Newport will soon become a nirvana for jazz lovers, as the third Newport Jazz Festival is set to hit the town.
The Melbourne Jazz Jammers group is hosting the festival from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23, with 50 bands playing across six venues throughout Newport.
Festival band liaison Colin Garrett said the festival is featuring a number of different styles of jazz.
“There will be modern jazz, traditional jazz and everything in between,” he said.
One of the main attractions will be the seven big bands performing throughout the festival, including the all-female Melba Big Band, the Melbourne Tramways Big Band and Big Band Frequency.
The main venue of the festival will be the Newport Bowls Club at 4 Market Street, with other venues including The Substation, the Newport Community Hub, the Mechanics Hall and the 2nd Newport Scout Group.
Playing saxophone himself, Mr Garrett said the festival will be an exciting way for each band to experiment with their own sound, with each act performing twice throughout the festival across different venues.
“I’ve always said good live music is even better than recorded music,” he said.
“Being in the room makes it different.
“It just adds that extra element to it.”
Weekend passes are available for $120 or $85 for concession, while daily passes are also available and those who purchase a Saturday, Sunday or weekend ticket can attend Friday performances for free.
Children under 16 years of age receive free admission when accompanied or supervised by an adult.
The Melbourne Jazz Jammers group grew out of the original jam sessions which took place at Dizzy’s Jazz Club in Richmond in the early 2000’s.
Details: www.melbournejazzjammers.com.au
Matthew Sims
