TNT! and the explosive sound of a changing Aotearoa
There is something resonant happening in Aotearoa’s musical landscape. Deep, grounded, and expansive, it is a project that reflects an evolution in how we are invited to see ourselves musically, culturally, and collectively.
TNT!, part of the 2026 Fringe lineup at Hannah Playhouse, is a project from Capital City Big Band (CCBB) led by Vaughn Roberts, fronted by Lisa Tomlins, Greg Crayford, with special guest vocalists – combining to do something creative and new, where big band meets te ao Māori.
We had a chat with longtime CCBB stalwart and Wellington jazz musician Greg Crayford, and legendary vocalist Lisa Tomlins about this intriguing new emulsification of sound.
Weaving sounds
At its heart, TNT! brings waiata Māori into the sonic architecture of big band jazz. That alone might sound like a clever programming idea: explosive, fresh, ready for festival season. But spend even a short time with Greg and Lisa and it becomes clear that this is a considered, lived-in exploration of what happens when te ao Māori stands confidently inside a format historically rooted in African American jazz traditions, filtered through decades of Western music education.
For Greg Crayford, whose career in music education and performance includes deep involvement in Aotearoa’s jazz networks, the project has grown through time and persistence. He speaks of returning, again and again, to the craft; practising what he preaches about giving new ideas time to settle and reveal their worth. That philosophy underpins TNT!.
“There are a few threads which have been evolving for a while. The waiata rōpu, translations of jazz standards into te reo Māori, the arrangements. When we brought them all together for the first time it was one of the most amazing musical moments in my life.”
An obvious next step
Capital City Big Band itself has evolved over years, shaped by different leaders, players and creative visions, and now finds itself in a moment where such a kaupapa feels not only possible, but obvious.
For Lisa Tomlins, the project intersects with her own journey through music and te ao Māori. Having joined a waiata rōpu and immersed herself more deeply in that world, the invitation to sing waiata within a big band context felt both exciting and natural.
“Waiata and big band. I’m totally about it. The translations don’t necessarily lend themselves to the original rhythmic patterns… but it allows for more of a creative melodic interpretation, and rhythmic interpretation.”
The result is not a jazz gig with Māori elements sprinkled on top, but a reorientation of the material from within, steeped in mana, and delivered with a 22-strong big band including a four-piece vocal section. It exudes the power of dynamite – a fitting conclusion drawn from such a title. And as it turns out, TNT! is equal parts explosive and clever acronym: Tira (band) Nui (big) Tautito (jazz).
Dr Riki Pirihi-Gooch endorses the project, saying, “the revitalisation of waiata Māori within a big band context represents a profound act of cultural preservation and artistic innovation. The inherent energy, scale, and dynamism of the big band ensemble has the capacity to breathe new life into these traditional forms, amplifying their resonance for contemporary audiences while retaining their integrity as taonga.”
Kai, kōrero and kotahitanga
Crucially, TNT! has not been developed in isolation or abstraction. Its growth has been relational. Greg describes evenings gathered at Lisa’s home, sharing kai, guitars in hand, others present, exploring traditional waiata, voices blending as arrangements were tested and reshaped.
“It’s been a really important part of our journeys… into te ao Māori, and to our own Māoritanga, and our beautiful reo.”
Greg reflects that it has been a process of adding to one’s kete of knowledge through collective experience rather than performative display. That organic, whānau-driven development is woven into the sound of the show itself.
A shared repertoire
Large ensemble projects of this scale are never simple. With more than twenty musicians, multiple vocalists and guest artists, the logistical and financial realities alone are enough to limit many works to a single outing.
“We put so much work and effort into a project, for it to only be shared once would be a tragedy,” says Lisa.
As well as a few future dates already locked into the band’s calendar, including performing as part of the National Jazz Competition in Tauranga pre-Easter weekend, invitations are arriving from other festivals too. There is also active discussion about sharing Vaughn’s bespoke arrangements through Greg and Lisa’s educational networks so that school bands across the motu — and potentially further afield — can access this repertoire.
As Greg explains, “it’s something that the late, great Rodger Fox would have done: sharing the resources far and wide. It signals that this is not a one-off experiment but part of a broader recalibration in our musical ecosystem. We all want this kaupapa to be accessible.”
Warren Maxwell also offers an endorsement for this project, saying, “we’ve seen the success of the NZSO performing with taonga pūoro artists, the brilliance of Māori Anthems Albums, Alien Weaponry’s global success along with many more cultural works. And now the potential of fusing Big Band swing inertia with te Ao Māori.”
Creative meeting grounds
Presenting TNT! within the framework of Fringe and on the stage of The Hannah further amplifies that sense of evolution. Fringe in recent years has increasingly foregrounded music alongside theatre and comedy, reflecting a recognition that large-scale musical works deserve equal prominence in the creative conversation. The Hannah, steadily reasserting itself as a hub of live performance energy in Pōneke, provides a space where such cross-pollination can thrive. The alignment feels timely: a revitalised venue, a festival open to bold programming, and a project that bridges communities and traditions.
Across Aotearoa, waiata Māori is rising in visibility and confidence; heard in classrooms, on national broadcasts, in contemporary pop and increasingly within jazz contexts. TNT! participates in that broader cultural movement without claiming to define it. Instead, it offers one possible expression of how genres can speak to each other with respect and curiosity. It demonstrates that big band — often associated with nostalgia or preservation — can be a living, responsive form capable of carrying new narratives and languages.
In an increasingly diverse, collaborative and multidimensional arts landscape, this is not merely welcome, it is essential. Our stages are no longer monolithic spaces. They are meeting grounds. They are places where histories intersect and futures are rehearsed in real time. Projects like TNT! remind us that evolution in the arts does not mean abandoning tradition; it means allowing tradition to expand and reach new audiences.
What emerges from TNT! is a sound that is explosive in scale yet grounded in kaupapa, generous in spirit and ambitious in scope. It speaks to audiences who love jazz, to whānau who cherish waiata, to students imagining new possibilities for their own musical paths, and to festival-goers eager for something that reflects the complexity of contemporary Aotearoa.
More than anything, TNT! embodies a shift. It signals that our musical landscapes are changing to become more porous, more collaborative, more reflective of who we are becoming together. And that evolution is not something to be cautious about. It is something to celebrate.
TNT! is part of Fringe 2026, with two performances on Friday 6 March, 7:30pm and 9pm. Find out more here.