Annual Mission Bay Jazz And Blues Streetfest

1 February 2005

BIGGEST LINE UP OF NEW KIWI TALENT TO PERFORM AT

ANNUAL MISSION BAY JAZZ AND BLUES STREETFEST

New Zealand's largest Jazz and Blues Streetfest is back again for a fifth year.

The 2005 Montana Mission Bay Jazz and Blues Streetfest, in association with Endeavour Charitable Trust, is set to swing along Mission Bay's waterfront from 7.00pm until midnight on Saturday 12 February, 2005.

Twenty five bands from throughout New Zealand will play simultaneously throughout the night. Admission is free.

The Streetfest's founder and organiser, Anna Ferguson, says the 2005 event promises to be the most memorable yet, with an outstanding calibre of emerging talent set to take the stage.

"To celebrate the event's fifth anniversary, we will debut the biggest line up of newcomers ever seen at the Auckland event, with 12 new acts - of varying ages - performing jazz, blues and Latin numbers.

"In recent years, New Zealand music has grown from strength-to-strength, and so we anticipate next year's entertainers to be better than ever before. And with our biggest ever line up, the Streetfest will remain the largest event of its kind in New Zealand," says Ms Ferguson.

The event has previously attracted 100,000 people and Ms Ferguson anticipates this number will be mirrored again at this year's event.

"Every year, both returning and new bands clamour to play at the Streetfest because of its special beach side atmosphere and the unique opportunity to perform for larger audiences.

"While many of the acts are local Auckland bands, we are excited to introduce a good number of out-of-towners including newcomer five-piece blues band Smoke Stack from Northland, who will impress on the harmonica, and from Wellington, the jump swing-influenced Kings of Swing will entertain with a repertoire of music from the 1930s and Forties," says Ms Ferguson.

Other newcomers includes one of this country's most talented contemporary jazz groups, the Chris Mason-Battley Group, whose music was this year included on an American jazz compilation along with tracks from artists such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Sarah Vaughan.

The Streetfest's old favourites have not been forgotten, with the much anticipated return of Sarah McCallum, Tim Williams, Kokomo, and Billie TK Junior, one of New Zealand's best guitar performers.

Extra seating will be provided by restaurants for diners at Mission Bay's wide choice of cafes or restaurants, or attendees can purchase food and beverage from public marquees on Selwyn Reserve.

Tamaki Drive will be closed from 6pm until midnight. Parking is available at Bastion Point accessible from Hapimana and Kupe Streets.

From 6pm extra Stagecoach buses will run from Tyler Street in the Britomart complex in downtown Auckland to Mission Bay.

A Streetfest map, providing the location of each performing band, can be purchased from Special Olympics representatives, who will be collecting donations on the night. All proceeds from the sale of the maps will contribute to the Special Olympics New Zealand's National and Asia Pacific Invitation Games to be held in Christchurch in November 2005.

In the event of bad weather, a postponement announcement will be aired on Easy Listening i98.2 FM radio at 4 p.m. The rain date is set for the following day, Sunday 13 February.

The event is proudly supported by Montana Wines Ltd, Endeavour Charitable Trust, The Promenade Mission Bay, Easy Listening i98.2 FM, Auckland City, Daimler Chrysler NZ Ltd, Sunday Star Times, Novotel Ellerslie and the Eastern Bays Community Board.

For more information about the event, and to see a full list of performers, please visit http://www.jazzandbluesstreetfest.com/

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