Nelson Jazz Club

The Nelson Jazz Club Committee Meeting took place on Monday 15 April. Various agenda items were covered and new discussions started. The following is a brief overview:

• Officer’s positions were confirmed: President – Dave North, Secretary – Karina Miller, Treasurer – Deb Fish with Mike Rhodes assisting with the Coordinator position.
• Iain Clark reported good progress on the 2013 Youth Jazz Competition. The Club has received sponsorship for this event from Beggs Music Works Nelson and Prices Pharmacy. The venue will be confirmed at the next meeting.
• The Festival would like to sponsor a Festival Cup which is to be an award given to top performer at Youth Jazz Competition.
• Discussions were started about different types of club events that might appeal to the members. We currently have only a once-per-month club gig at Bar Berlin and the committee is researching other possible venues for both paid gigs and a regular club get-together-and-jam session. Any ideas and suggestions would be welcome.
• Simon Williams and Chris Harris are making progress with the proposed Youth Jazz Orchestra and will report back at the next meeting.

Karina Miller

President Report                              21^st March 2013

2012-13 has been another challenging year for many businesses, individuals and the Nelson Jazz Club.

The loss of a regular weekly “Gig” at the Vic Mac’s Brew Bar and Bar Berlin is a reflection of the economy and I’d like to acknowledge both venues for their support and financial contribution to the Club.

Thank you to The Radio Network who have until recently, generously provided the use of their facilities for rehearsal space and club rooms. The committee has been looking at “Club Room” options with nothing suitable being found to date. This would be a task for the new committee.

I’d like to especially acknowledge Mike Murphy for his outstanding time and effort in representing the club, liaising with the bar venue owners and The Radio Network.

It’s been a busy twelve months in which the committee has succeeded in

• Community Profile – visibility has grown with the success of the Jazz and Blues Festival, the Youth Jazz Competition and the Big Band.
• Improving the Database management.
• Web-site – considerable time and effort has gone into the club managing and maintaining a more responsive site for everyone.
• Financial Administrator – my thanks to Amanda Ryan for her time working with WHK, keeping our records consistently updated and transparent.

The Jazz and Blues Festival was a tremendous success thanks to the dedication and hard work of both Liam and Amanda Ryan. I would like to thank them for their dedication and commitment to staging what has become an iconic event within the Nelson community.

The Youth Jazz Band Competition grew to another level and proved to be a highly successful event. My congratulations to Dave North, Andrew Leachman and their team on driving this wonderful event. My thanks also go to The Honest Lawyer for providing the venue.

Commercial Partners

• Thank you to the Canterbury Community Trust, Nelson City Council, Tasman District Council, Pub Charity and the New Zealand Community Trust for their Grants and donations for the financial year.
• The Honest Lawyer.
• Sponsors – all sponsors

I have tendered my resignation from the committee. I have had a fantastic time being part of an amazing team, encouraging and supporting the appreciation of Jazz in the community.

I have had incredible support from my committee and I wish to thank them for their time and contribution, especially Club Secretary, Mike Murphy. My thanks also go to the band Leaders, Dave North for his commitment to the Big Band and dedicated club members.

Given 2012-13 has been a challenging year; a huge amount has been achieved. The club is strong financially; we have closer bonds with our existing major sponsors and have succeeded in developing new relationships to take us forward.

My thanks for the support of the members of the Jazz Club over the past year.

Mike McElhinney
President, Nelson Jazz Club