An EXPLOSIVE mix of Reo Māori & Big Band Jazz

Te Tira Nui Tautito Reo Māori Project

About TNT!

TNT! is a musical project incorporating the explosive power of big band jazz with the mana, rhythmic pizazz and beautiful lyricism of waiata Māori.
It features Wellington’s Capital City Big Band and a team of top-notch musical personalities, led by Vaughn Roberts, fronted by Lisa Tomlins, Greg Crayford, and special guest Jeremy Hantler — combining to do something creative and new, where big band meets te ao Māori.

The programme features bespoke musical arrangements, presented bilingually and sung in Te Reo Māori in a friendly and accessible format. It involves newly commissioned works, stage music, kaupapa Māori, big heart, and great excitement!

Gigs are booked from late 2025 through 2026, including the National Jazz Festival Youth Jazz Competition in Tauranga at Easter. Any major music or cultural festival is an ideal vehicle for the project here in our home base of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, or anywhere around the motu.

This symbiosis of big band jazz and Te Ao Puoro Māori combines:

• Traditional waiata Māori showband repertoire such as Me He Manurere, Hoki Mai, Tōku Reo Tōku Ohooho

• Great American Songbook jazz standards translated into te reo Māori and arranged for big band, dubbed ‘Te Tino Pukawaiata Māori’

This combination is unique in its scope — no one has presented these diverse areas in such a way before.

Key People

• Lisa Tomlins — Singer/Frontperson
  (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngai Tahu, Ngāti Toa)

• Vaughn Roberts — Musical Director/Arranger/Conductor
  (Ngāti Pākehā)

• Jeremy Hantler — Singer/Frontperson
  (Kai Tahu, Ngāti Pākehā)

• Gigi Crayford - Singer/Frontperson

• Greg Crayford — Assistant Musical Director, Māngai Māori, Kaihautū, Drummer
  (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Tūwharetoa)

• Liam Boyle — Assistant Musical Director/Cultural Adviser/Musician

• Jeromie Clark — Assistant Musical Director/Finance/Musician

• Candace Smith — Funding/Promotion

About Capital City Big Band

CCBB has been a fixture of the Wellington jazz scene for 15+ years, performing hundreds of gigs at festivals and events across the motu.

Technical & Show Details

• Duration: 90 minutes (two sets, flexible format)

• Stage: Fixed stage large enough for a full big band

• Ideal for: Kaupapa Māori festivals, jazz festivals

• Instrumentation: 5 saxophones, 5 trombones, 5 trumpets, piano, guitar, bass, drums, vocals

• Technical requirements: Keyboard, amplifiers, drums, mics for all sections (or just vocals/soloists)

Endorsements

❝ This type of endeavour exemplifies Te Ao Māori and New Zealand expressionism through the practice of auahatanga (creative output), which will offer a new and exciting experience to audiences all over Aotearoa. ❞ - Warren Maxwell
See full letter of recommendation

❝ The revitalisation of waiata Māori within a big band context represents a profound act of cultural preservation and artistic innovation. ❞ - Dr Riki Pirihi-Gooch
See full letter of recommendation

Contact

Greg Crayford
📧 info@ccbb.nz