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These are just a sample of the performers that we have recently hosted at the Harbour Light.

The last 12 months have been an exciting and hectic time for Christchurch violinist Fiona Pears. After doing a series of sell out concerts around New Zealand she then toured with Hayley Westenra around NZ, Australia and Japan including the Sydney Opera House.

Fiona then travelled to London where she performed in various jazz concerts including a Grapelli/Django tribute show with John Ethridge and a concert at the 100 club in London for jazz great Dis Disley.

Alongside the Jazz shows she has continued working with Hayley Westenra throughout Europe , America , New Zealand and Australia as concert master and soloist.

Her latest venture saw Fiona record and perform a solo for BBC television.

After being back in NZ for 6 weeks she is to return to London to start a world tour with Hayley. During this time Fiona will also be working on compositions for her next solo CD.

Fiona Pears

fionainfo@fionapears.com www.fionapears.com

Gary McCormick

perform.co@xtra.co.nz

The year has been a kind one for Gary McCormick . Not only is he, as McCormick puts it, "ageing magnificently.," but it has been one of the busiest years on record for public speaking and comedy performances.

Gary has been pairing up with Tim Shadbolt alot recently, and as two of the busiest speakers on the business and celebrity speaking circuit, the pair are planning to take their own show to Australia.

"The Aussies are stuck with John Howard who closely resembles a cardigan, at the moment," says McCormick." This would be a good time to invade Australia - they'll welcome us with open arms."

"We have done the lot! From the International Comedy festival in Auckland to 800-seater conferences and the small town halls of towns like Springfield .

"We have so many laughs - and so many good times with the people we meet," says McCormick, "that we find it quite difficult to stop." "We haven't stopped in four decades," says Mayor Tim "this is our fourth decade on stage together!"

The trio of Linn Lorkin, chanteuse, Hershal, accordéoniste and Peter Scott, bassiste deliver a charming pot pourri of well-known French chansons from yesteryear, sung in French and English with smooth three-part harmonies, jazz riffs and the occasional foray into Italian, Spanish, German, Russian and Yiddish. They are also known to some as In a French Cafe.

Originally operating as a duo, French Toast performed in Paris, London, Copenhagen, Naples, Rome, New York, the Isle of Jersey, Brittany and Miami Beach . Since expanding to a trio, based in Auckland, the group has made two highly successful and extensive national NZ tours (their 2004 tour comprised some 23 dates) with an act called IN A FRENCH CAFE and have presented this "quintessential cabaret" show at several festivals. They have recently returned from a season in Sydney.

"they work together as smoothly as chocolate and cream in a performance that is as graceful as it is natural" - Peta Matthias, Taste New Zealand

French Toast

frenchtoast@rouge.co.nz www.rouge.co.nz

Jimmy Young & James Wilkinson

The two Jimmies are best known for their unique blend of Celtic and Contemporary music styles, featuring vocals, guitar, flutes and pipes.

The last year has seen the Jimmies concentrate, musically, on their collaboration with Mahinarangi Tocker for her show, “The Mongrel in Me.” The band for this show also includes Shona Lang, David Downes, Denny Stanway, Ashley Brown and Anahera Higgins.

In 2003/4, they appeared with Mahinarangi at Christchurch/ Taupo/Tauranga and Wellington International Arts Festivals, next year they will be appearing at WOMADelaide 2005, and WOMAD NZ 2005, in this highly acclaimed show. The Wellington show was recorded by Radio New Zealand for future broadcast with a CD planned for 2005.

Their debut CD The Official Bootleg/Live in Australia 2001 has been receiving critical acclaim with one of its tracks, Raider, rated Number One on Radio Pie’s Top Ten Charts. They have recorded a new CD at the Harbour Light, “Waltzing into Battle with the Woman I Love So Well,” which is now available.

With a rare combination of virtuoso musicianship and wicked self parody, this eclectic, eccentric, energetic band radiates musical mischief and mayhem wherever it goes. Its exhilarating foot-stomping hand-clapping repertoire, both original and traditional, features wild Eastern-European dance medleys, neo-40s New York swing, gypsy "hot club", schmaltzy waltzes and funky dance grooves.

