Maggie Maccoll
After two years of restricted performances due to Covid the Noosa Jazz Party celebration of its 30th anniversary brought to Noosa national and international performers in a festival that felt for Noosa Jazz Club president Richard Stevens as though it had “got the family back together”.
The party kicked off with a “fierce event” at the Majestic Theatre in Pomona, continued throughout last week at several restaurants and venues before finishing up with a Fathers Day concert at Lions Park on Gympie Terrace, Noosaville last Sunday.
Richard said special guest musician, Jon-Erik Kellso from the US had been the focal point for the event with musicians from across the country “itching to work” with him as well as the other 27 jazz musicians who had travelled to Noosa to take part.
The festival is unique in the way individual musicians, including a number from Melbourne’s top jazz scene, come together to form the bands that perform at each venue.
“From 1991 we’ve been doing this ensemble stuff with different people. The last one in 2019 was close to the best one we did. This one was better,” Richard said.
He happily recalled how a table of 20-30 New Zealand and Melbourne musicians had told him it was “the best traditional jazz they’d heard anywhere in the world”.
Richard said organising the festival had not been without difficulties with flights cancelled and performers and guests having to cancel due to Covid issues.
But despite the challenges people turned up in droves with many events sold out.
Just before he headed to the airport to return to New York Jon-Erik Kellso spoke about his enjoyment at being involved in the festival and returning to Noosa where he had last visited about 20 years ago.
“The people who play this sort of music are of a small world,” he said. “Some I meet around the world at festivals.
“It’s a bit of a different pace here. My shoulders are relaxed. I’m more chilled.”
Jon-Erik said he hoped he would be able to return to perform at next year’s Noosa Jazz Party.
