Sanctuary

Sanctuary is a collaboration between Jake Baxendale and Jasmine Lovell-Smith. The eleven-piece ensemble was created as part of a live performance residency named the Arthur Street Loft Orchestra, at the now defunct Wellington venue, The Third Eye. Running weekly every Monday night for three years, the series featured works by local and national jazz composers for large ensemble. The musicians featured on the eponymous album are a multi-generational cast of favourite collaborators from the Wellington jazz scene.

The group was inspired by the medium sized groups of Charles Mingus and Gil Evans: with the inclusion of flute and bass clarinet along with traditional winds, brass and rhythm, the ensemble has a rich, chamber-like texture, yet maintains the fluidity and agility that are typical of small group jazz, allowing space for the improvising voices of each musician.

Sanctuary sees both composers expanding the scope of their work into longer forms and more varied ensemble textures, exploring a broad instrumental palette and a diverse array of strategies for ensemble interaction, ranging from tightly composed to fluid and free.