Put on your dancing shoes and get into the swing of things with the Mercury Bay Big Band this weekend.

Creative Mercury Bay proudly presents the MBBB in concert with special musical director and New Zealand jazz maestro Dr Rodger Fox at the Whitianga Town Hall on Sunday afternoon.

New Zealand jazz legend Dr Rodger Fox. Photo: Rodger Fox Big Band

CMB chair Jan Wright says the upcoming concert will also feature local guest vocalists Chockie Brown and Justine Williams whose big beautiful voices will leave everyone spellbound.

'This is a brilliant opportunity to see a local band and vocalists in concert with an absolute jazz legend,” she says.

The programme has been specially chosen by Rodger and features a great range of jazz and swing pieces including Louis Armstrong's ‘Basin Street Blues', Billie Holiday's ‘God Bless The Child' and Eddie Harris' 'Cold Duck Time'.

Based fulltime in Wellington, Rodger arrives in Whitianga tonight and will hold a workshop with the big band on Saturday to prepare for the concert the following day.

Jan says for the past ten weeks the big band has been hard at work rehearsing the programme in Rodger's absence and they're really looking forward to both the concert and the workshop.

'This is the second time they've have worked with Rodger and they just absolutely love working with him.

'The band finds their sound takes a huge leap forward, Rodger‘s such a talented musician and teacher who pulls their sound together and brings the best out of them,” says Jan.

Creative Mercury Bay presents The Mercury Big Band with special musical director Rodger Fox and guests vocalists Chockie Brown and Justine Williams at the Whitianga Town Hall on Sunday, April 17, from 2pm.

Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for children/students, $40 for family (2 and 2) and are available from Whitianga Paper Plus. For more information visit the Creative Mercury Bay website at: www.creativemercurybay.co.nz

SunLive has two double passes to give away to two lucky readers for the concert on Sunday!

To get in the draw simply visit and like the Thames Coromandel SunLive Facebook page. The winners will be drawn at 5pm on Friday, April 15.