Okay. The cruelest month has passed, which means we're into May and New Zealand Music Month. With that in mind I will endeavor to spend the time writing about... Read More

The National Jazz Festival got hit by something of a perfect storm this year, but that's just the way things go. Sometimes everything goes your way and sometimes... Read More

After all the build-up, it's here - the 49th National Jazz Festival starts today in Tauranga. And, with over 50 bands and musical variations of every conceivable... Read More

If, as they say, all publicity is good publicity, then Tauranga's been getting a lot of good publicity this week.We don't seem to pop up on the national news grid... Read More

With Easter rapidly approaching, things seem to be heating up around the jazz festival.I say ‘heating up' because in the last few days I've had heated discussions... Read More

What with revolutions around the world starting because of online social networking, it doesn't seem surprising that a concert should start the same way.That's how... Read More

So much happening, so little space to write about it - so this week we have another grab-bag of what I like to call stuff.And there's all sorts of musical stuff... Read More

Sometimes things just seem too goddamn depressing to write about.Depression was my first reaction when I got the call on Sunday night that Ritchie Pickett had died.... Read More

Few musicians can be said to have truly altered the course of musical history, but one of them was called Django. As observers have long realised, it is hard to... Read More

Last week I mentioned the upcoming Gartshores Tauranga Wine and Food Festival - three days ago it was cancelled.This must have been a huge disappointment for the... Read More

But this year I'm having a little trouble mustering the enthusiasm as - despite the increase in actors and films nominated - most of the awards seem to be yawnfully... Read More

At this time of year there seem to be two things continually happening - festivals and awards.I wrote a little about festivals last week and there is indeed a veritable... Read More