Beware – this year Baycourt is the stage for the biggest, most diverse music menu brought by the National Jazz Festival to Tauranga than ever before!

Organiser Marc Anderson says 11 acts will serve up sounds from classical jazz, swing, rhythm and blues, to acid jazz and heavy funk in the 60th Port of Tauranga National Jazz Festival's Baycourt Concert Series this April. 'There will be a concert to suit everyone!”

What's more, the Series has three major milestones: The Rodger Fox Big Band marks its own 50th anniversary with a show; duo Allana Goldsmith and Mark Baynes perform their songs in te Reo Māori – and the 60th Anniversary Gala celebrates the festival's history and the best of Bay of Plenty jazz and blues.

‘The Jac is Back'

The Series begins with ‘The Jac is Back' on April 6 from 6.30pm. The eight-piece ensemble offers contemporary original jazz, pushing modern sound with distinctive compositions.

The same night, April 6, from 8.30pm, The Rodger Fox Big Band plays ‘Rodger plays Rodger' – with their latest recordings and songs by Matt Harris and Bill Cunliffe. On April 7, psychedelic rock band The New Caledonia will push the boundaries with a creative, experimental journey of music from 6pm. From 8pm April 7, Melbourne's famous jazz band ‘Piping Hot Dixie' is joined by organist Scott Harrison on the Wurlitzer.

On April 8 at 1pm the Michal Martyniuk Trio with Dixon Nacey perform new jazz-fusion material.

Songs in te Reo Māori

Then singer-songwriter Allana Goldsmith (Ngati Porou/Ngai Tai) and composer pianist Mark Baynes bring te Reo Māori, Taonga Puoro and jazz to Baycourt at 6pm April 8 from album ‘E Rere Rā'.

Allana, who has attended the festival since the age of 17, appreciates the chance to bring original music 'and branch out into things people aren't so used to; into music people don't realise could be in another language”. 'I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what people are used to hearing and letting them discover jazz sounds great in another language.”

60th Anniversary Gala

The 60th Anniversary Gala at 8pm April 8 features That's Life, The Torch Songs Band, Caitriona Fallon, and Kokomo. The gala will be MC'd by BOP musician and National Youth Jazz Competition manager Liam Ryan. 'The idea of the show is to produce a cavalcade of musicians who've played the festival over the decades – particularly the last 20-30 years. 'We've assembled acts that include Brian Geoghan and Dave Proud, who were part of Dr Jazz – pioneers of jazz around the Bay of Plenty – vocalist Carol Storey in cabaret-style; Caitriona Fallon, famed for her ‘Riverdance' background; and BOP music institution Kokomo.

'I will narrate the festival's history – from how it began in the 1960s through to it being NZ's National Jazz Festival today.”

The Tauranga Big Band Showcase is 1.30pm April 9 with some of NZ's most innovative composers – from Oscar Lavën, Wayne Senior, Lauren Ellis, to Ryan Brake. Auckland jazz-funk mainstay The Blue Train Reunion perform 3pm April 9. And at 6pm April 9 Sassy & The Blue Riders play a stunning portfolio of blues-drenched original jazz.

Blue Riders' lead, Liam, says they've been playing, workshopping, writing songs and recording with ‘Sassy', Sarah Spicer, for seven years 'but we've very rarely done shows as the whole co-operative – so this is special”.

That's Life will perform in the 60th Anniversary Gala at Baycourt.

Black Comet

Then soul and grooves meets Galactic Funk – Black Comet plays 8pm April 9. 'Having the NZ-based five-piece, led by Laughton Kora, in the Baycourt Series shows the festival is turning a corner in what it offers audiences,” says Marc. Find out more and book tickets at: https://jazz.org.nz

Allana Goldsmith and Mark Baynes will perfrom in te Reo Māori.