Wagga Wagga Jazz & Blues Festival

Editorial

The Wagga Wagga Jazz and Blues Festival has humble origins. Started in 1995, it was originally just a couple of different rooms of music at the local - Romano's Hotel. There wasn't any blues back then. The event was supposed to showcase proper jazz, none of this blues, folk or roots nonsense. The next decade saw the event grow and expand year after year, but it wasn't until 2006 that it really came into its own. Renamed the Wagga Wagga Jazz and Blues Festival, it expanded to surrounding venues and introduced the devils music, aka blues, as well as roots and folk.

The 2009 line-up is the biggest and best yet with acts from around the country descending on Wagga Wagga for the three-day event. Approximately 60 acts are on the bill including The Syncopators (Melbourne) and Geoff Bull's Olympia Jazz Band (Sydney). On the blues front there are acts like the Chris Mawer Band and, back by popular demand, The Buddy Knox Blues Band. There's even a dash of cabaret this year. So if you're in the area or just looking for an excuse to get some country air, the Wagga Wagga Jazz and Blues Festival has got plenty to keep jazz and blues enthusiasts entertained.
Mikolai, July 2009