This coming Sunday, 5th July, at the one remaining Jazz Club in the Welwyn Garden City / Hatfield area – once a hotbed of jazz. So be there and let’s get it heated up again.

Fun with the Fenny Stompers with guest star Richard Leach, when Smiffy featured jazz at now defunct Peartree Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City:

Founded 1984

Plymouth’s Premier Jazz Venue

PRESENTING JAZZ LIVE AND ALIVE

Terry Sloggett

Sunday, July 5th • 7.00 for 7.30pm

Jazz Company featuring
Terry Sloggett

Jazz Company is a long-standing band of fine Westcountry musicians featuring the great talent of veteran Plymouth saxophonist Terry Sloggett.

The Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Crownhill, Plymouth PL6 5DH

Admission £9, Members £7, Full-Time Students £5. Tickets on the door.
Tel: 01752 721179

*** *** ***

Richard Leach’s 7 Stars1

Saturday, July 18th • from 6.00pm onwards

‘Jazz on a Summer’s Evening’
at Buckland Abbey

Lively traditional jazz in the Great Barn, Buckland Abbey. Two terrific bands led by Richard Leach & John Maddocks. Hog roast, bar & National Trust pasties, cakes etc in the courtyard.

The Courtyard, Buckland Abbey, Devon PL20 6EY

Admission £15, booking in advance.
Tel: 01752 721179

Full details at: Jazz at Buckland Abbey

*** *** ***

John Hallam & John Wurr with the Craig Milverton Trio

John Hallam

John Wurr

Sunday
August 2nd
7.00 for 7.30pm

Two great mainstream
jazz saxophonists
combine with the
award-winning pianist
for a great evening of music.

The Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road,
Crownhill,
Plymouth PL6 5DH

Admission £9, Members £7, Full Time Students £5. Tickets on the door.
Tel: 01752 721179

*** *** ***

Sunday, August 16th • 6.15pm onwards

Riverboat Shuffle

Spirit of Plymouth

Cruise up the beautiful River Tamar to the traditional jazz music of the Tamar Jazz Band
led by banjoist Malcolm Hurrell.

Admission £15, pasties, beef or veg £3 order on booking.
Advance booking required, call 01752 721179

*** *** ***
Gig information and general enquiries:

(01752) 721179 or 774343

www.plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk

email: [email protected]

Tad Newton has been featuring JAZZ@THE CASTLE, Wellingborough, for almost 30 years and next up are Kevin Grenfell’s and Richard Leach’s “Slide by Slide” – great band, great music, great fun and I can vouch for that!

Superb venue, stage, grand piano, intimate atmosphere. And …  a great line up of bands for September and October events!

Contact Tad Newton for further details:
email – [email protected]
tel – 01604 858549
Web: www.tadnewtonsjazzfriends.com

Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz

The 9^th Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival
Friday 3^rd July to Sunday 5^th July 2015

Winner of the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Award “Remarkable Day Out” and recently included in The Telegraph newspapers Best 15 Festivals of 2015 for the over 50’s, Burton Agnes Hall will hold their 9^th Jazz and Blues Festival July 3^rd – 5^th in their award winning gardens and great Elizabethan Hall.

This year the festival expects to be bigger and better than ever and tickets are selling faster than in all previous years and buyers are urged to purchase these asap to avoid being disappointed.

With national award wining artists such as Jo Harman, Val Wiseman, including Alan Barnes and Digby Fairweather and Nicola Farnon performing on the outdoor stages, acts that will perform over the weekend inside the Great Hall have just been announced as follows:

Saturday 11:00am – 5:00pm
Jenny Bray and her Jazz students – Jenny Bray brings her students to the Hall for a heart warming and inspirational show of talent from the stars of tomorrow. Jenny will also be supported by jazz educator Rev Ray. 

Saffron Byass – With a stunning voice and a talent for the guitar and piano, Burton Agnes Festival look forward to hearing performances from Saffron’s new album in the making. 

Samuel McKie in association with the Beverley Festival – Samuel enjoys modern folk, and listens to artists such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell and newer artists such as Johnny Flynn and Emily Barker. Sam tries to weave old stories and histories with tunes and chords; the Book Of Exeter for example has inspired a number of his songs. Though he feels he is still a long way from where he wants to be as a writer and musician, Sam thinks it’s time he started sharing his ditties and seeing how they’re received.

