Auckland Jazz Orchestra: Inverted

We lost jazz pianist Phil Broadhurst back in 2020, but his legacy is enduring, and unsurprisingly, he is constantly in the thoughts of the musicians he worked with. Here we have a loving tribute to the man and his music, appropriately performed by the Auckland Jazz Orchestra, which is peopled with musicians who knew him well. It is the AJO's fourth album and arguably their finest to date. Tribute albums may be commonplace, but tribute albums like this, born out of fondly remembered connections with the subject artist, stand out from the rest.

Broadhurst was a quietly spoken person but a colossus on the local music scene. He was a musician with many musical talents, all informed by his passions. It was particularly evident in his post-millennium albums, with their Francophile influence. As a composer, he was particularly gifted, so it is fitting that the compositions on this album were all drawn from that period. Mike Booth, Tim Atkinsons and Andrew Hall crafted the arrangements and what a fine job they have done. The arrangements are voiced beautifully and thanks to the skill of the musicians, perfectly realised. The album has significantly raised the bar for local jazz orchestras and places Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau firmly on the jazz orchestra map. Fortunately, Phil Broadhurst was able to guest on some of these tracks before he passed and it is moving to hear him. We know that he was delighted with what he heard. It is also moving that his beloved partner, Julie Mason, appears on piano on the remaining tracks. A particularly memorable track is "Pat," with Broadhurst teasing wistful magic out of his lovely tune. On that particular track, Ben McNichol is on tenor and Mike Booth is on trumpet, both rising to the occasion (Booth is also the arranger).