Will Martin, 3 August 2026
Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival
All Blues, the Otago Girls’ and Boys’ Combined Jazz Band, are to be congratulated for winning the Big Band competition at the 2026 Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival and receiving a Gold Award from the adjudicator, Duncan Ferguson for their overall performance on Friday at the OBHS auditorium.
The band was directed by OGHS TIC of music Dr Martin and it is the second time in three years that they won the festival’s most prestigious award.
The band impressed with the energy of their performance, the rhythmic complexity of their repertoire, the individual creativity of the improvising soloists and the brilliance of the trumpet section. Callan Power showed endlessly creativity on the alto saxophone, Oban Voice provided a hip sense of swing and Psalm Gomez was a standout on flute, adding brightness to the overall sound. The band performed four tunes, including the Count Basie Classic “Flight of the Foo Birds”, the raucous Charles Mingus’ number “Nostalgia in Times Square”, A Cha-Cha Version of Coltrane’s “Vierd Blues” and Steely Dan’s “Josie”.
The band had a record eleven individual players selected for the All Star Band, including Callan Power (alto 1), Psalm Gomez (flute) Phoenix Haddow (tenor 1), Jayden Lu (Baritone), Anson Fung (trombone), Emily Lokman (trumpet 1), Oban Voice (trumpet 2), Callum Thompson (trumpet 3), Nicole Lo (drums 1), Eve Fraser (double bass) and Neve Cutfield (piano 2). Strong performances were also delivered by Fleur de Clifford (electric bass), James Phipps-Green (drums), Carlotta Schwefel (trumpet 4), Jasmine Potter (alto 2), and Jack Orlovich (tenor 2).
Thanks to Elliot Tay and all the volunteers at the Dunedin Jazz Foundation for staging the event and Konrad Hanson, TIC of Music at Otago Boys’, for supporting the band and facilitating the use of the OBHS Auditorium for the festival. The band departs on Tuesday for the Southern Jam in Blenheim with singer Audrey Tran, who was unable to compete due to sickness.
Photos by Kit Randel
