OK. It's Easter and the longest-serving jazz festival in New Zealand is up and running again.

And, although I'm writing this in advance, it looks like the weather will be turning out fine for the weekend with a big high plonked over most of New Zealand. As the last week has confirmed, there's nothing quite as pleasant as Tauranga in these early autumn days when the sun is still with us and the oppressive summer heat has waned.
There's – as I've mentioned over the past few columns – so much going on at the National Jazz Festival that the only problem is deciding what to go to, whether to spend an hour cruising the harbour, or take time for a steam train ride around the Bay, or just stay put and listen to some of the mass of music at the Jazz Village or downtown.
One thing seems certain: there will be a lot of visitors arriving from out of town. I read that organisers are expecting something like 40,000 people for the festival, though since that was in another paper I'm not sure how accurate the number is. It certainly seems like a helluva lot. But if all these visitors are coming to town then I'm sure everyone will want to show off the Best of The Bay. So this week I'll have a look at where the local music is happening, acts that out-of-towners might not have the opportunity to hear elsewhere.
Firstly, on Friday (and Saturday), at Baycourt there are the National Youth Band Competitions, the wellspring that has produced so many of today's top players, including Nathan Haines, Holly Smith, Lewis McCallum, Grant Winterburn and many more. They run all day and are inexpensive to watch. And the sheer skill and talent of the young musicians is simply astounding.
Saturday, things move downtown. At midday Regan Perry and his band are playing on the Maori Jazz Stage (Sunday also). Regan is the brother of bluesman Darcy Perry and a superb guitar player, reaching across various roots and jazz styles. He is always interesting and worth watching. They are followed by Peri Kohu's Bluesbusters, about the most authentic downhome electric blues band you could hope to hear. Then a quick trip down The Strand will get you to the rhythm ‘n' blues of Brilleaux's 3.30pm show. With a new album on the board, and celebrating a decade together, the band are sounding better than ever.
Sunday presents the choice of either being downtown or at the Jazz Village. Both offer a host of local sounds. Downtown kicks at noon with a choice of fine guitarists. There's Regan Perry's band again or the Aaron Saxon Band. Aaron is a brilliant player who has recently been working with Liam Ryan, but as you can see on his web site www.aaronsaxon.com he's busy in many fields. He is also taking the festival guitar workshop on Sunday morning at Baycourt. Expect something along jazz fusion lines.
Then there is old-style blues from The Self-Righteous Brothers Blues Ensemble (members of Kokomo), and on the Maori Jazz stage the stunning singing of Porina McLeod with guitarist Tim Cooper's Three's Company. Later, at 3.30 on Stage 2 you can catch Rory McCartney & The Jazz Crimes. Rory is a guitarist and guitar maker and, although I haven't heard him, I understand he is quite remarkable.
Of course, on Sunday you could instead choose to be at the Jazz Village. If so, get there early. The Woody Woodhouse Connection kick things off at 10.30 with their patented brand of good-humoured mainstream swing. Then at 11.00 there's the B-Side Band's rockabilly blues and the only chance to hear the wonderful soulful voice of Tracie de Jong, who should sound fantastic in the village's little church. And just after lunch you can hear two of the Bay's top jazz purveyors, saxophonist Rob Smith's BBC and the always-entertaining Bay Dixie.
Monday at the village sees more outings from the WWC, the BBC, and Bay Dixie, as well as an afternoon show from blues favourites Kokomo.
There is, naturally, a lot more there on Monday, and throughout, but these are the local acts. Show them off with pride.