Nathan Haines (born: 1972) is one of New Zealand’s foremost jazz musicians.… Read Full Bio ↴Nathan Haines (born: 1972) is one of New Zealand’s foremost jazz musicians. His style is said to be a fusion of jazz and modern dance music.

Classically trained on the Flute and Saxophone he spent a great deal of his youth watching his father, Kevin Haines - an accomplished acoustic bassist, perform. It is through his father that he was exposed to jazz music – specifically music by jazz masters Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk.

The young Haines spent his formative years performing around Auckland with his brother Joel (guitarist). It was during this time that they joined the group Freebass in the early 1990s.

However, it was evident from a young age that New Zealand was too small for the talented performer. In 1991, at the age of 19, he moved to New York to further his study of jazz music. During this period he studied under the guidance of Miles Davis' saxophonist George Coleman, and Joe Lovano. It was during this time in New York, that Nathan was heavily influenced by the concept of jazz fusion - specifically jazz blended with hip-hop and dance music elements. He later returned to New Zealand. Between 1992 and 1995 his residency at the club Cause Celebre became legendary. It was from there he went on to work on his first solo album, Shift Left in 1994. It would later become New Zealand’s highest selling jazz record. This was surpassed however, by his 2003 album, Squire for Hire.

In 1995 he moved to London, and further experimented with different sounds. Collaborating with members from London drum and bass record label MetalHeadz, including A-Sides, he produced several jungle-influenced singles under the pseudonym Sci-Clone. The Sci-Clone track 'Everywhere I Go (Remix)' was featured on DJ-KiCKS: Kemistry & Storm.

Soundkilla sessions vol 1 were a mix of live and studio recordings from 1995/1996. ‘Sessions’ was seen as a major step forward – an album to experiment with. 2000 saw the release of Sound Travels, which followed in the tradition of jazz fusion with modern dance. More recently his work has involved a close relationship with many other west London based artists. In 2003 Squire for Hire showed just how much his style had evolved. The album possesses a unique and diverse sound, Featuring contributions from producers/performers Mark de Clive-Lowe, producer/poet Rich Medina, vocalists, Marcus Begg, Guida da Palma, Bembe Segue, Marlena Shaw and Blur front-man, Damon Albarn. Both albums were produced by West London Kingpin Phil Asher (restless soul productions)

Nathan recently performed on Jamiroquai's Jamiroquai latest album, Dynamite_(Jamiroquai_album), which has currently (as of 05.11.2006) sold over half a million copies world wide.

Currently, Nathan is recording his as of yet untitled sixth studio album.

Impossible Beauty
Nathan Haines Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If the probability of the face
Slent itself to great debate
Was it you I saw yesterday
Over the shoulder of some guy on that train?
But it's funny, but last night
The face of an angel watched me
As I played long into the night

But was it you
Or some other impossible beauty?
That's what I call her
That's what I call her
Impossible beauty

But was it you
Or some other impossible beauty?
That's what I call her

That's what I call her
Impossible beauty

Overall Meaning

In Nathan Haines's song "Impossible Beauty," the lyrics seem to convey a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity related to a potential romantic interest. The first stanza begins with the possibility of seeing someone on the train, but not being entirely sure if it was the person in question. The next part of the stanza suggests that there was an angelic presence watching the singer play music the previous night. The repetition of the phrase "impossible beauty" in the chorus suggests that the singer is enamored with someone who is perhaps unattainable, or at least difficult to read or understand.

The song's lyrics appear to be exploring themes of attraction, desire, and the difficulties that can accompany these feelings. The sense of uncertainty and questioning that pervades the lyrics indicates that the singer is grappling with their own emotions and struggling to understand what they want, or whether their desired outcome is even possible. The use of poetic language and imagery, such as the reference to an "impossible beauty," adds depth and texture to the song, while the repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea of a fleeting, potentially impossible or intangible object of desire.

Line by Line Meaning

If the probability of the face
If the likelihood of recognizing someone's face

Slent itself to great debate
Caused a lot of confusion or discussion

Was it you I saw yesterday
Did I actually see you yesterday?

Over the shoulder of some guy on that train?
Or was it someone else who slightly resembled you?

But it's funny, but last night
Interestingly enough, last night

The face of an angel watched me
I saw a very beautiful face

As I played long into the night
While I continued playing music late into the night

But was it you
However, I still wonder if that face was actually yours

Or some other impossible beauty?
Or maybe it was someone just as stunning

That's what I call her
Regardless, I refer to this person as

That's what I call her
Again, I label her as such