With only a week to go until Easter, I think it's worth remembering quite what an extraordinary event the National Jazz Festival is, and how lucky we are to have it here in Tauranga.

It is one of the largest annual gathering of musicians on the Kiwi calendar and this year will be the biggest festival the city has ever seen, a remarkable thing, but one that it is easy to take for granted. I know a lot of people who have yet to buy tickets. My word for you is – Buy Them Now! In fact by the time this goes to press I would imagine that a number of the shows will be selling out, so don't leave it too late.
But where to start?
Well I'd go straight to the top of the bill. As we all know, the Blind Boys of Alabama are coming. Word I had earlier in the week was that tickets for their Sunday concert have damn near sold out and the Monday is going fast. There are, however, many folk around who don't actually know who the Blind Boys are, and if that's you then you risk missing out on something very special.
So, if you know nothing about these guys here's a quick primer. They have been around since 1935 and the band leader, the legendary Jimmy Carter, was there when they started. In the past decade they have won six Grammy Awards, awards that didn't even exist when the band started. Two of these were for their latest album Down In New Orleans, the first time in over sixty albums that they have recorded in the home of jazz.
I've been listening to that CD all week and it's wonderful stuff (available in good shops now through Southbound Music). What is so surprising about it is how modern it sounds, with the immaculate singing backed by a funky piano trio and guest spots from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Hot 8 Brass Band. The great Alan Toussaint also pops up on a couple of tracks, which range from Mahalia Jackson gospel songs to a tune from New Orleans bluesman Earl King.
Everyone is queuing up to work with them. Their recent Christmas album featured Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, Aaron Neville and a host of others; they regularly work with Ben Harper and have recorded CDs and DVDs with him. These guys are, in case I need to point it out, The Real Deal.
(By the way, it should be mentioned that The Blind Boys come here direct from the Christchurch Jazz Festival. Down there – one show only – tickets sold so fast that they had to change to a bigger venue. Then that immediately sold out.)
So, take this chance to see them. If this show is emblematic of the new bigger and bolder festival model then bring it on!
That's not, of course, the only concert that will be fantastic. The line-up at Baycourt is a feast of delights for jazz lovers with – particularly – an expanded programme in the Exhibition Hall, renamed the Jazz Club for the weekend. On both the Friday and Saturday nights there will be two shows, an early one at 7.30pm and a 10.00pm late show. My pick of those would be Phil Broadhurst's Chick Corea Tribute Band featuring Pete France and Stephen Morton Jones on saxes and the always impressive John Bell on vibes.
There are also a couple of smaller items in the programme that you might have missed. Young drummer Dylan Elise is returning for a midday performance on Sunday. I know its probably a stretch for many – going to see a drummer – but Dylan really is spectacular and presents a full multi-media show. And yes, he's that good (and still in his teens!).
And for serious jazz aficionados check out the Florian Ross Trio from Germany, who will be at Baycourt at 6.00pm on Sunday. This piano trio comes with rave reviews from Europe and is quite a coup for the festival. If there weren't so many other amazing things happening then they would probably have a top billing.
But whatever you go to, go to something. And remember how lucky we are to have such an event here in Tauranga, something we can be proud of and justifiably call our own.