“A musician who clearly sees the big picture” – Modern Drummer, USA
“An inventive, accomplished and energetic drummer with a vibrant sound” - Sydney Morning Herald, AU
“Anyone who dares say jazz is a relaxing genre I would dare to attend a Manzanza gig” - Intertainment Magazine, UK
In celebration of his highly anticipated album ‘A Love Requited’ on First Word Records UK, Wellington drummer, composer & producer Myele Manzanza is embarking on a nationwide tour alongside a superstar trio of Jonathan Crayford on keys & Johnny Lawrence on bass.
Manzanza will be performing music from A Love Requited for a not-to-be-missed NZ Tour through July.
“A Love Requited is easily my most personal work to date and my hope is that beyond the music itself it may be of help to others, if only to say that your not alone in your struggle to make sense of the world”.
Myele Manzanza Bio
The son of a Congolese master percussionist, born and raised in NZ listening to hip hop, jazz and dance music, as an artist Myele Manzanza brings an eclectic style and diverse skill to his craft to create a genre bending experience rooted in jazz and African rhythm. Manzanza is a powerful drummer who has earned himself a reputation as a composer with vision, and a musician who is not afraid to experiment.
As a drummer and a sideman he continues to tour internationally and collaborate with a broad range of artists across multiple genres including Theo Parrish, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Ross McHenry, The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Amp Fiddler, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Ria Hall, Marcus Strickland, Recloose, Sorceress, Jordan Rakei and countless others.
Manzanza works hard to establish himself on the world stage, whether it’s being selected from over 20,000 applicants to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy in London, solo album releases on esteemed international labels Sound Signature, First Word and BBE, or his sophomore album OnePointOne’s nomination for the 2017 NZ Jazz Album of the Year.
Jonathan Crayford Bio
Jonathan Crayford is perhaps New Zealand’s most exciting export to the world of music. This prolific composer, performer and pianist spent 20 years honing his craft in New York, before returning to NZ in the naughties to rock the music scene. Crayford has most recently been living in Paris and Spain, writing a film/opera and recording two albums of solo piano music in Spain and a trio album in New York.
Acclaimed as a highly original compositional talent, pianist Jonathan Crayford has been responsible for many film soundtracks, albums, and bands. As a sideman he has worked with Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Binney, David Murray, Groove Collective, Amp Fiddler, Questlove, Mambo Macoco, Bruno Lawrence and many others.
Johnny Lawrence Bio
Originally from Christchurch and now residing in Wellington Johnny has spent many years travelling the world, performing on Cruise Ships, playing residencies at hotels in Asia and living in Toronto, Canada for 8 years.
Returning from travels abroad Johnny is now a firm fixture on the jazz/pop/r&b and electronic music scenes and can be seen playing bass for New Zealand artists – Iva Lamkum, Thomas Oliver, Louis Baker, Electric Wire Hustle and many combinations of jazz and electronic groups around Wellington.
