Dr Rodger Fox is one New Zealand's most celebrated exponents of the idiom.
The jazz community is a worldwide aggregate that knows no boundaries, united by a respect for this great music that was born in America and, because of its sheer brilliance, has spread to almost every country on the planet.
In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day. Unesco believes in the power of jazz as a force for peace, dialogue and mutual understanding. The day is set aside to highlight the role of music in education and reinforce the need for intercultural dialogue and international co-operation to meet the problems we face as a global community.
Here in Whanganui, we make an important contribution by leading the way in Aotearoa New Zealand in the celebration of this remarkable initiative set in motion by the United Nations and master musician and cultural ambassador Herbie Hancock (www.jazzday).
Since 2018, our community has staged impressive events every year — except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to Covid-19 — under the musical direction of Dr Rodger Fox, the country’s most celebrated exponent of the idiom. Music students from Whanganui and Manawatū gather for an afternoon workshop where they are tutored in the art of improvisation, one of the fundamentals of jazz music education. In the evening, we are treated to a performance that includes both student and professional musicians.
This year, an unprecedented number of students have registered their interest in participating. This is a testament to the abilities of Fox and the musicians he brings with him. Accordingly, the focus of this year’s event will be on education, with the spotlight on our youth.
