Seats at Jazz Festival now gold dust

Reserve seating at the 50th National Jazz Festival Birthday Bash in Tauranga on Easter Sunday is in such hot demand festival organisers are making another 350 "Gold" seats available.

Festival director Arne Herrmann said with only six weeks to go people needed to be in quick if they want reserved seating to see headline acts such as Earth, Wind and Fire, jazz legend Patti Austin and three-time Grammy winner blues singer/songwriter Keb Mo.

They will perform at a special five-hour birthday bash at Tauranga Domain on April 8. Mr Herrmann said the seating directly in front of the stage has sold out but another 350 seats in two blocks on the left and right side close to the front of the stage is now up for grabs.

He said he was pleased with how ticket sales are tracking with 65 per cent going to buyers from outside the region but he would not say how many tickets had sold overall.

Mr Herrmann said organisers had worked on capacity crowd of 10,000 ticket sales but Tauranga Domain could fit about 15,000 people.

With 500 musicians and nearly 80 bands, including jazz legends German Klaus Doldinger and American Kurt Elling, with special guest saxophonist Eric Marienthal, the festival programme was "absolutely world class and people shouldn't miss out," he said.

After 40 years of global success, Earth, Wind and Fire's popularity has not waned, he said.

Two weeks ago, they featured at Ellen DeGeneres' birthday show, had played at Kim Kardashian's wedding and were a firm favourite of US President Barack Obama. "And now they're coming to Tauranga to play, that's a huge coup," said Mr Herrmann.

Earth, Wind and Fire is the seventh top-selling US band of all time with 50 Gold and Platinum albums, with 90 million albums sold.

The five-day event also includes the popular Downtown Tauranga Carnival, the Sebel Trinity Wharf jazz riverboat, the New Orleans-style Jazz Village at the Historic Village, the National Youth Jazz Competition and the Hurricane Party.

There will also be a History of Jazz exhibition showcasing the festival's beginnings and evolution.

Mr Herrmann said it was important the festival was well supported as the programme was putting Tauranga "on a world stage".

For tickets call 0800 TICKETEK or (842 538) or visit www.ticketek.co.nz