Australasia’s “Queen of boogie piano” is getting set to play four shows in Northland as part of a nationwide tour this month.

Popular musician Jan Preston will be joined by her husband, percussion player Mike Pullman, and Dargaville double bassist Stuart Lawrence.

Lawrence has recently returned to Dargaville after spending many years away playing festivals and concerts with some of New Zealand’s top blues performers.

The Jan Preston Trio will travel to over 20 locations on the tour, including Dargaville’s Anzac Theatre on August 11, Whangārei’s Riverbank Centre on August 12, and the Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival on August 13 and 14.

While in Whangārei they will be joined by local double bass player Jimmy Wallace.

Speaking from her home in Sydney, the Kiwi-born artist said audiences should “expect to be entertained, uplifted and at times moved”.

“I like to take people on a journey from first note to last. I tell them stories about the song; there’s humour and some poignancy.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

Preston is well known for her energetic playing, sultry blues voice and candid humour.

Her upcoming concerts contain her favourite songs and instrumentals in a showcase performance.

Preston’s longstanding affection for Winifred Atwell – a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia from the 1950s with a series of boogie-woogie and ragtime hits, selling over 20 million records – will be included in her shows.

“There will be a lot of my favourites and I’m showcasing some new material and reworking some older songs from previous albums which I haven’t played for a long time.”

Preston said though Covid-19 has made performing “incredibly difficult”, she managed to get in a tour of the South Island last September and has performed in Australia “quite a bit”.

“Over the past two years with lockdowns and cancellations due to Covid and border closures, I’ve had time to reflect on my repertoire, rework some material, and bring out songs and instrumentals.

“With the perspective of time and distance I have been able to hear my music anew, and I’m excited to be expanding my singing and playing.”

Born in Greymouth, Preston went on to complete a classical piano degree at Auckland University.

Though she loved classical music, she decided being a concert pianist wasn’t for her.

“So I cut off my hair, and moved to Wellington where I experimented with different styles of music, working in an independent theatre group and then rock bands.”

Preston’s early career began in New Zealand with the 1980 Hit Band Coup D’Etat.

Some years later she found her own voice as a boogie piano player and songwriter.

The winner of five music awards, Preston also composes music for film and TV and performs alongside the greatest contemporary boogie piano players in the world.

For the past 40 years, she has been living in Australia, though she visits New Zealand regularly.

The Dargaville show is at Anzac Theatre, 37 Hokianga Rd on August 11 from 7.30pm-10pm. Tickets from Eventfinda.co.nz, Matich’s Fish Shop in Victoria St.

The Whangārei show is at Riverbank Centre, Reyburn House Lane on August 12 from 7.30pm–10pm.

Tickets are available from the Whangārei Theatre Company, Wards Music Shop Cameron St and Craniums Reyburn House Lane.

During the Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival, the trio play at the Duke Hotel on August 13, and the Twin Pines Brewhouse on August 14. Details Eventfinda.