Festival keeps the beat
It nearly did not get off the ground, but the Nelson Jazz Festival is swinging into town again to celebrate the new year.
The festival has been getting heads nodding for more than a decade, but in recent years it has been in decline.
Festival committee member Zoe Palmer said it was touch and go whether the committee would be able to organise the 2019 event, which will run from January 2-5.
‘‘We just weren’t really sure if we had the resources, but we’ve managed to pull it together, and we’re really excited.
‘‘It’s such an iconic little festival and everyone, when we put the programmes out, has been saying, ‘Yay, the jazz festival’s coming to town, it’s finally back!’. So we really want to keep it going.’’
One of the headline acts is the All Girl Big Band (AGBB) from Christchurch. The 18-piece band is made up of full sections of trombone, trumpet, saxophone and rhythm, and a vocalist.
AGBB musical director and lead alto saxophone player Alana Law said the band members were ‘‘pretty excited’’ about heading to Nelson for the festival.
Since forming at the start of 2016, New Zealand’s only all-female big band has played all over the country, including at the Manawatu Jazz Festival.
‘‘The girls are such a great bunch to work with,’’ Law said. She said the band had ‘‘changed the face of jazz’’ by having an all-female lineup.
‘‘To have the AGBB come up is just so cool for our festival . . . so we’re really really excited about that,’’ Palmer said.
Over the four-day event, 12 Nelson local bands will be performing, with more acts coming from out of town.
North Island-based horn player Geoff Culverwell has performed all over the world, and will be appearing with a quartet which Palmer said played ‘‘very traditional jazz music . . . the quality of their playing is just incredible’’.
She said the festival would have something for everyone, from the Founders Heritage Park carnival atmosphere with food carts, to seated events with quality musicianship.
Bringing a local feel, Tom Rainey, from one of Nelson’s prominent musical families, will be entertaining an audience at The Boathouse with the Swingin’ Sisters.