Easter is sneaking ever closer – less than three weeks now – and excitement is growing about Tauranga's biggest annual music event.

I guess by now that most people who plan to go to any of the many concerts have got tickets. If not, then now is the time to act: I'm not aware of anything completely selling out yet, but if previous years are anything to go on, it's going to start happening in the next few days.
I know there are a few tickets left to Dr John, since I got a couple of extras for friends last week, but the Sunday night show particularly was getting mighty full. I've long had 'See Dr John in Concert” on my list of Things To Do Before I Die – there is, after all, only one Dr John – so, obviously, I can't recommend the man highly enough.
The other King Hit international act is Brian Auger, obviously not quite as well-known name as the good Doctor, but a player of the absolutely highest international standard. I grew up listening to Julie Driscoll with the Brian Auger Trilogy, magical stuff that still today sounds like the essence of sixties cool – what a treat to have him perform here in the Bay!
(Just as an aside, I can't help notice that festival programmer Liam Ryan, a keyboard player of high esteem, has two fellow keyboard players as the festival's main acts. Could the man be on a mission to indoctrinate Tauranga with the joys of his chosen instrument? If so, he picked a good way to start…)
Usually the first concerts to sell out are the big band show and the opening night. This year both look well worthwhile so things'll probably follow the usual pattern.
Brett's New Internationals, who headline the big band night are a rare thing amongst such bands, since they specialise specifically in the jazz sounds of the 1920s, recreating some of the earliest jazz ever recorded. As far as I'm aware the first 'proper” jazz record made was in 1918, so the musical outpouring from the following decade is the first jazz to be preserved: there may still be tunes around credited to earlier jazz legends such as Buddy Bolden, but that generation were never recorded, so the 1920s is really where it all started.
The opening Thursday night, by comparison with other concerts, is always a bit different because it is largely a night for locals. That lends a certain intimacy to the event since the hoard of out of town visitors don't usually hit the area until the Friday night. Being aware of that the organisers usually try and schedule something fairly cheerful and middle of the road (in jazz terms). This year is no different, with the Rodger Fox Band and singer Erna Ferry presenting a tribute to the wonderful Peggy Lee.
She would seem a perfect choice to celebrate at such an event since not only did she have broad crossover success with songs such as 'Fever” but was also a top calibre mainstream jazz singer. Of course she also sang the song I want played at my funeral, 'Is That All There Is?” a piece so ahead of its time that it now sounds more like a Laurie Anderson out-take than anything from 50 years ago.
One more quick suggestion if your still looking for recommendations: check out the Jubilation Gospel Choir in the Holy Trinity Church on Good Friday. There's no more need to be one of the religious faithful to enjoy this than there was for the Blind Boys of Alabama last year. These are some of New Zealand's best singers – can I mention the name 'Rick Bryant” here – who do what they do purely for the love of it (there's not much money when there's 30 of you on stage!), mixing traditional songs with those of Tom Waits, Nina Simone and some well-chosen Kiwi tunes. They are magnificent.
I was planning to also talk about what's going on at the Village and Downtown, but that'll have to wait till next week. But those are easy to get into. This stuff requires tickets, and now is the time to get them.