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Roger Manins

About Me

Roger Manins, born in 1970 in Waiuku, New Zealand is one of the foremost saxophonists in Australasia. He originally studied at the Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, building a solid reputation both in New Zealand and Australia for several years before leaving for New York in 1996.

The 2½ years Roger spent in New York (1996-1999), have had a profound influence on his playing. There he gained a deep understanding of the jazz tradition through his interactions with major players on the scene, and through a stream of constant playing - on the street, sessions, jams and gigs. He learned to play with New York rhythm sections and developed as a stronger and more powerful player with an individual sound and style. Roger made a living playing latin, swing, free funk, Brazilian and blues with a wide variety of groups. He also studied privately with two main masters: George Garzone (advanced harmony) and Doug Lawrence (swing tenor).

In 1998 Roger spent two months in Havana, Cuba playing with the Cuban Churanga band ‘Orchestra Sublime’, learning the spoken language of Spanish and the aural language of Cuban music. Since his return to Australia, Roger was declared the winner of the 2002 Wangaratta Australian National Jazz Awards. Winning Australia’s most prestigious under 35’s jazz award has allowed greater and much deserved recognition of Roger’s prodigious talent. He was also a finalist in the Australian Freedman Fellowship Jazz Awards.

Roger is featured on James Muller’s latest CD Thrum. The tune Paul Bley performed by the quartet on this album won an ARIA award for most played jazz piece on Australian radio 2003. He performs regularly with The Mike Nock Quintet and Big Small Band (BSB), and participated in a month long national Australian tour in October 2002. Roger is also featured on Mike Nock’s latest release Mike Nock Big Small Band Live (ABC) which has just won The Australian Bell Awards Jazz Album of the Year 2004.

Roger’s television appearances include the ABC Pulse series both with the Mike Nock BSB and the Aron Ottignon Quartet which was recorded live in 2002 and broadcast again in 2003. He has also travelled and performed all over Australia with the James Morrison Septet from mid 2003 through to July 2004 when he returned to NZ. Roger is also featured on Ashley Turner’s latest album Beautiful Open Spaces which was also nominated for Australian Jazz Album of the Year 2004.

In September 2004 the Roger Manins Quartet featured at Australia’s Bellingen Jazz Festival. Roger also heads his own bands Roger’s Trisaurus, Project Shoint, and Hip Flask, and his latest project from Wellington New Zealand The Roger ManinsTrio. (with Moston Cole and Reuben Bradley)