The History of Jazz ... According to Tauranga

I know I promised to do this last night, but as tends to happen, technology failed me right when I needed it! But here I am, fresh from this brilliant exhibition at Creative Tauranga, with high recommendation that you go take a look!

The exhibition itself isn't huge, nor is it overwhelming. It's a great chronological display of the history of the Jazz Festival here in Tauranga, set around the compact wee exhibition space that Creative Tauranga provides, along with a great video presentation and some really neat mementos of past festivals around the place (including programmes from every previous festival - a great study into graphic design of the time, as well as the budget constraints that clearly plagued the odd year of the festival as the programme was typewritten). There's also a very cool reading space, made up of what seems to be a formica veneer coffee table and some retro living room chairs, of the kind that you'd expect to find in any self-respecting Waihi Beach bach these days!

As for the history of the festival, it's really an eye-opener! From humble beginnings, with a screening of "Jazz on a Summer's Day" at the Regent Theatre, the festival has gone from strength to strength, and despite making the odd loss or suffering setbacks every now and again, it hasn't missed a beat since 1963 - something few annual events in this country can testify! The variety of venues the festival has been held at was astounding - from the old Town Hall (such a grand old building; the modern Civic building in its place now pales in comparison,) to the Racecourse, to a stint in the nineties at the Trust Hotel in Bureta Park! The kind of attention the festival has gotten from the global jazz community over the years is also something else, especially for a town like Tauranga. This exhibition is a must for all festivalgoers!

I've included a few photos below to give you an idea of what it's like down there. This isn't something you need to make a huge commitment to, either. If you're pressed for time, you could easily accommodate it within a half-hour lunchbreak, or if you've got more time then there's plenty to see and make the most of it!

The exhibition is on at Creative Tauranga on the corner of Willow and Wharf, just across from the Art Gallery, and it's on til the 17th of April. Seriously - it's an eye opener!