20 February 2006
Blues back @ the Block
Blues is back at Blockhouse Bay, with the Midge Marsden Band performing a blistering set with help from the Grant
Winterburn Experience on 3 March.
The free concert is part of Auckland City's Music in Parks series and runs from 6pm-9.30pm at Blockhouse Bay Beach
Reserve.
Midge Marsden remains the number one rhythm and blues artist in New Zealand today. The singer, blues harp maestro and
performer extraordinaire is virtually without equal here and, with a career spanning four decades, he has played
thousands of concerts to countless people and performed with some of the world's best musicians.
Midge was voted New Zealand Entertainer Of The Year in 1990 and his critically acclaimed album "Burning Rain" went gold
in 1991. He has toured the United States numerous times and played with musicians including "Mississippi" Willie Foster,
Bobby Mack, Ronnie Taylor, "Aussie" Dave Boyle and Julie Anne Banks, all of whom have toured New Zealand with him.
When not on tour, Midge teaches the history of popular music to young up and coming musicians at the Waikato Institute
of Technology.
Midge recently made the 2006 New Year's Honours List, becoming a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
The Grant Winterburn Experience is a must see - as Australasia's leading exponent of Hammond organ jazz, Grant
Winterburn re-creates the passion of the 1960s heyday of jazz and funk showmanship.
Grant's talent and career achievements have placed him at the forefront of New Zealand jazz performance. He headlined at
both the 2004 Tauranga Jazz and the Wellington International Jazz festivals, was the musical director of the hit
production of The Rocky Horror Show, and was the Auckland guest artist invited to perform at the 2005 Wellington Summer
City concert series.
Music in Parks concerts are produced by Auckland City, with support from Radioworks. They are just some of more than 60
free events provided by Auckland City as part of the Ak@Play summer events programme. Listen to Solid Gold 93.4FM for
more details or check out www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/mips .
ENDS