Lockerbie Jazz Festival 2010

The fifth Lockerbie Jazz Festival will take place earlier this year and its organisers are promising that a ‘town centre extravaganza’ will be at the heart of the weekend’s festivities.

The Festival, which runs from October 1-3, is introducing a £5 day ticket for Festival Saturday, the 2nd, with a packed programme running throughout the day from 11am-6pm.

The ‘Take Five’ ticket will enable visitors to hear up to 18 different bands and gigs, all within a couple of minute’s walk of each other. All types of jazz and blues will be showcased, and there will lots of food and entertainment on offer to make the Take Five ticket excellent value and a great day out at the start of October.

The Festival will continue to have a superb programme of international quality jazz and blues for which Lockerbie is renowned.

The Commonwealth Games flame is being handed from India to Scotland in October and Lockerbie Jazz Festival is playing its part in the celebrations, with a unique coming together of musicians from India, South Africa, Canada, and Scotland to form a Commonwealth Jazz Group. The group will be performing on Saturday.

The headline concerts at the Town Hall will feature the magical voice of Carol Kidd, and the effervescent R’n'B, jump jive, blues and boogie of Red Stripe Band. Two international jazz star saxophonists, Ken Peplowski and Alan Barnes, are in Lockerbie for the weekend, and there are a host of top class concerts listed below.

This year, there’s more local involvement than ever, and we welcome all the arts – including drama, song and dance from the musicals, the pipe and flute band, and another popular Gospel Concert.

The enhanced Festival Programme has been made possible by additional support from Dumfries and Galloway Council, Event Scotland, and new sponsors, DS Smith. The Council have designated Lockerbie Jazz Festival a ‘beacon event’, and will provide £10,000 of funding per annum in the period 2010-2012 to grow the Festival’s economic and cultural impacts.  Lockerbie Jazz Festival also has support from GaelForce, through Dumfries & Galloway Arts.

Councillor Ian Carruthers, the Council’s Events Champion said, “The Council is delighted to support the Lockerbie Jazz Festival, which continues to develop its reputation as one of the UK’s most eclectic and significant jazz festivals. The Festival can go from strength to strength in the next 3 years with the support of the beacon events policy, to bring colour and great live music to Lockerbie and provide an out of season boost to the regional economy as well.”

Event Scotland are supporting the Commonwealth Jazz Band and a new marketing initiative targeting visitors from outside the local area.

DS Smith are sponsoring the Festival for the first time. Simon Hamer, Managing Director, said: “we are delighted to be supporting this exciting local initiative.”

George Smith and Derek Gorman of the Festival planning group said, “The Festival is really moving into a different gear this year. We hope to attract more local people and more visitors with a programme that’s geared towards people who have limited or no special jazz interest, as well as the aficionados. There’s something for everyone at the Festival this year.

For further information contact: Fiona Alexander, Assembly Direct

Telephone: 0131 553 4000, E-Mail: Fiona@adjazz.co.uk

Lockerbie Jazz Festival Listings

Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd October 2010 / www.lockerbiejazz.com

Box–Office Information >>

By Phone: Dumfries & Galloway Arts 01387 253383 (10am–5pm, not weekends)

In Person: Lockerbie: Margaret’s Newsagents (10am–5pm)

Dumfries, dgArts, Midsteeple, High Street (10am–5pm, not weekends)

Online: via www.lockerbiejazz.com

Programme listing >>

Friday 1st October

Carol Kidd

“There can’t be a more moving interpreter of the jazz ballad on either side of the Atlantic” (The Guardian).

Whether it’s skipping through a swinging standard or emptying her heart in the slowest of ballads, Carol Kidd is without peer almost anywhere in the world.  A natural musicality combines with her lyrical sensitivity (she seems to believe every word she sings) creating classic interpretations of the popular American jazz songbook – from Gershwin to Randy Newman. She is joined by Nigel Clark (guitar), Paul Harrison (piano), Mario Caribe (bass), Stuart Brown (drums).

Lockerbie Town Hall, 8pm, £16

Alan Barnes with Jim Mullen Organ Trio

The guitarist is the master of soul and funky jazz groove – from playing with Brian Auger and the Average White Band in the 70′s to his brilliant Organ Trio today. The classic blues and soul sound of the guitar, Hammond Organ and drums is one of the joys of jazz, and elevated tonight by the punchy tenor saxophone of Alan Barnes.

