Apologies. This week’s column is a bit bitty.

Making preparatory notes I realise there are five things on the list, all of which would usually be introduced with the words “but first...” or “and finally...” Oh well.

I have two gigs, a cancellation and an obituary. But first...

Which singer in Tauranga do you think regularly draws the biggest crowds?

Of course it’s a bit of a trick question. Jill Leighton founded and continues to host the Monday night ukulele gatherings at Jack Dusty’s in Bureta, which every week are packed and humming.

But Jill is not just a co-ordinator for massed outpourings of ukulele-goodness, she’s also one of the town’s most respected jazz singers, to be found in a duo with master guitarist Trevor Braunias or recording old tunes with bluesman Mike Garner.

First album

Now she has released her first album, ‘It’s All About Love’, indeed a labour of love for Leighton and producer David Aupapa, who have been working on it for nearly six years. The problem is it’s not yet available on digital platforms or in stores so I’m planning to write about it at greater length when it is and you can listen.

It contains seven jazz standards and one song of Leighton’s and features lovely piano from Rotorua’s Ben Wilcox and dynamite soloing from Braunias. Currently it’s only available from Leighton via email at: jill.leighton555@gmail.com

Jan Preston. Photo / Supplied

Piano fans will be disappointed to hear Queen Of Boogie-Woogie piano Jan Preston has cancelled her upcoming tour which would have seen her covering the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. The indefatigable Preston, who recently turned 74, has a had a winter of ailments and is staying home in Sydney.

On the bright side, her latest album, ‘Pianoland’, is now available on all platforms and very good it is too, including two co-written songs with local songwriters Mike Garner and Derek Jacombs.

Friday, August 8

Okay. On to August 8. Last week I reported that Soaring Collective are playing Totara St on Saturday, August 8. It should have been Friday, August 8 – and there’s another show that same night: Hobnail Trio (née Hobnail Boots) are playing for the Katikati Folk Club at The Arts Junction. I’ve watched Hobnail for more than 30 years and singer Rob Joass and fiddler Jo Moir are legends of the Wellington scene. Folk-Celtic-country with a bunch of Kiwi covers thrown in – what’s not to like?

Hobnail Trio. Photo / Supplied

And the obituary. I’m not going to go on and on here because I think he’s one of those people many folk might not remember. But if you do then he probably made an impact, so raise a final glass to extraordinary musical satirist Tom Lehrer, who has died at the age of 97.

Many of us had childhoods enriched by his pitch-black nonchalantly-delivered piano-ditties: ‘Poisoning The Pigeons in The Park’, ‘The Vatican Rag’, ‘The Old Dope Peddler’, and the one where he names the entire periodic table. Priceless. Thanks for the music Tom.

Hear Winston’s latest Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/4dt943cs