Time to continue with the musical Christmas list – so many presents so little time…
Last week I started looking at events you can buy tickets for: I mentioned the Marchwood Blues Picnic, the Blues Brews & BBQs event, and the Mills Reef Summer Series.

Check out the SunLive website if you want a recap of those.
This week it's time to look at albums, and there is a veritable deluge of new and old music to consider. This is just a very small bit of it.
You could invest in Bob Dylan's first eight albums all in their original mono incarnation. Even as a Bob devotee I'm going to pass on this one but – as with the Beatles mono box – there are proponents of hearing this music as it was originally intended. I know I prefer Revolver and Rubber Soul in mono (they just sound too unnatural broken up into two distinct channels) but I haven't yet shelled out the hundreds of bucks to buy the whole set.
And, talking about stuff re-released at obsessive length, there's the new Bruce Springsteen set, The Promise, possibly the most complete excavation of an album – Darkness at the Edge of Town – ever accomplished. It contains the original album remastered, more than two albums worth of songs that didn't make it onto the album, a documentary about the making of the album, and two complete concerts on DVD, one of which is the band playing the album live. It's not cheap, but it is comprehensive.
Then there are local albums of course, much cheaper and somehow more personal. I always get a buzz out of giving someone, especially someone from overseas, a Kiwi album or, particularly, a Tauranga album.
It's been a fairly light field in the Tauranga stakes this year, but what there is is very good. You could get a prime shot of rhythm ‘n' blues from the ever impressive Brilleaux, who have had a great year, including performing at the International Jazz & Blues Festival in Samoa. Their album Decade (despite having what can kindly be described as an ‘unfortunate' cover) is the best thing they've done and would be welcomed by any lover of good solid guitar music.
Also in the R'n'B vein, but with a little more of a rockabilly country bent is the second CD from The B-Side Band, which received gushing reviews in New Zealand Musician magazine and elsewhere. Down Under and Blues wears its Kiwi heart on its sleeve and is not afraid to push boundaries, including such eccentricities as a brief massed kazoo solo.
Matt Bodman is more middle of the road, a little in the vein of Greg Johnson with some early Split Enz influences, and produced an exceptional set, an album called Burn, tracks of which have received airplay but – as of now – not the breakthrough it deserves. Check it out: you will be amazed.
Even more easy to listen to (and that's not to imply that Matt's album is easy listening – there's lots of smart jagged stuff in there too) is Light My Heart from Elizabeth Robinson, a short and beautiful collection of well-sung original pop tunes which would be perfect for people who listen to Celine Dion or Susan Boyle.
And for blues lovers, Grant Haua has just released his first solo CD (with a fantastic cover!), Knucklehead, a set of original acoustic blues songs, brilliantly played and sung. I've been proud to spread this one to anybody I can find an excuse to give a copy to.
And, arriving just in time for Christmas, but too late to give it a proper review, is the new offering from Liam Ryan, a follow-up to his hugely popular Mississippi 2 Mauao, called Pacific Riviera and featuring the same ultra-classy mix of instrumental grooves, cool soloing and electronica. This time featured musicians include Mike Booth (trumpet) and guitarists Aaron Saxon, Dave Maybee and Warren Mendoza.
Most of these albums are probably available at Tracs on Devonport Road.
And, just when there isn't enough space, The National Jazz Festival – of which Liam is the Artistic Director – has launched its programme for next Easter, a veritable ticket bonanza for Christmas presents and an impressive line-up by any counts. You can check out the full details at www.jazz.org.nz