Jazzing it up

Playing to the crowd at Hanover Hall on Saturday night for the Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival is winning small combo band The Big Bad Big Band Reversing Truck Memorial Jam Shack, of Logan Park High School.

Festival director Bill Martin said it was great to see how many performers took part this year.

Seven big bands and five small combos performed in the competition on Friday, and the winners performed at a special showcase on Saturday night.

The large turnout was indicative of a growing interest in jazz, he said. Paul’s Reversing Truck Big Band of Logan Park won the Big Band Competition and performed at the showcase, alongside the Dunedin Youth Jazz Orchestra and Wellington bassist Umar Zakaria.