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

The jazz festival is here. Yes, The Port of Tauranga 61st National Jazz Festival, now expanded to 10 days, has arrived.

‘Blue Eyes – The Music of Frank Sinatra’, a play featuring said titular music, has five shows at the 16 Ave Theatre, starting Saturday March 23 – the same day as Katikati’s street party.

I’ve already written about the festival, but in loose terms. I am, as should be obvious, a full-on supporter of the event so I assume that, along with me, you’ve immediately rushed online to the festival website and checked it out.

But maybe not...perhaps you are new to the area; perhaps you had an unpleasant experience with a jazz musician at a formative age. I realise, in retrospect, that many might be less excited by a ‘jazz festival’.

So let me say this loud and clear: it’s a lot more than a jazz festival.

I mean that in two ways. Firstly, when Tauranga turns out for big events, it’s kinda magnificent. Combine music – of whatever sort – food, drink, happy crowds, and the beauty of the area, and you have a pretty good combination for enjoyment. It’s worth it for the vibe alone at the jazz festival.

The music

But then there’s the music. It’s not just jazz – although any form of music that encapsulates Louis Armstrong, Amy Winehouse and Keith Jarrett is a pretty broad church – but the myriad of related musical styles: soul, funk, blues, Afrobeat, there are many...

I planned to review the new Flaming Mudcats’ album this week but common sense intervened and instead I’ll do a dedicated blues column after the festival. I’m listening to it as I write and it’s fantastic. They’ll be at the festival, on Good Friday, March 29, at the Jazz Village at The Historic Village and on Saturday, March 30, at the Downtown Carnival – pure electric blues and as good as you get.

Other non-jazz acts playing downtown on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, include The Desotos, Kokomo, The Afrolites, Retro Groove and more. To say there’s something for everyone at the Downtown Carnival may not strictly be true but there’s certainly more variety than most could have imagined.

Outdoors and in

This year the carnival combines both its recent models. There is music from midday to 6pm on three outdoor stages as well as a dozen bars and restaurants; everything from big bands to intimate duos, piano combos to massed New Orleans funk. This is the point I expect everyone to rush online and look it up. See: jazz.org.nz – it’s all there.

If I might suggest a few downtown things that interest me: Big Tasty, Shaken Not Stirred, Nick Granville, Bonjour Madame, Chris Williamson, John Key (the pianist), Spiral, a pile of trios, and those other non-jazz bands I mentioned. Pretty much everything actually.

Seriously, this year is, I think, going to be bigger than previous jazz festivals. There’s the Baycourt concerts, the Jazz Village, Jazz at The Mount... plus African funk at the Hurricane Party; jazz harbour cruises; a jazz cafe; a big band tea dance; and still more. Consider it recommended. Unreservedly.

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