Myele Manzanza at The Jam Jar
Headfirst Editor's Pick

"Myele’s standing at the spiritual crossroads between Omar and Theo Parrish, Elvin Jones and Herbie Hancock - a stellar once-in-a-generation drummer and bandleader deeply rooted in jazz, neo-soul and electronic experimentation. Mr Manzanza is your new guiding light FFO: Yussef Kamaal, Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, Sons of Kemet."

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A gig held at The Jam Jar on Thursday 16th March. The event starts at 19:30.


Rhythm resides deep in the spirit for drummer and composer Myele Manzanza. It is the universal pulse that governs movement, an intuitive connection between body and sound that produces his genre-spanning, infectiously vibrant music.

Myele Manzanza and his live quartet performs volume three of his ongoing album series:"Unfold".

Unfold takes Manzanza full-circle, back to his beat-making days as he explores the world of electronic production in conversation with the warmth of acoustic instrumentation. It is Manzanza at his most self-assured and rhythmically-moving, co-produced with Lewis Moody & featuring guests including vocalists China Moses, Wallace and Rachel Fraser, singer/guitarist Rosie Frayter-Taylor and neo-soul pioneer Omar. The year also saw Manzanza awarded as the New Zealand Jazz Artist of the Year 2022.

Manzanza is just getting started when it comes to the discovery of his ineffable, wide-ranging sound, with plans for future volumes traversing everything from modern jazz trio compositions to sweeping, orchestral arrangements, as well as continuing to host a long-standing residency at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s. Following in the genre-breaking, regenerative tradition of greats such as Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and multi-hyphenate drummer Karriem Riggins, Manzanza is a driving force in modern improvised music, no matter its guise.

“I’m always finding new ways to express myself,” he says. “It’s all about moving forward, in my own groove.” We are lucky to keep listening and be moved by the sound.

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