The line-up is two New Yorkers, two Kiwis and a Londoner. Between them they play accordion, mandolin, banjo, double bass, guitar, soprano and tenor saxes, melodica and zydeco washboard. The skilled interweaving of these instruments and daring five-part vocal harmonies are part and parcel of the group's undeniably fascinating chutzpah!

The band has a strong cult following throughout Australasia. In 2002 they visited Europe for the first time where they performed in 7 major festivals including WOMAD and North Sea Jazz and 2004 saw them back in the UK on a whirlwind 12 gig tour, including Brighton's Komedia and The Spitz in London.

The Jews Brothers

jewbro@rouge.co.nz www.jewsbrothers.com

Manic Opera

manic@ihug.co.nz www.barking-records.co.nz

Manic Opera consist of one Scot, one Pom, and a Maori, who come together in a rare combination of skill, smut, and vocal slapstick. And don’t be fooled by the word “Opera” – classical they are not!

Manic Opera are in fact a cheeky virtuosic Auckland based vocal trio .

As a review in 2003 said, “They take the mickey out of well known New Zealanders….. Russell Crowe, Ruth Dyson and the Brothers Finn all suffered……but the threesome can really sing in wondrous harmony, marvelous balance and a diction that brings out every nuance…”

Mundi - a rich fusion of originals, jazz and world music.

Mundi certainly got an enthusiastic welcome from the capacity crowd at the Harbour Light last January. The unique sound of this Christchurch-based group comes from the diverse musical influences each member brings to the group.

Misha Marks (guitar) is well known in the Christchurch music scene for his natural talent on the six-string, and in particular for a style he developed during travels around Spain and Latin America . He is currently studying jazz at Massey University in Wellington .

Simon Lusby (bass) graduated from Jazz School on guitar but has since picked up the bass. He has played with several bands around New Zealand such as Solaar and Otautahi All Stars on both guitar and bass. Simon teaches music and is currently studying for an honours degree in jazz at Canterbury University

Sum Suraweera (drums) has played both traditional Sri Lankan percussion and jazz drum for several years. He recently returned from a Sydney masterclass and is completing a music Honours degree.

Tamara Smith (flute) has recently returned from living in Paris and immersing herself in the diverse French music scene. She is one half of the successful jazz duo “Pangolin” and is now a music teacher at Burnside High School.

Mundi have recently played exotic gigs like the Green Globe conference in Kaikoura, the Awaroa Lodge in the Abel Tasman, and have toured Sri Lanki. Although studying in various locations to boost their already formidable talent base, when they perform together the chemistry is still exceptional.

Mundi

For more information please contact: Tamara Smith tamarasmith@isic.org ph: 3862997, 021 1759300, or 03 3198354

Nairobi Trio

nairobi@zulu.co.nz www.nairobitrio.co.nz

Since their inception in 1989, they have become New Zealand's favourite Jazz entertainers, touring every year throughout the world appearing at major festivals in New Zealand, U.K., Europe, Australia and Asia.

Nairobi Trio, famous for being a quartet, are:
Richard Adams (Violin/Vocals), Andrew Dixon (Sax/Vocals)
Peter Koopman (Bass/Vocals), John Quigley (Guitar/Vocals)

Born in London to a Yorkshire mother and a Nigerian father, Jones was playing guitar by his 11th birthday. He studied guitar and cello in London, and in the late ‘70s began to tour Europe, North Africa, North America and Canada. A decade later he settled in New Zealand with his wife and four children.

He has been described by critics as “a true musician who manipulates his hands at high speed to produce high-impact guitar between his husky verses”. Ubana Jones plays his own unique musical style based around folk, blues and classical. Most of his songs are original with some covers thrown in.

Paul has 9 albums to his name, and tours extensively. He has labelled the Harbour Light as one of his favourite venue,s and performs here about once a year.

