Formed in late 2010, The Jac started out as a rehearsal band for students and
tutors at the
NZSM jazz school in Wellington, transcribing and performing charts by New York
and San
Francisco composers. Before long they began writing and performing their own
music, and
Nerve is the result, a suite of intelligent, dynamic compositions for jazz
octet.
Describing themselves as a ‘small big band’, The Jac is a tight eight-piece
ensemble that
performs with attitude and intensity. “That's one of the cool things about
the group,” says
Callum Allardice. “We sit halfway between a combo and a big band, which allows
us to draw
from both.”
The band tackle styles and grooves rarely associated with large ensembles.
Improvisation is
integral to each piece, written into the work rather than separated from it, and
their sound
encompasses a wide palette of colours and textures. It's uncommon for jazz
ensembles to play music as highly arranged as this, but smaller size allows for
more intimacy and interaction.