Christchurch takes on jazz city sound
07 Apr 2010
NZ International Jazz and Blues Festival, Christchurch
5 - 11 April 2010
Christchurch is trading in its Garden City label this week, as it turns into Jazz City for the New Zealand International Jazz and Blues Festival.
The festival - the largest of its kind in New Zealand - is a celebration of Christchurch’s vibrant music scene. Legendary Grammy-nominated UK jazz and blues pianist Brian Auger is headlining the event with a special one-off concert called ‘Oblivion Express’.
Auger is not the only international act on the festival programme, which includes rising British chart-topper Newton Faulkner, Australian violinist Daniel Weltlinger, Sydney keyboardist Gerard Masters and Seattle jazz trumpet player Thomas Mariott - a six-time Golden Ear Awards winner.
Visitors will also get a chance to see some Kiwi jazz talents in action, including well-known harmonica player Nola Mills, one of only six female professional harmonica players in the world.
Gastronomical delights
Music fans taking the weekend off to enjoy the stirring sounds of jazz and blues will also get a chance to attend ‘Taste Jazz’ and ‘Taste Blues’ in Poplar Lane.
The two-day food and wine event (10 - 11 April) features live performances from local talent at some of Christchurch’s top cafes. Boutique Christchurch brewery The Twisted Hop has created a new ale especially for gourmands, called the Improvisation Pale Ale.
The beer is an American-style pale ale that uses locally-grown and malted barley from Dunsandel, a small town on the Canterbury Plains near Christchurch.
Festival director Jodi Wright says the gastronomic weekend is a great introduction to jazz for beginners, and a chance to sample some delicious local food and beverages.
"The way local artisan producers have got behind Taste Jazz and Taste Blues this year is fantastic. They’ve really tuned into what the event is about and have come up with some innovative ways to tantalise people’s taste buds and complement the musical fare on offer."
Background: Christchurch
Christchurch - the oldest city in New Zealand’s South Island - is the main centre of the Canterbury region which lies between the Pacific Ocean on the east, and the Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps on the west.
The Canterbury region offers year-round outdoor adventures including skiing, ballooning, whale watching, hiking and cycling.
Christchurch is known as New Zealand’s "garden city" because of its many hectares of parks and gardens. The city’s Gothic-revival architecture stems from its founding year - 1856, when architect Benjamin Mountford, an English immigrant, designed many of the houses and buildings.
These topics may also be of interest to you
|
