News & Events

Mark Robison DJ

Mark Robinson has been presenting the weekly 2 hour Jazz Show “It’s A Jazz Thing” on GeorgeFM for approx 4 and half years. Mark was program director of the successful 24 hour 100% internet radio station “George Jazz” from it’s inception in June 2007. Mark also runs a New Zealand Jazz Network and is a founding member of the Creative Jazz Club Aotearoa.

For the past 2 years Mark has been an integral part of the Queenstown JazzFest presenting 15 hours of live-to-air radio shows from the heart of the festival each year. Mark is very excited to be involved in the festival again this year. For this special 4 hour DJ set Mark will be delving into the crates for a sublime and funky DJ set that will feature Soul, Funk, Disco and Jazz-Funk from the early 70’s to the present.

Michael Story Trio

The Melbourne-based Michael Story Trio, featuring acoustic/electric bassist Michael Story, pianist Luke Howard and drummer Aaron McCoullough, plays a blend of modern jazz and contemporary groove music, inspired by Bobo Stensen’s trio, Medeski Martin and Wood, The Bad Plus and Brad Mehldau.

The trio are currently recording their latest CD which includes many of the tunes performed over the last year. Their sound has developed since their previous release with a greater focus on collective improvisation, blending deep colourful harmonies and melodies with kick, hats, snare and woody double bass grooves.

Michael Story was born and raised in Christchurch, where he completed his Bachelor of Music at the Christchurch Jazz School in 2004 with support from the Jerry Wise Young Performers Scholarship. He also studied with Tom Rainey and performed at the Christchurch Jazz and Arts festivals and the national salsa festival Jambalya with salsa group ‘Ritmo Latino’.

With the support from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation’s young emerging artist grant, he completed an honours year at the Victorian College of the Arts where he studied under bassist Gary Costello and pianists Tim Stevens and Andrea Keller.

Michael also works as a sideman with many Melbourne groups including soul/hip hop group Flow and Plenty, original jazz projects The Daniel Gassin Trio, Andy Sugg Group, Tim Shawcross Septet, Mark Lockett and Paul Van Ross Quartet, The Ground, and pop/rock groups artists Neil Murray and Bridget A’Beckett.

He has also performed alongside top Melbourne jazz artists David Rex, Andrew Gander, Steve Magnuson, Geoff Hughes, Mark Fitzgibbon, Nichaud Fitzgibbon and Allan Browne. He has also toured Australia performing with singer songwriter Neil Murray and roots band Tecoma.

Michael is no stranger to the ASB Queenstown JazzFest, having played here before when touring New Zealand with the Mark Lockett and Paul Van Ross Quartet.

His goal is to continue to develop as an emotive improviser, creating and performing music that moves people with groove, and also represents who he is and where he is from.