Carrara Park Jazz Picnic (+ Newtown Big Bike Fix Up) TODAY

Newtown Festival crew, Carrara Park neighbours and Groove 107.7FM invite you to bring your lunch and join them for the day today at the Annual - Carrara Park Jazz Picnic, AKA The “Little Day In” at Carrara Park, Regent St, Newtown.

This is what the Soundshell concerts used to be: Lot's of room on the grass to choose a great spot, relaxing Jazz and Blues...it's even sheltered from the wind (if there is any). The forecast is for a high of 22 degrees and any drops of (well needed) rain to clear this morning so it's looking good!

Pack some treats and enjoy the Jazz Picnic, from 12 noon.- 6.30pm.

We'll be playing tunes on site before and in between live acts and are broadcasting the event live.

Kick back and relax to jazz all afternoon in the peaceful sunshine at Carrara park.


Bring a picnic, your blankets, kids, grandparents, friends and come and listen to a variety of jazz styles from 2 stages…

THE LINEUP:

1 pm: The Wend

Newtown Locals playing their take on tradtional blues.

2 pm: Serendipity

The ultimate Duo – Mike Duffy and Jeremy Desmond.

2:30 pm: Elizabeth Wise

All the way from Memphis, Tn. 24 Year old Elizabeth Wise born and raised in Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and spent last 4 years working on music in Memphis. Her own Memphis-based band, which includes blues/jazz legend Dr. Herman Green who accompanied BB King, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis for years, has been a regular band during tourist season on Beale St., played all over Memphis, while her Richmond-based band has toured Virginia.

3:30 pm: Megan Wheeler

British muso travelling New Zealand and combining other travelling musicians in the set. Look out ya’ll!

4 pm: Nigel Patterson

Led by Nigel Patterson, one of New Zealand’s finest keyboardists/composers (The Black Seeds, Fly My Pretties) with support from Lucien Johnson (Shogun Orchestra, The Troubles) on tenor saxophone, and Peter Elliot on drums the trio combines expert musicianship with passion and creativity.

Inspired by such greats as Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Mal Waldron, McCoy Tyner and many others The NP Trio creates a contemporary, sophisticated and digestible take on the jazz idiom.

5 pm: Serendipity

See above …

5:30 pm: The Bandits

6 piece Salsa Band. These young and up and coming Jazz School trained performers are playing regularly in the Wellington scene and will bring the grass dancefloor alive in the afternoon...

As a bonus this year there's also the Big Bike Fix Up - does your bike need some TLC? Got a flat tyre or squeaky brakes? Bring it along and our volunteer mechanics will help fix it up. 10am - 2pm.

How do you get there? It's a hidden Gem so take a squizz at this map:

For more details follow the link on the right hand side of the page at www.newtownfestival.org.nz

Join us tomorrow at the:

• When: Tomorrow! 10th March 12:00pm
• Where: Carrara Park

 

Kick back and relax to jazz all afternoon in the peaceful sunshine at Carrara park.
Bring a picnic, your blankets, kids, grandparents, friends and come and listen to a variety of jazz styles…6 live acts interspersed with the Groove 107.7FM tunes you know and love. We'll be broadcasting the bands too if the technology holds together so make sure you tune in via FM or stream if you really can't make it.

Performers this year are:

12pm - A Tongan Dance Group to kick things off

1pm – The Deanne Krieg Trio

The Deanne Krieg Trio are current students of the NZ School of Music. Having jammed together since 2010, their first public début saw them winning second place in the 2011 Ken Avery Jazz competition. All members play in current Wellington bands such as “The Dreamers” and “Bradford Shelves”.

2pm – “The People’s Duo” w/Richard Thai
“The People’s Duo is a new musical endeavor of Richard Thai and Cory Champion. This saxophone/drums duo has an open sound, playing modern interpretations and original arrangements of jazz standards. The People’s Duo the demonstrate their focus of exploration through improvisation and experimentation of their music.”

3pm – Chris Buckland Trio

4pm – Seismic Swing
Seismic Swing is:  Tim Booth on keys, Pat Stewart on bass and Simon Jones on guitar and vocals. They’ll be bringing the swing to the picnic with tunes from Duke and the American Songbook.


5pm – Tim Key Duo

6pm – Klezmer Rebs
Back at the Newtown Festival for the fourth year, the Klezmer Rebs will share their own version of klezmer music, world/folk music born out of the Yiddish/Jewish culture of eastern Europe.

Note: The Weather is looking great for tomorrow with a forecast high of 20 degrees and fine. If somehow it is wet, the picnic will happen on Sunday (the 11th of March).
Jump over to the Newtown Festival Website
Where is it?... It's the green bit in the map below: