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Ford/Tipping/Wise Trio



Last Updated: 10/31/2009

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Status: Single
State: Wellington
Country: NZ
Signup Date: 2/21/2007

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Monday, July 13, 2009 
Hey Everyone!

Our latest news is we've just received a great review from the USA site "All About Jazz" ... have a read of the review below.

-FTW Trio

p.s. if you haven't bought your own copy yet, you can at:
Marbecks Records NZ



==================================
FTW ATLD

'AFTER THE LAST DANCE'
CHARMAINE FORD/NICK TIPPING/RICHARD WISE

By Matthew Warnock

After the Last Dance is a hard-grooving, impressively creative release by New Zealand's Ford/Tipping/Wise Trio. While some people wouldn't think of New Zealand as being a hotbed for modern jazz, these three musicians are aiming to change that and bring to light the strong NZ jazz scene with this release. Each tune is thoughtfully composed and carefully arranged, the group is tight and feeding off of each other's energy, and the level of creativity is high during improvised solos and melodic interpretations.

Each of the nine tunes on the album was written by either Charmaine Ford or Nick Tipping, or as a collaboration between these two adept composers. Both musicians bring a strong melodic and harmonic sense to the tunes, but one of the most interesting elements is their penchant for writing in 3/4 time. Both Ford's "Eleven O'clock" and Tippings' "Folieta," are well-crafted tunes that take advantage of the rhythmic and compositional opportunities that 3/4 can offer a piano trio. Their use of rhythmic variation and phrasing brings to mind the classic piano trio recordings of the late, great Bill Evans, who also had a mastery of this time signature.

Apart from the strong compositions, the album also features very tasteful and highly energetic performances by all three of these talented musicians. Ford brings a strong sense of traditional rhythms and modern harmonic vocabulary to her solos, which provides a sense of the historical significance of the music alongside a feeling of her willingness to push the music forward into new and unexplored territory. Tipping and Wise are also at the top of their games as both compers and soloists. Tipping's solo on "Likewise" digs deep into the pocket while the bassist lays down a series of tasty, melodic riffs that are the perfect complement to the preceding melody section and the Latin groove interlude that follows.

After the Last Dance provides a glimpse into the musical lives of these three hard-working and talented musicians, as well as giving some well deserved exposure to the New Zealand jazz scene. The trio is tight, the tunes are creatively arranged and the improvisations are first rate, everything a piano trio album needs to be successful.

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Visit All About Jazz link:
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 

Current mood:  stoked
Category: Music
Hey everyone!
We're excited that our new album "After The Last Dance" has just been selected as 'cd of the week' on NZ's George FM.
-FTW Trio

p.s. if you haven't bought your own copy yet, you can at:
Marbecks Records NZ


==================================
FTW ATLD
CD OF THE WEEK:
'AFTER THE LAST DANCE'
CHARMAINE FORD/NICK TIPPING/RICHARD WISE

Charmaine Ford is known as one of New Zealand's most exciting young pianists and composers. Nick Tipping is an experienced bassist, composer and teacher whose solos lend a supple quality to their sound. Richie Wise is a jazz drummer who has been know to flirt with the funk and with this trio he keeps the focus on driving rhythms.

Charmaine Ford has won several national jazz awards including Best Pianist and Best Combo at the annual National Tauranga Jazz Festival whilst still a teenager. At age 19 Ford received a grant that allowed her to study in London where she gained her diploma in teaching. On returning to New Zealand she has recorded three cds under her own name to date. "Busy Silence" won the New Zealand Music Awards Best Jazz Album of the Year at the Wellington International Jazz Festival in 2008 and Ford is a former finalist in the category at the 2004 awards for her debut album Blues for Guppy. She also played piano on the 2006 Tui winning jazz album, Vaughan Roberts' 'Grrrreat Stuff'.

