A former Musselburgh musician has lent his jazz expertise to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and earned an honorary rank in the process.

Drummer John Rae, who led the ground-breaking jazz group the John Rae Collective in the 1980s and went on to win awards for his jazz-folk band Celtic Feet, has produced the new album by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Jazz Orchestra, Kaiwhakatere – Navigator.

Working under the rank of leading aircraftman, Mr Rae has overseen the collection of seven compositions, all drawn from New Zealand’s currently thriving jazz scene, and was even responsible for the album’s photography.

Mr Rae, who was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Livingston, lived just across the street from Musselburgh’s Brunton Theatre for a time after he married, emigrating to the New Zealand capital Wellington in 2008 with his wife, who is from New Zealand.

Mr Rae’s bass-playing father, Ronnie, played with the popular Trad and Dixieland trumpeter Alex Welsh’s band and was the long-time accompanist to the late jazz singer Fionna Duncan.

“I was delighted to be invited to work with the RNZ Air Force Jazz Orchestra,” said Mr Rae, whose large ensemble experience includes playing drums with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and leading his own Big Feet, a 37-piece amalgamation of jazz big band and pipe band.

He added: “The standard of musicianship is very high and the orchestra’s adventurous approach might surprise people who associate military bands with a certain kind of discipline.”

Released worldwide this weekend, Kaiwhakatere – Navigator is the orchestra’s second album, following its 2017 debut, Suites And Moods, although the band dates back to the swing era, having formed in 1938.

Mr Rae said: “The members of the jazz orchestra are mostly drawn from the larger RNZAF Band, which performs regularly at ceremonies and state occasions, including Anzac Day.

“They’re all reservists, although some are also freelance musicians, and on the new album we have saxophonist Oscar Laven, who made quite an impression internationally with his Questions In Red album towards the end of last year.”

Mr Laven contributed one of the tracks on the album, Royal Blue, and another of the tracks was written by Anita Schwabe, an award-winning jazz pianist and composer who also lectures at Wellington’s productive jazz school.

Mr Rae added: “The album gets its title from the understandable connection between the air force and navigation.

“However, by coincidence, all the compositions, which include a vocal, Let’s Not Fall In Love, from Stephanie Paris, are inspired by some form or travel or change.

“We’re looking forward to releasing it internationally because early feedback from reviewers and radio presenters in New Zealand has been extremely positive.”