Umar Zakaria Trio
Umar Zakaria is a double bassist and composer based in Wellington. He was the recipient of the 2018 Tui Award for Best Jazz Artist from Recorded Music New Zealand. His August 2020 'Freedom' tour introduces a brand new trio project focused on collective musical freedom and shared spontaneity in improvisation, featuring George Maclaurin on piano and Luther Hunt on drums.
Umar has given performances across Europe, Asia and the USA alongside Myele Manzanza, Norio Maeda, Snorre Kirk, Fabia Mantwill and Ben Wendel among others. He is a student of legendary jazz bassists Cecil McBee and Lynn Seaton as well as NZ’s own Paul Dyne, and was awarded 2nd prize at the BASS2014 International Jazz Bass Competition. Umar also represented New Zealand as one of 3 bassists selected from around the world to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program for jazz performer-composers at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, and attended the renowned Banff International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music in 2019.
Being of Malay descent, Umar has spent considerable time applying Malay traditional music to the double bass. In 2018 his innovative bass playing was featured on the album ‘Gelombunk’ by Malay percussion virtuoso Riduan Zalani, and he has since continued to draw inspiration from Malay music in his compositions and improvisations.
Having developed a reputation for emotionally stirring performances, Umar now seeks to share heartfelt original music with audiences across New Zealand and internationally, in order to spread a message of courage and unity through the powerful sound of the double bass.
FEATURING
George Maclaurin - piano
Umar Zakaria - bass
Luther Hunt - drums
ENTRY
$25 General Admission
$20 CJC Members
$20 Students
$15 CJC Student Members
+$1/per ticket for EFTPOS/CREDIT at door
Presale tickets available from Eventfinda until 5pm on day.
Door sales unless sold-out prior
