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All everyone is talking about at the moment is the jazz festival – it is now upon us.
But possibly I have an unusual bunch of friends. Most people are talking about a thousand other things, 999 of them involving the sky-rocketing price of...well, everything.
On to jazz – The Port of Tauranga 63rd National Jazz Festival has begun!
Many think of it as just an Easter festival but things are under way already, with concerts this weekend at The Jam Factory, all of them special.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 27-29, Nigel Gavin and Richard Adams, two Nairobi Trio founders in a swinging violin and guitar duo, will perform – as will rockin’ pianist Jan Preston’s Boogie Duo; and ace be-bop guitarist Lockie Bennett and his trio.
Before I go on, hats off to The Barrel Room on Wharf St whose jazz fest build-up has been simply brilliant, and continues. There’s live jazz in the street every Saturday afternoon, and music early on Friday and Saturday nights.
Latin-leaning jazz-funk
Tonight, March 27, it’s Duende, a great Latin-leaning jazz-funk outfit comprising Tristan Hancock on Spanish guitar and Oud, Kelly Kahukiwa on Saxophone, Adrian Laird on bass and percussionist James Hughes. Tomorrow, March 28, is trad blues from The Mike Garner Trio, featuring multi-instrumentalist Robbie Laven, and Grant Willis who doubles on bass and tuba. Watching Haua play fast walking bass lines on the tuba is one of the wonders of the world.
After the weekend it’s straight into Baycourt’s Youth Jazz Competition, which never fails to amaze as each year kids from around the country seem to get better and better, often giving adult bands a run for their money.
Free music downtown
While there’s a plethora of free music downtown on Easter Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I’d like to guide you towards some of the paid concerts despite, as noted, living in cash-strapped times. Because there’s really good stuff coming.
Big bands kick things off with The Capital City Big Band delivering TNT! at Baycourt on Tuesday, March 31, and the Tauranga Big Band in action on Thursday, April 2, at Tauranga Boys’ College’s Graham Young Youth Theatre with big band interpretations of modern pop and rock songs.
Half the Tauranga Big Band are back on Friday, April 3, when they become blues outfit Kokomo’s horn section for a wild and wonderful celebration of the band’s 35-year history. That’s only one of the four Baycourt concerts during Easter weekend, the others being sensational New Orleans-style clarinettist Adrian Cox, a sonic and visual journey through the Tao Te Ching with Waypeople – no I don’t know what to expect either but it sounds fascinating – and Nick Granville’s Funk and Drum Extravaganza on Saturday, April 4. Get those tickets now – it’s going to be fun!
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