All that jazz ... and more

By ALEX STONE

Imagine a dimly lit sidestreet speakeasy, a place known only to a select clientele. A nattily dressed quartet is winding out your personal playlist of favourite tunes. Great names roll from the bandleader's lips as he introduces each number, names redolent with the energy and promise of the Roaring 20s.

Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bix Beiderbecke, George Gershwin, Fats Waller ...

They're here, old friends already. You succumb to the music as it seduces you to a place somewhere closer to heaven. For a moment, you're transported.

And that's just what you will be, listening to the Speakeasy String Quartet at the Montana Waiheke Island of Jazz Festival over Easter Weekend.

The quartet and Echoes of Swing are the two new international acts coming to the festival this year.

Established in San Francisco and now based in New York, the Speakeasy String Quartet are known for their innovative approach to the classic standards of the swing era.

The band's founder, David Laurence, reflects their dedicated focus on their music: he starts by transcribing, note-for-note, real performances from the time of the speakeasies.

These great standards are then reinterpreted by the group, and played with such "precision, verve and passion" they earned the only standing ovation at the New Orleans Jazz Festival this year.

Right after the applause died down over there, Waiheke Jazz Festival director David Paquette was on the stage to hire them for the Easter gig.

The quartet's performances will be a treat for jazz aficionados and an education in the development of a genre.

Laurence, who is the group's lead violinist and arranger, is also known as a writer on jazz, with regular analytical articles in Strings magazine.

Echoes of Swing, also a quartet, was assembled in 1997 from established solo artists who were each recognised as leading lights in the new generation of swing musicians. Festival regulars will recognise the names of Chris Hopkins and Bernd Lhotzky, who have been here before. Lhotzky is known for his mischievous approach to the otherwise serious art of stride piano. He and Hopkins (also on piano) are complemented by Oliver Mewes on drums, and Colin Dawson on trumpet and vocals.

Their stopover on Waiheke and a sister warm-up festival in Fiji give them the chance to air material from their new CD, Harlem Joys.

Other overseas bands in the festival are Waso (the de Cauter family, playing laidback, continental gypsy jazz), John Boutte with Uptown Okra (best described as swamp jazz), and the Australian Allstars.

As always, the festival will feature passport days tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at many of the island's wineries and cafes.

Added to the regulars, which include the Mudbrick Restaurant, Goldwaters and Onetangi Rd Vineyards, will be Nourish coffee shop and Waiheke's new pub, On the Rocks. For $25 a day, a passport allows entry into all 12 venues.

Old favourites? Well, Les Haricots Rouge are back. As part of their 40th - yes, 40th - anniversary world tour, those crazy Red Beans delight in on-stage antics (building human pyramids while playing), and tight musicianship.

One of France's most popular jazz groups, Les Haricots Rouge have opened concerts for Louis Armstrong, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Led by the Beans, the festival's West Indies-inspired dance party on Friday night should be one of the highlights.

Echoes of Swing, and the magnificently named George Washingmachine's Australian Allstars featuring Felicity, will headline another dance party (dubbed "Cut a Rug") on Saturday night.

Five festive moments on Waiheke

With locals and internationals flooding on to Waiheke this weekend, Herald critic Graham Reid offers a guide to the good stuff by the international guests.

Hallelujah! A Gospel Evening: New Orleans' John Boutte can sing most jazz, soul and pop styles from his hometown, but paired with Les Haricots Rouge for a night of testifying gospel soul he'll offer something different, and hopefully uplifting, before everyone heads off for the more secular Night in Harlem with the Australian All Stars and Echoes of Swing. (Sunday, 5pm)

Taste the Festival: Opening night offers a sampler of the weekend's wares so here's an opportunity to catch some of the festival vibe before the last boat back to the city. All the internationals make cameo appearances. (Thursday, 7pm)

Strings Attached: An interesting pairing: the Belgium-based Waso (European gypsy-jazz, flamenco, folk and Euro-classical styles in the de Cauter family's blender) plus the Speakeasy String Quartet, who play jazz classics in a classical but jazz style. (Friday, 5pm)

West Indies Dance Party: The entertaining Les Haricots Rouge have been one of the most popular and visually amusing groups at previous festivals, so their New Orleans-style take on Caribbean dance should be a button-loosening hoot. (Friday, 8pm)

Cut A Rug Dance Party: Jazz isn't just for head-nodders, so this dance party with swing (from Echoes of Swing) and entertainment (Australian George Washingmachine and band) will let punters shake their booty. (Saturday, 8pm)