Leigh Jackson presents jazz guitar standards made famous by Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessell, Johnny Smith, Charlie Byrd, Pat Metheny and Kenny Burrell. Featuring compositions by Jerome Kern, Jobim, Paul Simon, Bud Powell, Bill Evans and many more. Leigh will be playing his vintage Gibson L-5and Conde Hermanos acoustic guitar during the evening.

Leigh will be accompanied by two top players in the Wellington jazz scene namely Nick Tipping on bass and Luther Hunt on the traps.

Nick’s best known to New Zealand jazz fans as one of the finest bass players in the country, having performed with artists and shows as diverse as Tami Neilson, the NZSO, Dancing with the Stars, Mike Nock, Nathan Haines, Suzanne Prentice, Kurt Elling, and Kenny Burrell. Nick studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, before returning to Wellington in 2004 to run the NZ School of Music jazz programme. More recently he has become widely known as the presenter on RNZ's weekly jazz program, Inside Out, and on RNZ Concert where he plays full length masterpieces from across the classical spectrum on his daily show, The Works.

Luther combines a fantastic sense of swing and dynamic sensitivity punctuated by a strong sense of interaction with the other two players. His professional career involves a large variety of genres as he is adept at rock and pop as he is at jazz. He encompasses the jazz and Latin traditions and blends them perfectly with more modern styles to create a unique approach. His tasty brush work and stick control combined with his keen ear makes him the perfect accompanist.