Tasmania isn't exactly known for its balmy weather, but whatever the season, you'll find some of Australia's hottest jazz at the Courtyard, an outdoor venue behind the arts center at Hobart's historic Salamanca Place. Come Friday nights, it's packed with hundreds of people drinking, dancing and socializing to an ever-changing roster of bands. "We play, rain, hail or shine," says organizer Tania Bosak, a Croatian immigrant and live wire on the local arts scene who started the evenings five years ago. There's no cover charge—instead, band members walk around between sets holding out hats and caps for "gold-coin donations" (small-denomination silver change is frowned upon). But what's really special is the diversity of the audience. Expect to see suited office workers and bedraggled backpackers, elderly couples and trendy young things, all enjoying everything from toe-tapping swing to bebop. "Tasmanian people aren't afraid of the elements," says Bosak. Neither will you be, when the snare drums are smacked and the saxophones start to blow.
