NZ Music Month: New Zealand Jazz history

This week I've checking out some articles on Jazz that appeared in New Zealand newspapers during the 1920s and 30s. I downloaded this cartoon that appeared in the Auckland Star on 3 July, 1936 via Papers Past - a great resource put together by the National Library of New Zealand.

For those interested in some New Zealand jazz history be sure to stop by Aleisha Ward's appropriately titled blog, NZ Jazz History. Aleisha is one of the few currently researching the early years of jazz in New Zealand (actually, I can't think of anyone else at the moment - but if you know of any others,  please let me know) and is uncovering some great stuff.

Here are a couple of posts to get you started - Early Maori Jazz Musicians and New Zealand's First Jazz Recording. In this guest post - Jazz, Research and Aftershocks - Aleisha gives some background on the research she conducted for her Ph.D. You can download the thesis - "Any rags, any jazz, any boppers today?": jazz in New Zealand 1920-1955 here.

While you're at it, hop over to Where are the Camels? to download (free) Ken Avery's New Zealand Dance Band Diary.