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The Leigh Sawmill Jazz Festival made its debut at the start of the year and was one of the standout live music events of last summer – now it returns to the intimate seaside venue on the weekend of January 17 and 18.
Founder Nick Atkinson says he was “blown away” by the response to the inaugural festival.
“I first mentioned the event at a Love Square gig in the spring of 2024 and the whoop from the Leigh Sawmill audience that night really got the ball rolling,” he says.
Atkinson then pulled together his favourite musicians from some of the best bands in the country to create the line-up.
This January you can expect the same jazz energy with parping, stomping, some new artists and classic crowd favourites.
Opening the festival on Saturday afternoon is popular newcomer Joe Kaptein, who’s propulsive piano playing and keyboard pyrotechnics have been wowing crowds recently, not to mention he’s become a key member of bands as diverse as Princess Chelsea and Six60.
Leigh Sawmill crowd favourites Hopetoun Brown will return for a horn-driven Saturday night set. The duo of Tim Stewart and Atkinson, both founding members of Supergroove who completed a sold-out 14-date tour with the iconic Kiwi band earlier in the year, will be joined onstage by brass prodigy Finn Scholes.
As always, their show will deliver a blues-heavy sound shaped by “stomp patterns informed by hip-hop beats” and horns that echo the energy of James Brown and Curtis Mayfield. And it could be the only chance to see Hopetoun Brown this summer.
On Sunday, Atkinson and Scholes are going to jam outside in the shade of the pergola before Love Square’s set at 4pm with Alistair Deverick, who impressed audiences nationwide drumming for the Come Together – Led Zeppelin II shows in October.
With Deverick’s drums paired with the horns and keys of Atkinson and Scholes, it promises to be an energetic end to the festival.
Held at Leigh Sawmill Cafe, the event is family-friendly during the day with children 12-and-under free with a ticket holding guardian. Tickets, including cheap weekend passes and individual session options, are available at undertheradar.co.nz
