Music Plus with Winston Watusi watusi@thesun.co.nz

I hang out with musicians a lot so it's possible I don't have the clearest view of the world.

Aside from the usual conversations – gigs, gear, guitarists – one thing has been on many minds recently.

It's a new musical business model which has hit Tauranga. Not just Tauranga, all over, and by that I mean all over the world: 100 cities worldwide.

This is “The Jazz Room”. They advertise shows as musical events, but the music isn't really important. It's the business model.

First you find suitable venues, somewhere not too expensive. For The Jazz Room that's the Cargo Shed and Classic Flyers. Then you advertise heavily on social media. Then, if you sell enough tickets, you hire a band.

You might spot the unusual element. The promoters appear to be doing things backwards. But that's the model. Shows are exactly an hour long, so two a night. Promoters provide an hour's worth of musical charts and a band leader and then sign up local musicians to play.

There are currently two shows on offer: A Journey To The Heart Of New Orleans and Marvin Gaye In A Night Of Soul. Tickets are $37 to $57. I talked to people who went to the New Orleans show. They said the ending was weird. On the hour mark the band finished the last song and just stopped and left. I guess time was up.

What amuses me was that the organisers are clearly shooting in the dark hunting for suitable musos. Kokomo and other surprised bands got emails asking if they wanted to play New Orleans music and even the jazz society has been asked to help.

Let me quote a representative recent email:

“We have a jazz concert series called 'The Jazz Room', and are looking for bands to play these shows in Tauranga. We have a Marvin Gaye show on 7th August, and some New Orleans shows scheduled for late September and November.

I wondered if you could suggest musicians I could get in touch with? If you know of a Soul singer, and a jazz/swing/New Orleans singer or band, I would be super grateful. I am based in Madrid so unfortunately don't have any contacts in New Zealand.”

I did have a chat with Waihi musical legend Liam Ryan, who also runs the Youth Comps at the Jazz Festival. He said: “I am conflicted between wanting to see local musicians working and not wanting to be colonised by invisible aliens. I am a localist. I have been known to prance about here on the outskirts of the kingdom with my middle finger in the air shouting 'Cuba Street and Queen Street are irrelevant to me!'. I guess I would add Madrid to that list now.”

Liam Ryan. Photo / Liam Ryan

I'm with Liam. But you gotta admire the gall of their advertising tag-line: “This is not just a concert. This is jazz. A celebration of music and culture. Nothing but good vibes, all night long.” Well, maybe for an hour.

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