For more than 40 years, jazz-loving youth have descended on Tauranga from around New Zealand to compete in the National Youth Jazz Competition each Easter.

It's been a pensive few months as excitement builds for the return of this hotly-contested competition this coming week, as last year the Tauranga Jazz Society had to make the difficult decision to cancel the event due to Covid-19.

They say good things come to those who wait, and maybe even better things for those who wait a bit longer.

The good news is that it's back–bigger and better than ever.

The 2019 Tauranga Boys College Brass Band. Photo: Daniel Hines/SunLive.

The National Youth Jazz Competition will be running ahead of the Easter weekend, beginning on Wednesday, March 31, and continuing to Thursday, April 1.

Young jazz stars of the future compete for prizes, awards, trophies and, of course, jazz glory.

Everyone is in for a treat, as the best emerging talent from secondary schools all over New Zealand appear over the two-day competition at Baycourt as part of combos and big bands.

The first Youth Band Competition was held in 1978 at the 16th Tauranga Jazz Festival, when ‘ideas man' Jim Langabeer suggested a high school division of the big band contest.

Participants that year were Wellington's Mana College Stage Band, which won it with leader Rodger Fox, Tauranga Youth Swing Band with leader Jim Langabeer, and Dargaville High School Jazz Band, which won it in 1979.

Many of the nation's most outstanding jazz musicians and singers, such as Hollie Smith, Jamie Oehliers, Nathan Haines and Sacha Vee, spent their early days appearing on stage at the National Youth Jazz Competition.

Following the day's competition on the Wednesday, the young musicians will head to Our Place to dine and jam.

National Youth Jazz Competition Manager Liam Ryan says he is encouraged by the response from schools.

'This year we have over 400 secondary school students attending from throughout New Zealand, performing in 27 combos and 17 big bands,” says Liam. 'Tauranga will be bursting at the seams with young jazz performers. We can't wait to hear them.”

The excitement of bringing live music this year, after the competition was sadly cancelled last year, is exciting festival goers. In 2020, Dr Rodger Fox put on a free virtual performance workshop for all the school bands that had registered for the competition. Schools were able to submit videos of their combo or big band, with Rodger viewing and critiquing them.

This year the organisers are looking forward to bringing the community together again to celebrate jazz music in a live setting.

The National Youth Jazz Competition will be held at the Addison Theatre and X Space, Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, from 8.30am–5pm on Wednesday, March 31 and Thursday, April 1. Prize giving will take place at 5pm on the Thursday. For more information, visit: www.nationalyouthjazz.org.nz