The 70th Annual Jazz Convention in Ballarat

Along with most other countries, the cultural contribution of the United States of America to the world in the first half of this century, viz: JAZZ, found in Australia an avid and receptive coterie of musicians and /or record collectors who took this music to their hearts and began to emulate it.
Whilst serving in the RAAF in 1944, musician Ade Monsbourgh wrote to his friend C. Ian Turner with the idea of running a ‘jazz convention’ after the war. This event would include musicians from other States. In 1946 a group of local jazz musicians and aficionados organised the first Australian Jazz Convention in Melbourne. This had attendance from both Victoria and interstate. The Convention has been held annually between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day at different venues, in every State over the last 70 years and is the oldest continuously conducted Convention of its type in the World. Ballarat welcomes you as the Host City for 2015.
The aim of the Australian Jazz Convention is to encourage and promote jazz in Australia. However this does not mean that conventions are serious affairs. On the contrary, they are happy occasions where many hundreds of people from all over Australia and many from overseas meet to exchange ideas, play jazz together, make new friends and renew old acquaintances and where young musicians are encouraged to participate free of charge.
Events
Welcome Night Party: 26th December. Welcome Night Party arranged at Jackson’s & Co Hotel 7pm – fin Raffle of Sponsored items. Supper provided.
Band Performance Program: 26th – 31st December in all performance venues Expected band number in excess of 120.
Ballarat Art Gallery, Three Piano Recitals: This is a free, ticketed event. 4pm to 5.45pm on Sunday 27th / Monday 28th / Tuesday 29th
Music Industry Trade Fair / Workshops / Secure Storage:
Music Industry Trade Fair 27th – 30th 9am – fin.
Current merchants attending the fair are: Instrument sales; Australian Jazz Museum (CD’s/DVD’s); Music motif Aprons (raising funds for
Women Cancer research); Ballarat Jazz Club; Musical motif Woodwork; South Australian Jazz Archives (CD’s); Fabulous Jazz Fans, Others TBA.
Workshops. 27th, 28th, 29th. Workshops are to be conducted in the function room at the Mining Exchange from 9am -10am. Subjects will include playing and servicing woodwind instruments; the use of electronic equipment for music changes. Others TBA.Secure instrument storage is available in a room adjoining the Mining Exchange performance site.
Street Parade: Monday 28th: Parade participants will congregate in a carpark off Sturt St near corner of Lydiard St North from 10am. The Street Parade will start at 11 am from corner of Sturt St and Lydiard St North, travel to Police Lane and conclude with a ‘massed band blow’ in Alfred Deakin Place.
Public Concert: Monday 28th: Public Concert (6pm – 9pm). Alfred Deakin Place. Bring own chairs.Other arrangements include, Wines for sale, Forge Pizzeria and Rotary Ballarat to provide food and soft drink.
Original Tunes Competition / AGM 30th December: The Mechanics Institute 8.30am – 4.pm for these two events.
NYE Buffet Dinner. 31st 6pm – 7.30pm: Dinner to be held in the dining rooms at the Mercure Hotel & Convention Centre This is a paid ticketed event.
NYE Party. 31st 8pm-fin: Party to be held in the Function