Paul Ubana Jones

ubana@hotmail.com

Rua

dennystanway@yahoo.com

Rua have been said to be New Zealand 's premier award-winning Celtic band.

After their popular return from retirement playing two sold-out concerts at the Harbour Light, Lyttelton in 2004, they returned to the classic Christmas Concert series that ran for most of the 90's. The trio now consists of Denny Stanway, James Wilkinson and Jimmy Young. However, special guests and old friends appear with them.

They will also be appearing at WOMADelaide, 2005 and WOMAD NZ, 2005 as part of Mahinarangi Tocker's acclaimed show “ The Mongrel in Me. “

"Rua could have got away with murder!" The Glasgow Herald, Scotland

 "A journey of sound and emotion." Timaru Herald , New Zealand

 “ A tremendous concert, jazzily Celtic. “ The Telegramme, France

Who knew even Vikings got the Blues? 23 year old Norwegian Blues Piano player, Simen ‘bluekeys' Taylor is one of Norway's finest Blues Players, touring a few hot spots in New Zealand this November.

In connection with the recording of his upcoming album, Taylor joins two of New Zealand 's finest Blues musicians, Freddy Limbert (drums) and Craig Bracken (harmonica.) Together, the trio “Blue Devils” makes an out-of-this-world explosion of Blues, Rock'n'Roll, good times and an exceptional stage presence.

If Taylor surprises as being young for this genre, his passion and experience is equally astonishing. More than a decade of international touring has fashioned him into a seasoned and spirited entertainer, with the talent to boot. Unlike other Blues pianists, his style is reminiscent of guitar techniques immortalized by the likes of Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughn. His piano playing has also been compared to that of Jerry Lee Lewis, Otis Spann (Muddy Waters) and most other things fast and furious.

Take one furious left hand from the deep, bottomless pits of hell; a right hand with the precision of a stampeding buffalo; the deep, remarkable voice of a tore up combine harvester – And you are listening to Simen ‘bluekeys' Taylor: The meanest piano mistreater you ever did see.

Simen 'Bluekeys' Taylor

www.bluekeys.co.nz simen@bluekeys.co.nz

Legendary Kiwi Bard Sam Hunt has spent the last few years living on the Kaipara harbour in the Hokianga, raising his young son Alf.

This has not stopped him from writing poems (the latest published in The Listener about the recent death of his mother Betty Hunt.)

Sam has performed his poems in his usual rollicking fashion, in London, New York and Arthurs Pass! His 'Down The Backbone' tour of ten years ago, covered 135 different performances in eighty-five towns around New Zealand.

At the Harbour Light, Sam was accompanied by Gary McCormick, himself the author of 8 collections of poems. Hunt and McCormick did their last tour together five years ago - a tour captured by a TVNZ documentary called The Roaring Forties, which in turned spawned a Hoder Moa Beckett book by the same name.

It was a night of poetry, anecdotes and laughter!

Dr Tim Finn OBE, in case you’ve just stumbled across him, takes in Split Enz, Crowded House, Alt and many solo adventures, and has released six albums. His sixth album (a solo one) “Feeding The Gods” (EMI) has attained high critical praise in New Zealand and Australia with 5 star reviews. Critics are loving the fact that Finn has come up with such a vibrant and stylish record after virtually 30 years in the business.
“There are moments during the first few listens to Tim Finn’s sixth solo album when you think surely not... it’s quite a revelation...the result is a dazzling 40 minutes”.- Russell Baillie, New Zealand Herald *****five stars.

“The elder Finn steals back the limelight with a rockfest right up there with the best of ‘em. A thunderous return to form from one of Australasia’s rock pioneers” -Norman Burns, Melbourne Herald Sun *****five stars

The best record of his career. Brash, full of guitars that build a wall of shimmering riffs - Juice Magazine Australia 9/10
“Tim is currently writing at the height of his powers” -Sam Neil
“A reinvention for Finn....that recalls the Glory days

Tim Finn

eccles@ihug.co.nz

The Warratahs

Barry Saunders ph:04 8018409