Wellington Jazz Festival

Overview

Thanks to The Great Gatsby, people are allowed to openly like jazz music again. I mean, we all still liked it in secret, but now the 20’s back on trend. So trendy that I am guessing that basically every single dress-up party you have attended this year has been Gatsby themed. Well, good news. You can get another use out of that flapper dress at the Wellington Jazz Festival.

The festival is Welly’s annual jazz fix, and this year a line-up of both international and national musicians will croon their sultry tunes to the crowds in the capital. The long weekend kicks off on Thursday with the Joshua Redman Quartet. The American jazz star plays the tenor saxophone and aims to redefine the boundaries of modern jazz through his expansive tone and adventurous spirit.  If that isn’t enough jazziness for you, then get back to the festival on Friday for another day of oliver twisting (20’s talk for dancing) and getting zozzled (20’s for drunk – seriously why did we ever stop using these words?). Chick Corea and Gary Burton, the legendary musical powerhouse duo are keeping the party going on Friday with Corea on the piano, and Burton on the vibraphone.

On Saturday, four-time Grammy Award winner Larry Carlton will bring his quartet out, followed by Bella Kalolo, New Zealand’s very own answer to Aretha Franklin. And then Sunday will feature the like of Dawn of Midi, the New York trio, and New Zealand’s Roger Fox Big Band.

The festival has teamed up with Wellington’s best eateries and bars, bringing festival-goers discounts and deals so that everyone can make whoopee and enjoy good food and drink during the weekend of great music. Basically, it’ll be the bee’s knees, so get on a toot (bender) and listen to some copacetic tunes.