This release continues the excellent standard with all three musicians playing like seasoned professionals despite their young years. All tunes on the release are originals by either Ford or Tipping that mix hard bop with latin, melodic passages with intense bursts of rhythmic energy. "Itchy Thought" is a wonderful quirky number in 5/4 with the track "The Wise Guy" taking the time signature exploration even further with several in the one number. My favorite piece on this release is "Likewise" it is an intriguing piece that keeps one listening right to the end, Ford says of this piece "I penned this tune for Richie. A journey of rhythmic diversity; a bit of swing, latin, up tempo, & even rock!".

An excellent release proving that intelligent jazz is alive and well in New Zealand.

============================================
Visit George FM

Sunday, October 14, 2007 

Hey all!

Incase you missed it and want to hear it, here's a link....
The Ford/Tipping/Wise Trio (Charmaine Ford, Nick Tipping, Richard Wise) LIVE on Radio NZ Friday 12th Oct 2007. It's a 40min long and includes performing 3 pieces ("Itchy thought", "Blues for Guppy" by Charmaine Ford and "Mercy Mercy Mercy" by Josef Zawinul) plus interview.
 
then click on the: "FORD TIPPING WISE TRIO - NZ LIVE" link. (12 Oct 2007 1:20pm)
 
Enjoy
 
x FTWtrio
Thursday, July 26, 2007 

A huge big THANK YOU to all those who came out and supported our album launch gig at Sandwiches Wednesday last week!!!
We had such an awesome (and fun) night, but we couldn't have done it without you! So thanks again!

For those of you who haven't purchased a copy of the new album yet, be sure to come to one of our gigs at Sandwiches in Wellington (every Wed night) to get one ... &/or grab your copy from your local CD store. Album should be on some online purchase websites soon too. Will keep you posted.

Ciao,

theFTWtrio

Sunday, July 15, 2007 
..> ..> ..>

Live Jazz at Sandwiches - CD release


CHARMAINE FORD
NICK TIPPING
RICHARD WISE

LIVE AT SANDWICHES

LIVE CD Release, Wednesday 25/7/2007


Down Courtenay Place way, every Wednesday evening, the mood at Sandwiches kicks back with glass clinking, foot tapping sonic jazz grooves. Led by the Ford / Tipping / Wise Trio, the weekly residency at Sandwiches was recently recorded for posterity and the band is proud to release their debut live CD this July.

Live At Sandwiches by Charmaine Ford, Nick Tipping and Richard Wise features eight tracks from the live recordings made on 30th August and 6th September 2006. The trio have been jamming jazz, acoustic and Latin flavors at Sandwiches lounge bar for over three years, and it was Nick's idea to create a live album.

"I thought it would be a good idea to have some kind of record of the fun the trio has had at Sandwiches over the last few years" says the Wellington musician and lecturer.

Fellow musician and engineer, Nick Granville, recorded the two gigs and the Ford / Tipping / Wise Trio mixed the album. Mastering is by Neil Maddever, and design and format by Nick Tipping and Charmaine Ford.

The Wednesday night residency attracts regular listeners as well as guest musicians such as Johnny Lippiett, Colin Hemmingsen, Nick Van Dijk, and Roger Sellers.

Nathan Haines was in the house recently. "These guys were swinging! No doubt this record will capture some of the intensity and interplay I experienced when seeing these guys at Sandwiches, a great Wellington institution" says Nathan.

Sandwiches, voted NZ's Night Club Of The Year by Bartender magazine is probably better known for more of a lean towards dance, drum 'n' bass and other DJ style phat beats. Earlier this year Sandwiches launched the Summerset live music series at the Basin Reserve and with the upcoming approach of a Fourth Birthday looks set to continue supporting innovative local culture and cuisine.

Live At Sandwiches CD available at Sandwiches http://www.sandwiches.co.nz plus Real Groovy Records & other good record stores nationwide.


BIOGRAPHY
Ford / Tipping / Wise Trio

Pianist and composer Charmaine Ford was born in Tauranga. She moved to Auckland at the age of eight, already with two years piano training, and from there rapidly progressed in her music career. Shortly after leaving high school, Charmaine won several national awards including Best Pianist, and Best Combo at the annual National Tauranga Jazz Festival Competitions. She was also awarded Jazz Musician of the Year by the Auckland Jazz Workshop in '98 and '99.

