Three years ago, as he struggled with the impact of the Covid lockdown, jazz composer and sax player Jake Baxendale turned to Taoist philosophy both for advice and musical inspiration.
The resulting project, Waypeople, saw him setting an English translation of the Tao Te Ching by American writer Ursula Le Guin to music.
Photo: Supplied / Jake Baxendale
Waypeople is now Baxendale's latest album.
He joined RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump, along with one of the members of the ensemble which performed on the album, the Chinese classical musician Jia Ling.
Ling plays the guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither that sounds a bit like a harp.
She and Baxendale talked about combining their different musical styles - classical and jazz.
Ling says improvising was a big challenge, one which Baxendale says she passed with aplomb. He says Ling's classical approach provided a unique kind of structure which he and his fellow jazz performers were able to work around.
Baxendale's jazz settings are sung by Chelsea Prastiti, with fellow musicians Callum Passells (sax), Daniel Hayles (piano), Johnny Lawrence (double bass), Cory Champion (drums).
Guzheng player Jia Ling and saxophonist Jake Baxendale. Photo: RNZ
The album is out on Friday 13 March, and Waypeople is touring around Aotearoa between 3-26 April:
3 April - Baycourt Theatre, National Jazz Festival, Tauranga
8 April - The Kingslander, Creative Jazz Club, Auckland
9 April - Nivara Lounge, Hamilton
10 April - Paisley Stage, Napier
11 April - Bedlam & Squalor, Wellington
12 April - The Globe Theatre, Palmerston North
24 April - Grainstore Gallery, Oamaru
25 April - Hanover Hall, Dunedin Jazz Club, Dunedin
26 April - Space Academy, Christchurch
Performance of Waypeople from the 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival
