Newcastle Jazz Festival returns for its eighth season with a
carefully curated programme spanning two days across Live Theatre venues in
Newcastle city centre.
The 2026 festival celebrates the
breadth and depth of contemporary British jazz, featuring leading figures in
the UK jazz scene alongside musicians from our beloved North East.
Headlining Saturday evening is Mercury Prize-nominated trumpeter Laura Jurd, presenting a special concert re-imagining the legacy of Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth. Jurd's distinctive approach to the trumpet is internationally recognised, and this one-off concert brings together leading musicians for what promises to be a significant evening of music. Her programme draws on Davis's catalogue across his career, translating his energy and innovation into contemporary idiom—rock-tinged, groove-based music that honours the spirit of Miles whilst forging new territory.
Opening the festival on Friday
evening at Live Theatre is Clark Tracey BEM, one of Britain's most accomplished
and versatile drummers. A six-time British Jazz Awards 'Best Drums' winner,
Tracey grew up immersed in jazz as the son of legendary pianist Stan Tracey.
His career spans over 45 years, during which he has recorded more than 100
albums as sideman and leader, toured in over 50 countries, and worked with
major international artists including Johnny Griffin, Pharoah Sanders and Scott
Hamilton. He brings his current quintet to Newcastle, featuring leading UK jazz
musicians.
Saturday's afternoon programme at
Live Theatre Studio showcases the diversity of contemporary British jazz
practice. Opening is OUTRI, a new solo bass project by North East musician Ian
'Dodge' Paterson. Blending jazz with folk, electronica and found-sound aesthetics,
OUTRI combines organic looped bass with shifting harmonies and glitch electronics,
creating an intimate platform for one-off collaborations with fellow North East
musicians.
Teesside saxophonist Mark Toomey
brings his quartet to the festival, presenting original compositions rooted in
the bebop tradition. Toomey's set will emphasise the freedom and expressive
possibility at jazz's core.
British singer Alexia Gardner, with
Jamaican roots, performs jazz standards and original material. Based in London
after eight years in Switzerland and performances in New York, Gardner brings a
distinctive warmth and interpretive depth to the jazz vocal tradition, with a voice
described as smooth and mellow as fine wine.
Jamie Toms: jamie@newcastlejazzfestival.co.uk
Michael Lamb: michael@newcastlejazzfestival.co.uk
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/newcastlejazzfest
Instagram: @newcastlejazzfest
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