SANCTUARY WITH JAKE BAXENDALE AND JASMINE LOVELL-SMITH

Sanctuary is a collaboration between two leading composers from Wellington, Aotearoa: Jasmine Lovell-Smith and Jake Baxendale. Influenced by the medium-sized jazz orchestras of Charles Mingus and Gil Evans, Sanctuary is the culmination of 4 years of experimentation within the live performance residency Arthur Street Loft Orchestra. With a wide range and textural weight, it is more fleet than a traditional big band, with lots of room to feature the specific talents of each musician. The 11-piece ensemble of sympathetic and diverse talents released a self-titled album in 2021, which received positive reviews both nationally and internationally.