Jazz, blues and swing: An afternoon with Fox, London and Ferry

Rodger Fox will be playing an afternoon concert with Erna Ferry and Andrew London, 2.30pm December 8, at The Globe.

London Calling Rodger Fox, but it's not the 1980 chart topper by The Clash.

It's a concert by two legends of jazz, blues and swing, Andrew London and Rodger Fox, with Blues Queen Erna Ferry and the Rodger Fox Big Band at a December 8 concert in Palmerston North.

London is a singer/songwriter, based in Ōtaki, who writes his own unique songs and lyrics.

Fox describes him as a storyteller who captures the audience with his own musical stories.

London says his songs explore social and political themes.

"Although humour and satire are very much to the fore, poignancy and pathos are often not too far away."

Fox heard London at a Palmerston North gig and saw the potential of engaging him with the big band.

Fox has arranged five of London's biggest hits for his big band with London as lead vocalist.

"Andrew generally plays with his Hot Club Café trio, but his numbers suit a big band treatment.

"The arrangements allow the wit and satire of his songs to be expressed but add extra instruments to the music," Fox says.

"He's a great swing musician and is also presenting a number of Sinatra songs."

The Rodger Fox Big Band has received an invitation to perform at the prestigious Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans in January 2020 and the December 8 concert will feature some of the NZ compositions the big band will present at the conference.

The compositions that will be presented at the New Orleans conference with vocalist Erna Ferry will be included in an album to be recorded at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn New York .

Ferry will sing three stellar New Zealand numbers that the conference delegates and musicians will experience for the first time: Sensitive To A Smile by Herbs, You're Got To Know by Supergroove and Carry The Blues Away by Mike Farrell, recorded by Midge Marsden.

Ferry, Fox and the big band will leave for the Jazz Education Conference early in January.

London Calling Rodger Fox at The Globe, 2.30pm, Sunday, December 8. Book via www.globetheatre.co.nz or purchase at the door from 2pm.