Zoo by Rattle Jazz

Born of a musical family, Tom Dennison started out playing electric bass but found his calling when, at age 16, he was tall enough to tackle the double bass. He has performed in various high-caliber jazz ensembles, including the Alan Broadbent Trio, the Mike Nock Quartet, Frank Gibson's Hardbopmobile, and the Roger Manins Quintet, and is regularly called for sessions and live shows. Following a spell in New York where he worked under the guidance of Larry Grenadier, Matt Penman and Joe Martin, Tom returned to New Zealand to focus on Zoo. He may only be in his early 20s, but the skill level he and the other young musicians display on this fine debut is impressive indeed. All highly educated in the fundamentals of jazz, every note they play is steeped in jazz traditions.