Sunday 12 noon – 5:00pm
Gershwin revisited – A tour of Gershwin’s greatest songs from the ‘Summertime’ to ‘A Foggy Day’ with Festival organiser Simon on sax, Michael Nagasaka and Tom Mellor on guitar, all capped off with Kate Sweeting’s beautiful singing.

Ben Beattie – Sax playing Ben will perform solo some of his favourite pieces and own compositions, and will also be showing off his talent and skills on the piano.

Rob Law Trio – Rob is an accomplished piano player who has earned himself a reputation as one of the country’s most exciting young artists and Burton Agnes are delighted to welcome him back to perform at their festival.

Edwina Hayes, in association with the Beverley Festival – Born in Dublin, and now based in Yorkshire, Edwina’s beautifully crafted songs and natural stage presence are leading her to some of the UK’s finest stages. Her solo shows are a pleasing blend of well crafted songs, beautifully sung and played, coupled with a natural charm that audiences everywhere find appealing.

This years Courtyard Sessions, which will run during the afternoon on both days, will see performances from local artists Alfie Woods & Meg Waite along with festival regular, and hugely talented, Jacob King. 

Tickets are now on sale from here: http://www.burtonagnes.com/Jazz_Festival/Tickets_and_Prices.html
By telephone 01262 490324 (weekdays 9am-5pm), or from any of the shops at Burton Agnes Hall.

Tickets are priced at £70 for the full weekend; children under 12 are free with an adult. 

Concessions: OAPs, Burton Agnes Hall members, students and children aged 12-15 are £68.

(Families need only buy one concessionary ticket to cover all their children aged 12-15)

Day and evening only tickets are also available.

‘Possibly the most enjoyable jazz concert I’ve ever attended’
The Independent

BULLETIN COURTESY OF BIG BEAR MUSIC

An average of nearly 36 hours of free jazz and blues each day for 10 days, and July just around the corner, then it must be the countdown to Birmingham’s annual music extravaganza.

The 31^st Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival runs from July 3^rd to 12^th with 177 live performances in 78 venues, 12 music workshops, two talks, three dance sessions, a record fair, two exhibitions of photographs – and almost all of it free. And as well as all of that, there are 19 film screenings including the opening of the new Amy Winehouse film ‘Amy’.

Behind the statistics there is a lot of exciting and entertaining music from newcomers and Festival favourites alike.

Among the first-timers are international acts Stockholm Stompers [Sweden], Hot Jazz Alliance [USA/Australia], The Schwings featuring Laura Budreckyte [Lithuania] and Sarah Lenka [France] all making their UK debuts while the domestic newcomers are the much talked about Harpers Ferry, Malaya Blue, Blues Engine and emerging local songstress Ella Squirrell.

Also look out for returning international bands Florence Joelle [France], Pepper & the Jellies [Italy] and Saxitude [Luxembourg].

For Dancers, there are sessions at The Pop-Up Dance Hall on Regency Wharf, off Broad Street and at The Dark Horse in Moseley with The Swing Era Lindy Hop teachers. The Chinese Jitterbug Squad will make half a dozen appearances around the Festival, all sponsored by The Grand Hotel while Birmingham Music School will host eight free instrument sessions from ‘Beginner Guitar’ through to ‘An Interactive History of Hip Hop.

The last three days [July 10^th to 12^th] are really a Festival Within A Festival with thirty shows dedicated to celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Billie Holiday, who despite her early death at the age of 44 was undisputedly the most important and influential of popular singers whose work has affected so may singers across the decades. One of those was the late Amy Winehouse whose life is portrayed in the film Amy, to be shown as part of the Festival.  Leading American singer, composer and guitarist Madeleine Peyroux will not be at the Birmingham Festival, but she is so involved in what is happening here that she has specially written a very moving piece on Billie for the Festival.

There is so much more in this huge Festival, and it is all in the free 64 page colour programme available online now or from all Festival venues from June 11^th.

Callout For Volunteers

And if anyone out there wants to help deliver the Festival, in any one of a dozen capacities, then contact the Festival and volunteer.

For full programme details you can visit www.birminghamjazzfestival.com or request from the below email or postal address.

For further information please contact:
Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival
PO Box 944, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 8UT
0121 454 7020 / [email protected]