Wayne Baird


Wayne Baird was born in Timaru on 27 June 1951. Both parents were musical; his father, Doug, played cornet and was a lifetime member of the Timaru Municipal Brass Band. At the age of 10, Wayne started piano lessons. “My first piano teacher, Leslie Tairoa, was an early inspiration who understood the force of music very well and she made me understand that creating rhythm and melody was a joyful pursuit and a special gift to be shared with everyone.”

Baird completed his piano studies under Bill Stark, a local jazz musician. “When he noticed that I had started using my own phrasing and interpretations, he introduced me to the concept of improvisation. We began to explore chord construction and I had my first inkling of how different intervals and phrasing could make subtle changes to the way the music sounded. It was, I think, my induction into a basic understanding of jazz.”

Mango Crazy photo shoot, from left: Lou Rawnsley, Rob Galley, Wayne Baird, Hamin Derus
Wayne Baird and Phil Oxenham, The Alibis, 2014
Mango Crazy, L to R: Rob Galley, Hamin Derus, Wayne Baird, Lou Rawnsley, Richard Foulkes
Truda Chadwick and Wayne Baird
Neighbours: Phil Toms, Mike Croft, Rick Bryant, Sam Ford, Tim Robinson, Trudi Green, Wayne Baird, Greg Heath
John Kempt and Wayne Baird, Sweetwaters, 1999
Gentle Annie as they appeared in the Central Leader, August 1988. Left to right: Paul Hewitt, Read Hudson, Cath Newhook, Glenn Fuller, Wayne Baird.
Wayne Baird goes electric with mandolin, Dunedin, c1974
Origins Dance Theatre musicians 1982: Karen Hunter, Bruce Robertson, Wayne Baird, Jane McAlister, Paul Hewitt, Tom Ludvigson
Chappaqua, Dunedin, 1974: Wayne Baird is in centre, looking at camera
Wayne Baird (standing, right) performs during orientation week at Otago University, 1974. The flautist is Rob Piggott. Baird recalls: "On the far right is Tim Stevenson, who was later involved with myself, Hamin Derus, Steve Young and Craig Johnson in a summer touring outfit called The Gypsy Roadshow. We had a rock band, an Andrews sisters cabaret act, a magician and stayed at motor camps for free in return for providing childrens entertainment in the afternoons."
Photo credit: Wayne Baird Collection 
Bamboo at Last Resort, L to R: Lou Rawnsley, Grant O'Connor, Steve Garden, Wayne Baird, Hamin Derus
Photo credit: Wayne Baird Collection
Alibis, December 2015, at the Ponsonby market day: Wayne Baird, Peter Scott, Annette Hart, Mike Abbot, Stephen Clarke, Paul Nairn
Gypsy Roadshow – Wayne Baird is the flat-cap wearer standing third from left
The Funky Tunk Broadway jug band – Wayne Baird is at far left, with mandolin
Bobongo Men with Paul Ubana Jones
Alibis Mk I: Phil Oxenham, Ron Mullen, Wayne Baird, Stephen Clarke
Seven Deadly Sins: Ross France, Wayne Baird, Fiona McDonald, Manu, Dennis “Choc” Tuwhare, John Scott, Rafer Rautjoki.
Trudi & the Exceptions: Rafer Rautjoki, Wayne Baird, Willie, Tutaveira Wichman, Trudi Green, Nerrilee, Sam Ford, George Moekaa – Ohakune, 1990
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