It was always going to be a risky decision. Earlier this year, the Board of the Wangaratta Festival dispensed with the services of Adrian Jackson, the artistic director who shaped the style and content of the Festival since its inception in 1990. In recent years, a combination of reduced funding and unfortunate weather conditions led to a drop in visitor numbers, and there was clearly a sense that something had to give. Even so, the decision felt very much like a roll of the dice. Understandably, there was an outcry from the jazz community who feared that Jackson’s vision for the Festival as a forum for the best in contemporary jazz might be compromised. The subsequent announcement of a new artistic direction team – which included high-profile and respected musicians Adam Simmons and Zoe Hauptmann – did much to allay those fears. In the end, the proof was in the pudding; and it was the resounding success of this year’s Festival, which both acknowledged and built upon Jackson’s impressive legacy, that confirmed that the gamble paid off.