With temperatures nudging into the mid-30s all weekend, roughly 25,000 people flowed through the streets, enjoying the free stage outside in the sun, hearing singers reach angelic heights in the church, and embracing the more daring dalliances into jazz in the new $8 million performing arts centre.

For many, including myself and the gang of Warrnambool musicians I attended with, the event is an annual pilgrimage that gives people are rare chance to see jazz in its diverse glory.

From avant-garde and free-form adventures to the style's roots in the traditional Dixieland sound, from lyrical sultry ballads to intriguing fusions with other genres, the line-up at Wangaratta has regularly covered as many bases as it can, giving punters a wide sample of sounds in one convenient place.

Numbers seemed down on last year, possibly due to the lack of major name act. The presence of guitar legend John Scofield made 2008 something truly special - perhaps leaving us spoilt - but with no one of his calibre on the bill, the event lacked the lustre of last year. However the great thing is that there are always surprises on the bill that make the trip worth while.

The weekend's main headliner was American trumpeter Charles Tolliver, who has played alongside Jackie McLean, Art Blakey and Sonny Rollins. His gigs drew big crowds, particularly when he joined the awesome Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, but some of the reports were that Tolliver wasn't as mind-blowing as they'd hoped. Again, maybe we were just spoilt seeing Scofield last year.

If there was an accidental theme to the weekend, aside from the melting temperatures, it was the brain-melting Australian avant-garde that seemed to pop up frequently. The Australian Art Orchestra, Band Of Five Names and the Julien Wilson-Stephen Magnusson Quintet delved headlong into free-time noise sessions that left many bewildered and some enthralled, sparking many a conversation among our group as to the merits of avant-garde jazz.