What a weekend. Fifty years ago, it started out as something casual, almost between friends. This Easter, it took over the paradise by the sea that is Tauranga, and transformed New Zealand's fifth largest city into a thriving hub of jazz. Yes, the 50th National Jazz Festival, held for the fiftieth time in Tauranga, was a roaring success.
Yesterday I headed to the Jazz Village, which was a takeover of the Historic Village on 17th Ave West (down the hill, by the hospital carpark) and featured a variety of performances in a French and New Orleans-inspired setting. This really showcased the array of performance spaces hidden in this rabbit warren of a complex, amongst a great number of community-based stalls and shops. This was certainly the ideal family day out.
The festival came to it's close last night, though, in the place that has been most used this weekend, Baycourt. The Bay of Plenty Times Festival Hall, ordinarily known as Baycourt's Centennial Hall, filled up completely for "Blame it on the Bossa Nova," a performance dominated by the swinging sixties' genre originating from Brazil, by popular Auckland group The Beat Girls accompanied by the Lounge Lizards. The Beat Girls came with great recommendation from my boss, who had seen them play at the Radio Awards a few years earlier (apparently they are favourite bookings for such swanky Auckland events, and it isn't hard to see why.) This was a class act, and with the style of choice being something that wasn't really seen anywhere else at the festival in the bossa nova, it was a real treat of a clean and concise performance to end the long weekend, and indeed the festival, on. I can vouch for the rest of the crowd in saying that everyone in that theatre loved every minute of it.
But that last swinging beat last night unfortunately signalled the end of the festival. From the old-time boogie beats of Jan Preston, to the incredible disco-style funk that took over the Domain with Earth, Wind and Fire, and everything in between, it was one heck of a weekend. I talked to quite a few people I know out of town over the weekend who had made the decision not to come, and I told every single one of them this: if you weren't in Tauranga over Easter weekend, you were missing out.
And now we're hanging out for the 51st festival next year! Arne, festival director, gave his personal guarantee after the show last night that it will be a happening thing, and I can give my personal guarantee now that I will be there. I'm already foaming at the mouth (metaphorically!) So huge thanks to Arne and his team for everything they put into the festival. To all the volunteers, who gave up countless hours to make it a success. To the performers, of course, without whom it wouldn't be jazz, and to everyone who attended, who really put the festival into the jazz festival.
So that's me for now. I hope to be seeing all of you around town this time next year, for the 51st National Jazz Festival!
Until then, stay classy, and very, very jazzy!
- Josh.
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