The 19th Bellingen Jazz and Blues Festival kicks off this Friday, August 15, with a Jazz Breakfast in the Council Grounds from 7:30am, with food and drink stalls set up to cater to your breakfast needs. Come along and start off your day by humming along to tunes from the Bellingen High School Jazz Band, followed up by the 2CSFM Band (an amalgamation of musicians from 6 other bands featured over the weekend). This is just a taster for a jam-packed program of music over the next three days - 15 bands playing nearly 50 performances in 10 different venues. Of the many highlights on Saturday, the David Helfgott concert in the Memorial Hall at 2pm promises to add an extra dimension to the Festival this year, with his playing of ‘A Celebration of Gershwin’. Blues fans will be queuing up outside the door to see Jeff Lang on Saturday night at Diggers Tavern, but if you don’t fit in then, remember he’s on at Jazz by the River on Sunday afternoon and again on Sunday night at the Memorial Hall. Manouche Partie, a large group of Gypsy Swing musicians will be in several places at the same time, as they break into smaller groups to bring the style and sound of jazz created in the 1930s by the legendary French jazz musicians, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelly. And of course there is the finest selection of all shades of Jazz, with Dale Barlow’s Organic Groovy Jazz Daddios (the name says it all!), Allan Browne’s Allfrey St Band, Carol Ralph’s Legends of Jazz, Blaine Whittaker & Band, Chris Frater’s Vintage ’08 and John Hoffman with our local Jazz regulars the Roger Burke Quartet with Christie Schlenker. All playing at various venues across the weekend - you’re sure to catch them somewhere! We’re all hoping for a sunny, calm day on Sunday for Jazz by the River at Jarrett Park, so that this year we can all settle on the grass for some excellent music. The Bellingen Big Band with the Swing Sisters will get you in the mood for the day, starting the proceedings at 9:30am, then followed by a solid core of Jazz and rounded off by Jeff Lang at 2:30pm. Calm weather is required for the RAAF Hot Air Balloon, which will be offering free tethered flights, providing it is not too windy. There will be food and drink stalls (including the Little Brewing Co beer tent) and a Jumping Castle. Something for all the family, and remember, ‘children’ 17 and under get in free if accompanied by an adult.