Doug Caldwell

Douglas George Caldwell (22 March 1928 – 10 May 2022), sometimes referred to as The Maestro, was a New Zealand jazz pianist, arranger, composer, music teacher, and author.

Biography Caldwell was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1928 and attended St Bede's College. He began working at Christchurch venue the Winter Garden in the 1940s and later co-founded a jazz club called the Jazz Inn in the 1950s. He studied musical arrangement and composition at Michigan State University in the United States.

He taught music from 1977 to 1981 at Christchurch Boys' High School and then from 1983 to 1989 at Christ's College. In 1992 he became a tutor, and later lecturer, at the Christchurch Polytechnic Jazz School (now the Ara Institute of Canterbury Jazz School). He was known as "The Maestro" in Christchurch. In the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to jazz music.

Caldwell died in Christchurch on 10 May 2022.

Discography

The Doug Caldwell Trio (Kiwi Pacific,1990) Off the Cuff (Kiwi Pacific, 1992) Willows – Doug Caldwell live (Polyjazz, 1995) Legacy (Polyjazz, 2003) I Hear Music – with Susan de Jong (Polyjazz, 2005) Waiting at the Red Door (Polyjazz, 2009) Colette Jansen Meets Doug Caldwell (Colette Jansen, 2013) Guest artist: Don Rader Down Under 'Collaboration' – (Polyjazz, 1994)