At age 19, Charmaine received a Travel Grant Scholarship from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) to study in London, where she gained her diploma in teaching. Charmaine has toured throughout New Zealand and Australia with her own group the Charmaine Ford Trio and has been invited to perform at all of New Zealand's leading jazz festivals. Ford has worked with numerous artists and groups including the NZSO, Tim Beveridge, Frankie Stevens, Roger Fox, and The Vector Wellington Orchestra.

Charmaine currently teaches privately and at the NZ School of Music in Wellington.


Nick Tipping is Wellington born and raised. He has had a varied musical career, including stints with orchestras and choirs, before picking up the bass. He studied bass at the Massey University Conservatorium (now the NZ School of Music) and at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His playing career took him to all the major showrooms in Las Vegas, as well as Los Angeles, Italy and South Korea, and an audience with US President Bill Clinton.

He returned to NZ in 2003, and has worked around the country in many different musical contexts. He toured with Nathan Haines, Marlena Shaw and the NZSO in 2005, played with Chris de Burgh at the Mission Estate concert in 2006, and played bass on all 3 seasons of Dancing with the Stars.

Nick is also active as a jazz educator, and is currently Head of Jazz at the New Zealand School of Music, well known as NZ's highest-profile jazz school. He is also a versatile reviewer, with reviews published on scoop.co.nz, and NZ Opera News.


Richard Wise has performed extensively as a drummer and percussionist throughout the country. Lending a distinctive style to some of the nation's finest musicians and projects, his musical versatility has been proven in a wide variety of creative collaborations. Notable credits include performances with the NZSO, Chris de Burgh, Tim Beveridge, The Vector Wellington Orchestra, Ali Harper, The Harbour City Electric, Soul Estate, the Charmaine Ford Trio, and the Tui award-winning Kevin Clark Trio. Richard has also been frequently involved in musical theatre, including major productions of Grease Is The Word, Once Were Warriors the Musical, and the instant cult classic, Troy the Musical.


http://www.myspace.com/fordtippingwise

Monday, May 28, 2007 

Current mood:  happy
Category: Music

Ford/Tipping/Wise Trio
Sandwiches, Wednesday 23rd May 2007

Wednesday Night Live has become a venerable institution at Sandwiches, serving up quality jazz along with dinner every week. Dinner show gigs like this can often descend into background muzak, but Sandwiches always pulls a knowledgeable crowd of jazz fiends and fellow musos (including Nathan Haines this week) who know a great bass solo when they hear one, and their enthusiasm fires up the rest of the audience who might just have come for some pizza or cocktails, but stay for the music. This trio's music strikes a fine balance between being mellow enough to nod along to over your meal, and lively enough to demand your attention when it counts.

Charmaine Ford is well-known as one of the country's most exciting young pianists and composers, with an energetic, muscular style. Nick Tipping is an experienced bassist, composer and teacher, whose solos lend a supple quality to their sound. Richie Wise is a jazz drummer who's been known to flirt with the funk (he plays with
Harbour City Electric every Thursday), and with this trio he keeps the focus on driving rhythms. Together they mix standards with originals, hard bop with latin, melodic passages with intense bursts of rhythmic energy. The mixing wasn't quite right at first, with Charmaine's gutsy riffs in the lower registers getting muddy and overwhelming the bass, but the sound came together soon afterwards and allowed the band to really get into its swing. You can hear a couple of their tracks on their MySpace page.

It's the fact that Sandwiches can offer great jazz, food and drink here in the lounge, along with a proper nightclub experience next door, that justifies its place as New Zealand's top club. I personally prefer the lounge (I'm getting too old for 2am starts to gigs and DJ sets), and with Cabaret no longer around, it's one of Wellington's best mid-week live music experiences. The show starts at 8ish, but get there early (or book a table) if you want a seat.

see: http://texture.co.nz/blogs/reviews/archive/2007/05/26/ford-tipping-wise-trio-sandwiches-23rd-may.aspx