Big Apple now home to Nelson jazz duo

MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail

SUCCESS: Josh and Adrienne Hindmarsh, who grew up in Golden Bay and Nelson respectively, have made names for themselves performing jazz in New York.

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When Josh Hindmarsh wanted to learn the guitar his father Gerard bypassed a mortgage payment to pay for one. "This better not be a phase Josh," he told his son at the time.

Years later, when Josh's wife Adrienne wanted to learn the Hammond Organ, Josh sold his piano and almost all of his guitars to help import one from Canada.

"This better not be a phase Adrienne," he told her.

Luckily for both of them, it was not. Now the pair are carving out a successful jazz career in the mecca of music – New York.

Josh is originally from Golden Bay and Adrienne from Richmond but they met at music school in Wellington. They played for a number of years in the capital before realising they needed a bigger scene to spread their musical wings. Two and half years ago they left for Ohio where they would frequent the bars impressing locals who only knew New Zealand by the Lord of the Rings and Flight of the Conchords.

"They couldn't believe we could play this type of music because it was theirs but we latched on to it and tried to do our own thing with it," Adrienne said.

Last year they headed to the Big Apple. "It's the centre of the world for jazz," Josh said. But it was a tough gig. There were more musicians and more competition.

After a while, they managed to make a name. Josh said it all became a bit surreal when they were playing at a function and actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg was the MC.

The idea was always to "soak up the vibe" and before long they were earning praise from one of world's top jazz organists Joey Defrancesco who had heard Adrienne play.

They have recently been signed with an agent which will help put them on the US festival circuit.

"But half the problem for us is that they can't understand our accents," Adrienne said.

They have been home for two weeks catching up with friends and family but flew back to New York last night and straight into playing a gig.

The eventual goal is to get on to the world festival circuit. But for now they both insist their music is not a phase.

- © Fairfax NZ News