(Preview by Russell)
Building on the success of regular monthly jazz gigs
at Ushaw College, pianist Paul Edis
has been working away behind the scenes planning a jazz festival. The first
Durham Jazz Festival at Ushaw will take place over the August Bank Holiday
weekend (Friday 26th – Sunday 28th). The long-weekend event will take place in
the splendour of Ushaw College on the outskirts of Durham. A former Catholic
seminary, the vast Ushaw woodland estate with its landscaped gardens and
ornamental lake will make an idyllic summer jazz venue.
Musicians confirmed for the inaugural Durham Jazz
Festival at Ushaw include the superb Northern
Monkey Brass Band as festival openers at six o’clock on Friday 26 August.
The New Orleans second line dance grooves of Graham Hardy’s brass outfit will
have ’em up dancing from the off! Later in the evening the acclaimed Zoë Gilby Quartet will maintain the
highest of standards.
Saturday gets off to an early start with,
appropriately, the Early Bird Band
at 11:00am. In double quick time the teenage Early Birds have developed into a
confident, gigging band, writing material and, under the guidance of Paul Edis,
the future looks bright. Dr Edis has promised to lead an afternoon workshop and
will be followed by author, broadcaster and musician Alyn Shipton and Alan Barnes in a ‘What is Jazz?’ presentation.
Don’t miss the duo. They will be informative and, knowing Alan Barnes,
side-splittingly hilarious!
Early Saturday evening is one for lovers of classic
jazz guitar. The duo of Mark Williams
and Joel Byrne-McCullough, friends from college days, will astonish those
yet to hear the Irishmen. Those who have heard them won’t want to miss this
special festival occasion.
The headliners come no better than Alan Barnes and Bruce Adams. World
class jazz, it’s as simple as that. British musicians of international
standing, the reeds and brass duo will be working with the incomparable Paul Edis Trio. Saturday’s entertainment
concludes in time honoured jazz festival style with a late night jam session
featuring the Peter Gilligan Trio. Sitters-in
are positively encouraged, it’s the stuff of a great jam session!
Sunday’s events are scheduled to begin early in the
day with light refreshments available for those making a day of it. A late
afternoon concert featuring the unique New
Century Ragtime Orchestra will delight festival goers, then at eight
o’clock the first Durham Jazz Festival at Ushaw will be brought to a close by
the dynamic Nigel Price Trio.
A festival programme will be available soon with full
details of the weekend’s line-up, admission prices, directions to Ushaw College
(DH7 9RH) and much more.
Russell.
There is a monthly, year
round programme of jazz at Ushaw. Why not give it a try? The next gig on
February 26 features the ‘classic jazz’ Virtuoso Jazz Trio. Admission £7.00
starting at 7:30pm. Future concerts include: April 29 James Birkett &
Bradley Johnston,
May 27 Sue Ferris Quintet,
June 24 Customs House Big Band, July 29 Paul Edis Sextet
and,
on September 30, Alice Grace Quintet. To reserve tickets telephone 0191 334
6423
2 comments :
I am looking forward to being there! With my chum Barnesy
How exciting - well done Paul!
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