ORGANISERS of the 2014 Australian Jazz Convention are expecting a huge turnout for the five-day event.
By the time the festival starts on Boxing Day, it will attract around 450 to 500 delegates and musicians from across the country, according to organising committee administrator Lucia Packer.
“At the moment we’ve got about 170 musicians and 200 delegates registered online,” Mrs Packer said.
“It’s sort of a general practice — you get delegates turn up on the day as well.
“About 30 per cent just come and register on Boxing Day that don’t have access to computers or that just come at the last minute.”
Swan Hill is hosting the annual convention for the first time since it was started up by Melbourne jazz musician Ade Monsbourgh in 1946.
Six venues around town will be needed to cater for all of the musicians: the Senior Citizens Centre, the Swan Hill Club, the Commercial Heritage Room, the Bowls Club, Swan Hill Memorial Theatre and Jane Eliza Motel.
Event organisers, who have been working to get the convention ready since the start of the year, are looking to recreate the party-like atmosphere of traditional jazz culture.
“There’ll be lots of good bands playing hot music from the 1920s and 1930s and everyone will have a lot of fun,” said organising committee president Ken Hill.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (December 24).
