Hawke’s Bay: Jan Preston next performer at Small Hall Sessions

Jan Preston will be the next performer to take to the stage at the Small Hall Sessions.

The Small Hall Sessions is excited to be presenting Jan Preston for its next tour.

Preston is visiting Hawke’s Bay to attend the Napier Intermediate School Class of 62-63 Reunion and has jumped at the prospect of visiting some of the local halls.

Creator and curator of the Small Hall Sessions Jamie Macphail says Preston is known as Australasia’s foremost female boogie and blues piano player and singer.

“She delivers high-energy performances which, together with her candid and communicative personality, has given her longstanding popularity in Australia, New Zealand and overseas.”

Preston is the winner of five music awards, and plays festivals and concerts throughout UK, Europe, Australia and NZ. She also tours her own shows and writes music for films and television, such as the music to her sister Gaylene Preston’s films Home By Christmas and My Year With Helen.

Preston’s family moved from Greymouth to Napier in 1958 and she started classical piano lessons in Napier with Mona Walls and later Winifred McCarthy.

“Although she went on to complete a five-year classical piano degree at Auckland University, her childhood memories of hearing her aunt in Greymouth playing boogie and ragtime in the style of Winifred Atwell, caused her ultimately to cross over into this style,” Macphail said.

Moving to Wellington in 1974, she became a founder member and musical director of Red Mole Theatre Troup, which performed throughout NZ and on to New York.

On returning from New York in 1980, Preston formed NZ band Coup D’Etat which had a hit single with the song, Dr I Like Your Medicine.

Her acclaimed autobiographical music show Adventures in Pianoland has sold out seasons in Australia and NZ and her piano composition Trout Blues is the theme music to BBC Radio London’s evening show.

Preston will be playing the King George Hall in Bay View on Friday, February 23, Twyford Raupare Hall on the Saturday, February 24 and the Ōtāne Town Hall on Sunday, February 25.

Meals and a pop-up bar will be available at each hall. The doors open at 6pm and the show commences at 7pm. Tickets and more information are available through www.smallhallsessions.co.nz