Ready, steady, go! The second wave of festivals is underway.

By now I assume we're all thoroughly sick of cyclones, so bring on the music. Luckily there's plenty around - starting this weekend in fact.

I wrote about the Aongatete Folk Festival last week, but there's no harm in a quick reminder. Although it technically starts Friday (February 23) with a local blackboard concert, the main action is on Saturday.

You could shell out $25 for a Saturday pass and see all the main headliners from 5pm onwards on Saturday night, with Zarek Silberschmidt, Esther Swift, the Raven Mavens, and Albi and the Wolves all featuring.

In case of lingering weather doubts, the organisers promise plenty of cover under the fig trees, and everything will go ahead come rain or shine. Paul Hoggard, whose orchard it is and who will be performing with My Pennyworth, is unconcerned: 'I have plenty on my plate at the moment with stuff I can control,” he says, 'so the weather is just whatever it is!”

And, although I'll be coming back to it next week, remember there's another one-day festival the following week. Music at the Lettuce Inn, on Katikati's Sedgemoor Lane, will see nearly a dozen interesting alternative bands play on Saturday (March 3).
It's sadly the only Lettuce Inn Festival planned for this year, so get it while you can.

Jazz at the Village

Back to this weekend, and there's another outdoor bash - this time at the Historic Village, where the Jazz Society have paired with the good folk from The Incubator to present Auckland's La Luna and The Gadjos, a combination of classic French chanson, gypsy jazz and New Orleans stylings.

The French songs, likely from the inimitable Edith Piaf such as La Vie en Rose, L'Accordeoniste and others, come from La Luna - a woman of many names.
You might have seen her as Caroline Moon; in this incarnation she is Caro Manins.

Whatever you call her, she's been around Kiwi jazz for quite a while and is a peerless singer, whether in French, English or other languages.

The New Orleans bit, and the new name, come courtesy of Caroline's husband, sax player Roger Manins, while the gypsy jazz element, or 'Manouche” as it is popularly known, comes from Phillip Beatson on lead guitar, violinist James 'le Prof”, Eamon E. Wells on bass and Steve Sherry, credited with playing 'la pompe” - something that only really crops up in Gypsy jazz.

You gotta love that name. I do enjoy French musical terms. Is there a better word for a drum kit than the French 'La Batterie” (and the drummer is a 'batteur”)? Here specifically, in Gypsy jazz, you have a particular style of rhythm guitar, played using a distinct percussive technique called 'la pompe”, which essentially replaces the drums.
So there's classic Piaf and some classic swing (Puttin' on the Ritz, Swing Brother Swing) all in Manouche style with a lashing of New Orleans sax.

There must be worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Here are the details: Sunday, February 25, 3pm, at the Outdoor Amphitheatre of the Historic Village. Tickets are $20 from Eventfinda and children under-12 are free. If it's wet, things will move inside The Incubator.

A music directory

Also, since I'm on the subject of The Incubator Creative Hub - something I haven't covered nearly enough yet, but I will - they are collecting information for a planned Bay of Plenty Music Directory. The idea is not only to 'showcase the richness and diversity of our music scene,” but to provide a practical resource that helps with connectivity, profile and opportunities for local musicians.

The Incubator are asking musicians to do a couple of things – namely to register and submit to the database, adding either a photo or logo of your band, and to spread the word. If you know musicians in this region, share this message.

That's all you need to do. If successful, this directory could be a resource that really benefits the local music scene.

To make a start head along to: www.theincubator.co.nz/database
watusi@thesun.co.nz