Festival favourites Return To Whakatane

New Zealand's favourites blues 'n' roots band Kokomo are delighted to be returning to Whakatane to play in the Rose Gardens for “Jazz In The Park” on February 19th 2022. The band are promising a show filled with good vibes and great music which will get toes tapping and everyone dancing

Last year Kokomo celebrated the band's 30th anniversary with the launch of a new album, their thirteenth. But it was a trying year for the 6 band members, like it was for many of New Zealand's musical community, as they found themselves unable to tour due to the Covid pandemic.

However, between lockdowns, the band were able to play at both the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga and The Bay of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival.

It was literally as the band were driving back to Tauranga from the latter event, the first date in a planned launch tour for the new album, that the announcement was made putting Auckland and the Waikato into lockdown. The tour was immediately cancelled (for the second time).

“The last time we played at Jazz In The Park was actually 12 years ago,” says frontman Derek Jacombs, “so we're absolutely chuffed to be coming back. It was a great day back in 2010 and the band still remember it fondly – such a lovely spot and such friendly people. And it's always great to see people dancing in the sunshine!”

“We know these are trying times,” he says “but the organisers are all really onto it and are taking a very sensible approach to how the event can be run and everybody kept safe. It should be a wonderful chance to enjoy live music again in a lovely spot.”

The band will be playing three sets, starting at. They say they'll be starting with some chilled-out blues and jazz before kicking things into the dancing mode with a bunch of boogie and country sounds as well as other popular songs.

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Please consider when purchasing tickets that this is a vaccinated event ONLY.