Phil was one of New Zealand’s leading jazz artists. Pianist, composer and educator, he became the first jazz musician to be awarded the MNZM for services to jazz in 2001.
He was Head of Jazz Studies at the New Zealand School of Music (Massey University, Auckland) from 2000 to 2016, and in 2008 was awarded an MPhil for his thesis on French jazz pianist Michel Petrucciani. A well-known broadcaster, he presented the weekly jazz programme The Art of Jazz on Radio New Zealand Concert for over 20 years. His numerous credits include performing at major jazz festivals and events in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, UK and France, and collaborating with many jazz greats visiting NZ, such as Johnny Griffin, Ronnie Scott, and Scott Hamilton.
Phil was a regular player around the Auckland jazz scene, notably at the one-time premiere jazz venue the London Bar (a residency he held for many years), and as organiser and frequent performer at the annual Winter Jazz Series at the Auckland Art Gallery during the 80s and 90. Phil was also a well-known broadcaster, presenting his own programme “The Art Of Jazz” weekly on Concert FM for more than twenty years.
He released five albums on Rattle, the first three he loosely described as his “Dedication” trilogy: Delayed Reaction (2011 Jazz Album of the Year nominee) was dedicated to French pianist Michel Petrucciani, and was the subject of his Master’s thesis; Flaubert’s Dance (2013 Jazz Album of the Year nominee) was dedicated to some of Phil’s ‘international jazz heroes’; and Panacea (2015, Jazz Album of the Year WINNER) was dedicated to some of his ‘jazz heroes’ here in New Zealand.
While undergoing treatment for cancer in 2019, Phil staged a weekend-long series of concerts for friends and family that was also recorded and released as Positif, an heroic act of artistic determination that, in our view, marked the strength and character of the man.
Sadly, Phil passed away in April, 2020, but not before completing an intimate set of solo piano recordings, Soliloquy. The music was recorded in November 2019 on the grand piano in his home, then edited and mixed in the summer of 2020. The album was finished just a few weeks before Phil’s passing. He loved the end result, and we do too.
Review excerpts:
"As a writer Broadhurst avoids cliches, but at the same time he manages to avoid the obtuse. At the heart of his writing is a real warmth. The tunes take you to a familiar place even though you’ve never been there before; carried by rich harmonies and well crafted heads."
John Fenton – Jazzlocal32
"Prolific and sensitive, hard-working and curious, Broadhurst is a model of the jazz musician in full bloom. Flaubert's Dance is an abundant work bursting with beauty and tenderness, with just the right notes throughout."
all.about.jazz
"…there’s a tenderness and clarity of thought throughout that’s lovingly celebratory. The soloing is exceptional, the compositions robust and full of possibility."
Panacea review, Mike Alexander, Sunday Star Times
