60 incredible events

The 2012 Woollaston Jazz and Blues Festival celebrates its 21st birthday with a 6 day musical party! Music in parks, in bars on Nelson’s city streets and events right across the Tasman region to Golden Bay. Over 200 musicians, 50 events and audiences of over 30,000. A summer feast of music in one of the most beautiful locations on the planet.

The festival kicks off with the Port Nelson Fairfield Park Concert featuring Oval Office (from Christchurch), Tessa Quayle (a 2011Jazz Tui Award finalist), the amazing Spiral from Auckland and Aaron Saxon and his ANZAC Fusion Band – a band featuring some of the best jazz and funk players in Australasia. Look out too for our Woollaston Estates Gala Concert Series featuring Erna Ferry and her stellar band with a tribute to the great Peggy Lee and the return of one of the masters of the jazz song book, internationally renowned jazz singer Malcolm McNeill.

We would particularly like to welcome Christchurch to the festival.

We know how tough this year has been and we have gone out of our way to host Canterbury musicians. The only ground shaking over the week of the festival will be from dancing feet and clapping hands!

No matter what music you are into there is something in the programme for everyone… Enjoy!

Liam Ryan, Festival Director