It’s here! Another full year of jazz magic.

I heard recently more than once that on some nights Wellington had more live jazz running simultaneously than New York City. Can you believe it?

It’s astonishing to see so many stages active all at once to provide audiences the chance to see great musicians shine. For me, as an audience member, it is damn hard to choose which act to savour on any given night. I’m the proverbial kid in the candy store.

They say that need is the mother of invention. I think I need to invent a cloning machine just so I can enjoy the full panoply of options. No doubt, there will be even more of them in 2023.

We’re just a few days in to the new year, but already we have some big news from the Wellington Jazz Cooperative. Sadly, they are leaving their current residence at the Lovebite bar. But while the people at Lovebite are lovely and the drinks fabulous, the venue had some obvious limitations.

The new WJC home is at Moon 1 in Newtown—a bigger place with a stage and a wide range of beer and pizza. True, it’s a bit farther from the CBD, but everyone loves Newtown, right?

The first gig of the year will be Mark Lockett’s new album release: one you definitely won’t want to miss. See you there on February 9.

Another bit of news is that the Wellington Jazz meetup has changed ownership. Ch-ch-ch-changes! Oh, wait. That’s Bowie. But they are really ready to kick it. Wanna know what’s on? Check ‘em out.

And don’t forget to check our favourite stages at the Library, Hashigo Zake, Rogue & Vagabond, and Bedlam & Squalor.

Th-th-th-that’s all folks! See you around town.

Charlie Queen