Country and jazz artists for April

Country stars Lady Antebellum (left) and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock (right) will both be heading to NZ to play shows this April. Photos / Supplied

Country stars Lady Antebellum, who won five awards at this year's Grammys, are heading here for the first time to play the Civic on April 18.

The band - singers Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, and multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood - are best known for the countrified pop hit Need You Now, which picked up the coveted record of the year and song of the year awards at the Grammys. The album of the same name has sold more than 35,000 copies here since being released last June. The trio released their debut album in 2008 but following Need You Now they've become the biggest thing out of Nashville since Taylor Swift and the Dixie Chicks.

Meanwhile, returning here after shows in 2007 is pioneering jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, who plays the ASB Theatre on April 26. Hancock, like Lady Antebellum, was a winner at the Grammys, taking home best pop collaboration with vocals for Imagine and best improvised jazz solo for A Change Is Gonna Come from last year's The Imagine Project. This latter featured collaborations with a diverse range of artists including Los Lobos and Pink. It has to be said the album has nothing on his work from his 60s and 70s heyday albums like Maiden Voyage, Mwandishi and jazz-funk masterpiece Headhunters.

Hancock and his band - Greg Phillinganes on keyboards and vocals, James Genus on bass, Trevor Lawrence jnr on drums and Kristina Train on vocals - will perform material from throughout his 50-year career including Chameleon Canteloupe Island and Rockit. Tickets on sale March 7 at buytickets.co.nz.

- TimeOut