Chris Melville

Chris discovered music at an early age, taking singing and acting roles in school plays and local theatre productions. At college he traveled from New Zealand to Australia and USA, singing with his school choir at Disneyland, the Sacramento Jazz Festival and in Hawaii.

After completing a design diploma he joined a jazz vocal trio called Midas Touch; together they toured New Zealand appearing at festivals, concerts and on national TV.

This experience provided the foundation for Chris to start his own jazz combo, with a residency at Wellington's Plaza International Hotel, exploring the nuances of writing, arranging and leading a band.

After moving to Auckland Chris began a guitar-based pop group and then was invited to play at the opening of a new Ponsonby bar, the 'Grand Central Bar' in 1997. A 17 year-long residency here gave Chris the opportunity to develop a popular funk/jazz/soul band with some of New Zealand's most talented musicians; together they recorded two albums of original songs and played hundreds of festivals, events and TV spots, appearing at the inaugural Vanuatu Jazz Festival. Many of Chris' songs have appeared on NZ's longest running TV series 'Shortland Street'.