available for sale through the RFBB’s website: www.rodgerfoxbigband.com as a digital download. Hard copies will be available
The Rodger Fox Big Band has always been keen to promote New Zealand based composers and to provide them with an outlet
for their work. At this stage of the band’s life, it has commissioned/recorded/performed more than 70 New Zealand
ompositions.
“We believe the recording is an opportunity to celebrate the excellent work achieved by our local composers and this
album has the potential to become a valuable resource for educators,” Rodger Fox says.
“Scores of all the works will be available both nationally and internationally through the band’s website for other
bands to study and perform which will give visibility to our composers.”
Rodger Fox says by purchasing a copy of You Gotta Know, people will be able to help the New Zealand arts community. “At present we can’t perform ‘live’ but we can still listen
to music to keep our spirits up,” he says.