we went to kiwiland a few weeks back to play at parachute music festival in Hamilton (north island).  it was heaps of fun!  we were impressed with some of the other jazz combos there - particularly Charmaine Ford, and the Chris Mason Battley group.  Great to see some good jazz at the festival :-)  other standout bands included Planet Shakers, Reuben Morgan, and Rapture Rukus.

also got to check out some scenery like boiling mud and thermal pools.... ah nice spa baths... and we saw the caves.  getting lost and car sick on the way to woop-woop kwafia (not our original planned destination) was a defenite highlight!

we had plenty of music to listen to in the car, including Chris Potter and David Binney, and of course plenty of Chick Corea and Vinnie Coliauta. Late at night when there was nothing else to do, we watched jazz dvds on jeremy's laptop.  there's a killer miles davis concert from 1991!  Kenny Garrett does so well that Miles holds up a big placard with the word "KENNY" on it, and who can forget him announcing through his trumpet mic "Joe Zawinal, Joe Zawinal, Joe, Joe, Joe and Wayne, Joe and Wayne"

food consisted of Berry flavoured V, and "Blue Bird" potato chips which seemed to be the only brand anyone sells - much to our disapointment.

we took some 'Tang!" cds over to sell, and at the end of the festival the organisers of the merch stand kindly packaged our left-overs in a smaller box for us, with the word "Parachute06" on the top of the package.  I took this package with me on the plane as carry-on, and as i was walking to my seat, one of the attendants gave me a strange look, and then asked me about this package which said "Parachute" on it.

so yeah, lots of fun. we'll probably try and do it again next year, and maybe we will hook up a bit more of a tour which may incorporate the napier jazz festival.

Guide to Kiwi vowels:
A = E     Parachute = Perrachute    ;    Jazz = Jezz
E = I      Festival = Fistival   ;     Tent = Tint
I = U      Six = Sux   ;    Big = Bug  ;  Fish & Chips = Fush & Chups
O = O    well that's an easy one
U = U     generally the same although they seem to have trouble with the word Subaru