Jazz loves Norfolk Island… and Norfolk Island loves Jazz!

So how do we know this? Because each year Norfolk equally embraces the musicians and visitors attending our annual Jazz Festival ‘Norfolk Island Jazzes It Up’. And each year top line musicians love performing here as the island provides the perfect atmosphere to get in the groove and play great jazz.

As a musician you’d be hard pressed to ask for any more ambient venue than alfresco at Emily Bay, so it’s no surprise that this is the location for one of the favourite concerts of the week. For concert-goers the Emily Bay lunch-time performance arrives complete with a backdrop of turquoise water, coral reefs and World Heritage listed convict remains. There really is nothing in the world quite like it. Two dinner concerts held during the week combine the jazz with our island’s famous fresh food – what could be better.

This year’s headliners include The Feral Swing Katz, The George Washingmachine Quartet, The Jazz Factory, Andrew London Trio and Camile Te Nahu.

Moving to the groove will be easy with the wild and wonderful Feral Swing Katz. This duo are the winners of a 2001 MO award for Best Country Band, a 2002 Golden Guitar, and a 2006 ACE award for Country Group of the Year. Stuart French’s plays guitar perfectly blends with Michel Rose’s harmony licks on pedal steel in a partnership meant to be. Their music is a blend of 40’s Swing, Classic Country with a touch of Jazz otherwise known as “Western Swing”. The velvet vocals of New Zealand-born Camille Te Nahu add to the Ferals Swing Katz performance in a magical way – your feet will start tapping with a life all of their own!

The George Washingmachine Quartet have a huge following of dedicated listeners who just love the blend of dreamy music, knuckle-busting violin feats and seductively smooch vocals that George and the band deliver. You are guaranteed to be entertained, enlivened and asking for more after one of their performances.

If you are moved by the music of Louis Armstrong, Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington, then Byron Bay based The Jazz Factory will be a highlight. From ‘rip roaring jazz’ to love songs from the 30s and 40s this quartet has honed their craft over many years playing together. Two of the guy’s also sing and the mix overall is one of clean sounds and harmonic balance.

Not to be missed will be The Andrew London Trio, made up of songwriter/satirist Andrew London, woodwind exponent/songwriter Nils Olsen, and bassist Kirsten London. Together they play an eclectic range of original songs and covers in a variety of styles ranging from 1930s swing to cool ‘latin lounge’. Think very, very cool with a mix of outright fun.

Norfolk Island Jazzes It Up is on 29 November to 3 December 2015. Seven night packages are available from NZ$1099 ex Auckland. Prices include return airfare (seat + bag) to Norfolk Island, airline taxes, meet & greet at the airport, return airport transfers on Norfolk Island, 7 night’s twin share self-contained accommodation, 7 days car hire (hire car surcharge $20 per day plus petrol extra), half day island tour, discount shopping card, complimentary mini-golf and complimentary ‘A Walk in the Wild’.

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