Roger Manins is widely regarded one of the premier saxophonists in the Southern hemisphere. He performs regularly throughout New Zealand and Australia, and is featured on over 40 albums as a sideman, with six releases of his own.
Roger is a senior lecturer at Auckland University, and is the creative director of CJC Creative Jazz Club Aotearoa.
GRG67 HAPPY PLACE: 2020 Release! Available on Rattle records ( and the rest)
Roger is involved in a large number of creative live and recorded music projects across NZ and Australia, including: GRG67 • TTTenor with Andy Sugg and John Mackey • Alchemy • Nock & Manins "2 Out" • DOG • Hip Flask • Flounder • The Bush Trio • Phil Broadhurst Quintet • La Luna & The Gadjos • Carolina Moon • Neutrino, and more.
He has released six albums under his own name or as collaborations, and has featured on approximately 30 releases since year 2000.
My latest 2018 release GRG67 'THE THING' is now available through RATTLE Records !!
Roger Manins lives in Auckland New Zealand and is regarded by many as one of the leading Jazz saxophonists in the Southern Hemisphere. He has appeared as featured soloist on 40+ Jazz albums and has released several CDs as leader and in collaboration with others, including the critically acclaimed release ‘Two-out’ with pianist Mike Nock. In the last ten years he has featured on six albums that have won the TUI award for NZ Jazz Album of the Year; including The Thing, The Edge of Chos, Dog, Panacea, Fearless Music and Resonator. He has been featured artist on many performances with Australia’s Mothership Orchestra, including high profile artists such as Maria Schneider, Florian Ross and Darcy James Argue, and was featured soloist for the 2017 Australian National Jazz Orchestra inaugural performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music International Jazz Festival. In 2012 he was awarded an International Journalist Association ‘Jazz Hero Award’ dedicated to “activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact in their local communities.” In 2002 he won the Wangaratta Australian National Jazz Awards competition on saxophone. Roger is a Senior lecturer at the University of Auckland where he teaches composition, arranging, improvisation, saxophone, and is the director of University of Auckland Big Band. He is also co-founder and Artistic Director of Creative Jazz Club Aotearoa (CJC) which in the 11 years of operation has made a significant impact on the health and vitality of the New Zealand music scene.
Roger has recently graduated from the University of Auckland with a DMA ( Doctor of Musical Arts).
What the Critics Say:
“ An outstandingly gifted musician with a warmly passionate sound, remarkable instrumental ability and total musical integrity.” Mike Nock
“If the larger-than-life, room-filling splendour of Roger Manins saxophone is not fully captured, it’s bruising, beautiful tonal quality certainly is.” John Shand
“His mastery of the saxophone and deep knowledge of the jazz idiom inform every note he plays, and his sound is huge.” Norman Meehan
“Manins sounds incredible throughout, but he’s particularly exceptional on the 20-minute plus version of Monk’s “Well You Needn’t.” Cadence Magazine
“As always Manins brings a complete understanding of the music to his playing along with superb tone and feeling.” Mark Robinson
“Roger Manins is simply a phenomenon…to hear Roger playing with such strength and in such an ecstatic state was to be reminded of how Coltrane-like he can be.” John Fenton
“Manins himself has an incredible palette to draw from. Drenched in classic Coltrane/Coleman prose he launches like a futuristic Sonny Rollins into the saxophone effortlessly juxtering twisted abstract lines with dark soulful blues.” Nigel Patterson
“Where McGann is rather like a pointillist painter whose short, stabbing phrases gradually assume the shape and form of a complete solo, Manins trowels paint on to the canvas: big, bruising ideas emitted with a conviction to match McGann's.” John Shand
“New Zealander and adopted Australian Roger Manins playing magnificent, resonant, inventive and sometimes simply overwhelming in its flow of ideas.” John Claire
“Nock’s work on piano, filled as it is with subtle chord alterations, deserves to be heard in such an environment and Manins’ gorgeous sound on tenor saxophone is captured in its full loveliness.” Graham Reed
“Manins’s sound is rich, big, dark, yet fine; fluent, beautifully modulated” Jazz Groove
Qualifications:
Doctor of Musical Arts: The University of Auckland
BMus (Hon): New Zealand School of Music
Associate Diploma in Jazz Studies: Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Roger’s recording and performances reflect a deep understanding and love of all Jazz styles including Blues, Traditional, Swing , Bossa Nova, Straight ahead ‘standards’, Hard Bop, Modern Jazz, Latin Jazz and Free Jazz. He is musically open and loves to explore and create new music.
In 2002 Roger won the Wangaratta Australian Jazz awards on Saxophone, and in 2012 was awarded a IJJA ‘Jazz Hero’ award for services to the community.
Roger is a Senior Lecturer at The University Of Auckland and teaches in the Jazz department.
He is also active in the music community, as co-founder and Artistic Director of CJC Creative Jazz Club Aotearoa, and helps coordinate the Auckland Jazz festival.
