Hailed as a larger-than-life character, long-time Queenstown muso and fly fishing guide Harvey Maguire has died in Christchurch, aged 83.
Harvey, who’s survived by Anne, his wife of 49 years, was indelibly linked to the former Queenstown Jazz Festival, which he co-founded and helped turn into one of the resort’s biggest events.
He grew up in Invercargill and, according to his LinkedIn profile, started playing piano professionally — ‘‘mostly jazz’’ — at the age of 15.
He moved to Queenstown in the early ’70s.
For a time he flatted with fellow muso Peter Doyle, who recalls him as ‘‘a jovial giant’’.
Doyle says in addition to the piano he also played slap bass very well.
Harvey had a music store in The Mall for a number of years and also co-owned the popular Albert’s nightclub, in the Eichardt’s building — the town’s only late-night venue, it often hosted major touring acts.
According to the history of the jazz festival, it started in 1978 when he and two fellow musos got together for two days of music over Labour Weekend in the then-O’Connells Hotel’s Cellar Inn.
‘‘They enjoyed it so much they decided to do it every year and invite all their musician friends to come along and jam with them.’’
Formalised as the South Island Residential Jazz Festival, it was initially organised by the Dunedin Jazz Society.
When O’Connells was demolished in the mid-’80s, it briefly relocated to Oamaru before returning to Queenstown.
Renamed Queenstown JazzFest, it was organised by Harvey, in concert, initially, with Doyle and another local muso, Nigel Hirst.
Being widely respected in jazz circles, Harvey gradually roped in more and more talented jazz musos till, at its peak, the event attracted about 200 performers over 10 days.
David Cole, who chaired the jazz festival trust for five years, says ‘‘his stamina, commitment, talent and ability to be able to draw musicians from around the country and around the world was unique’’.
As a person, Cole says he was ‘‘affable, jovial and quite well thought out — he always had a rational opinion on many, many subjects’’.
In 2008, he told the Otago Daily Times Queenstown needed a 1000-seat theatre, saying the then-Memorial Hall was limited and the
Events Centre was ‘‘a dog as far as the arts were concerned’’.
Between times Harvey was a successful fly fishing guide for about 40 years.
‘‘I am head guide, fly-tyer, launch skipper, a man of exceedingly high level of patience, highly skilled at spotting trout, don’t suffer fools gladly,’’ his LinkedIn profile states.
He and Anne moved to Christchurch about three years ago.
Friends are planning a Queenstown memorial service and musical tribute to him in the next month or so.
