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Nathan Haines

Nathan Haines is a new breed of jazz musician.

His early years were spent attending gigs and rehearsals with his jazz bass playing father Kevin, so it wasn't long before Nathan and his guitarist brother Joel were spending weekends gigging all over New Zealand. After receiving an award helping young New Zealanders to further their careers in the arts, Nathan moved to New York in 1991 at the age of 19 to further his study of jazz music. He studied privately with ex Miles Davis saxophonist George Coleman, and with Joe Lovano, but it was jammimg with New York jazz/dance group Groove Collective at the Giant Step nights, which turned Nathan on to the concept of fusing jazz with dance grooves.

Back in New Zealand a few years later, Nathan recorded the country's biggest ever selling jazz album Shift Left, achieving Gold status. Shift Left was released in the UK on the prestigious Verve label in 1995 and features some of New Zealands finest musicians.

Nathan then teamed up with drum and bass producer A-Sides in the UK in '96 and the pair recorded several singles on Goldies Metalheadz label under the name Sci-clone, including the jazz classics 'Melt' and 'Everywhere I Go'.

Around this time, tired of having nowhere to regularly play music and experiment, Nathan set up the highly successful club night 'bemsha!' at the Notting Hill Arts Club. This night ran for almost four years and blended dj sets from Phil Asher, Patrick Forge, Goldie, Roy the Roach, Paul 'Trouble' Anderson, 4Hero and many others, with exciting live sets from Nathan's band, including an impromptu session with legendary jazz drummer Billy Cobham. It was also where Nathan met and played with many of the musicians who would later make up the core of his band including drummer Daniel Crosby and the classically trained pianist Simon Colam.

Then in 2001, after guesting on many of Phil Ashers remixes and productions, the pair recorded Soundtravels, for London based label Chillifunk Records. The album showcased much of the amazing talent based in London, and managed to combine live band performances with Phil's beats and productions skills. New York dj's Danny Krivit and Francois Kervorkian started championing the first single Earth Is the Place at the infamous New York Body & Soul night, where it soon became an anthem. It was here that Nathan and vocalist Verna Francis performed Earth Is The Place live to over 1000 people in April 2001. Francois K licensed the track to his Wave label, including a re-edit by the man himself and remixes by Jon Cutler and has featured on many dance music compilations worldwide.

Other singles from the album have included Long remixed by 4 Hero and Believe featuring Shelley Nelson remixed by Kenny Dope of Masters at Work .

Nathan then graduated to the international jazz festival circuit and has played the Drum Rhythm and North Sea Jazz Festivals in Holland, the Nu Jazz Festival in St Petersburg, Russia, and Tokyo's Blue Note club.

In June 2003, after recently playing on a Masters at Work remix in New York, Nathan joined Louie Vega and Kenny Dope on stage at London's Ministry of Sound.

Alongside the four piece funk outfit Push, Nathan holds the saxophone chair in soul legend Marlena Shaw's UK shows. This culminated in Marlena singing the title track on Nathan's Squire For Hire (co-written and produced by Phil Asher) released in New Zealand in June 2003, and in September 2003 for the UK and Europe.

Nathan and Phil have put together a heavyweight group of collaborators on Squire for Hire including Chris Franck, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Shelley Nelson, Vanessa Freeman, Philadelphia based producer/poet Rich Medina, Marcus Begg, Guida da Palma, Reel People producer/keyboardist Mike Patto, Nathan's bass playing father Kevin Haines as well as Marlena Shaw and Blur front-man Damon Albarn making guest appearances.

In 2007 Nathan and co-producer and co-writer Chris Cox recorded Right Now between New Zealand and the UK for Nathan's new label Haven Music. Once again Marlena Shaw sings the title track and other guests include Vanessa Freeman, Mike Patto (also executive producer), brother Joel Haines, Dixon Nacey and UK band member Leon Stenning on guitar, percussionist Miguel Fuentes, and vocalist Tama Waipara.
Nathan flew out Mike Patto and Vanessa Freeman to tour the album in New Zealand and they make a music clip directed by Luke Sharpe for the first single, Tell Me, which features the band playing to a club of dancing robots.

The band played Melbourne's Miss Libertine club at the end of the tour
2008 and Sci-clone played the Sun and Bass Festival in Italy – their first live gig since the formation of the band over ten years ago.

Nathan also guested with Marlena Shaw for three nights at Ronnie Scotts Jazz club in London and performed
with his own band at Camden's Koko Club

He produced Music For Cocktail Lovers for Sony/Thom Music at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studio in Auckland – his
first outing as a sole producer which featured his NZ band playing music from Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Zero7,
Nina Simone as well as an original composition. Long term collaborator and keyboardist Kevin Field featured strongly, leading to Nathan producing a solo album for Kevin.

In 2009 Right Now was released on UK label Freestyle with 12" vinyl remixes from Domu and Summer Street and new cover art for the UK market. Nathan and his band featuring Joel Haines, Mickey Ututaonga (drums), keyboardists Kevin Field and Jonathan Crayford,
bassists Oliver Holland and Karika Turua toured New Zealand over the summer including Sound Stage in Christchurch and the BFM summer Series.

In 2010 they performed at the Java Jazz festival in Jakarta early March and his 7th album Heaven And Earth was released through Warner Music on March 15th, featuring guest vocalists Kevin Mark Trail on the first single Pathway and Vanessa Freeman on It's Alright.