Queen’s Hotel, 8.30pm, £12 W

The River Devils

Rollicking blues night from powerful band led by guitarist Sandy Tweeddale. From searing slide guitar boogie to greasy Hammond organ driven grooves they play original takes on BB King style swamp guitar, through T–Bone Walker to the gut bucket, rocking blues of Elmore James and Houndog Taylor.

Kings Arms, 8.30pm, £10

Saturday 2 October

TakeFive

23 concerts – 100 performers – 5 stages

We are celebrating our fifth festival with an all day jazz extravaganza – from big bands and blues to singers and tango. The all star cast includes:

Acoustic Fury: folk/rock inspired blues guitars from David Bass and Alan Train

Argentine Tango Dance: dance exhibition with opportunity to shake a leg

The Cheltenham Eight: festival debut for award winning 11–18 years old ensemble

Dumfries Youth Jazz Group: the cream of local players – MD Christine Barbour

Havana Swing: classic Hot Club repertoire, gypsy jazz and fleet fingered guitarwork

The Ladies of Jazz: Angie King, Clare Daly and Sue McHugh with the Tom Finlay Trio

Lairds of Dixieland: John Cowan leads some of the top local traditional players

Lockerbie Academy Fiddle and Flutes: traditionally tinged, full of joie de vivre

Lockerbie Drama Group: showcase their regular activies including readings

John Lowrie Quartet: modern jazz from Dumfries drummer

Picante: latin tinged quintet from Adderley to Jobim

Mike Ruby Quartet: leading young Canadian tenor sax player

Sandy TweedDale solo: rare solo set from blues guitarist

Solway Rhythm Aces: New Orleans jazz from Jack Wilson’s band

The Wise Guys: rocking and classic blues group

Stage Face School: drama meets jazz, songs from the musicals

Utsav Lal: extraordinary Indian pianist solo

and introducing

The Commonwealth Jazz Explosion:

Laura Macdonald (sax, Scotland), Mike Ruby (sax,  Canada), Steve Hamilton (piano, Scotland), Utsav Lal (piano, India), Prince Bulo (electric bass, South Africa) and John Lowrie (drums, Scotland) (Supported by Event Scotland’s Games for Scotland Fund)

Town Hall, Kings Arms, Little Theatre, 10.45am – 6pm, £5 W

Films, food and drink at the Jazz Café in     the Town Hall from 10.30am­–5.30pm.

Red Stripe Band + The Yah Yahs

“The closest thing to Jools Holland and his Big Band” (JazzFM).

File under “party”. The engagingly infectious pianist and singer, Red Stripe and his seven piece band offer wicked boogie-woogie, jump jive, blues, rock and roll and a party  atmosphere that swings with high octane music. Local blues band, The Yah Yahs get the party started.

Lockerbie Town Hall, 8pm, £12

Tangalgo

Spirit and passion as the romance of the tango meets the improvisation of jazz. Phil Alexander (p); Mario Caribe (b); Mattie Faulds (d) are joined by special guest, singer, Valentina Montoya Martinez. Plus tango demonstration from internationally acclaimed dancers Jenny Frances and Ricardo Orio in the interval

Dryfesdale Church Hall, 8pm, £15

Presented in association with Solway Argentine Tango Society

Barnes/Peplowski Septet

In a special concert celebrating the music of the great Ellingtonian saxophone player Johnny Hodges, the leading swing bop saxophonists from the US and the UK lead a star studded cast featuring Steve Fishwick (trumpet), Roy Williams (trombone), Paul Harrison (piano), Brian Shiels (bass) and Doug Hough (drums). This powerhouse band showcase some of the most appealing music in jazz.

The Queens Hotel, 8.30pm, £15 W

Sunday 3 October

Glasgow Gospel Choir

A rousing Sunday gospel sermon led by Rev Sandy Stoddard and the Glasgow Gospel Choir.

Dryfsdale Parish Church, 10–11.30am, Free   The choir would welcome donations

Batchelors of Jazz

Classic dixieland jazz played with real rhythmical punch by one of the most entertaining bands in Scotland. Led by Dave Batchelor (trombone, vocals) and featuring Fraser Spiers (harmonica), Lennie Herd (trumpet), Forrie Cairns (clarinet); Alastair Macdonald (banjo and vocals), Ronnie Rae (bass) and Ken Mathieson (drums).

Queen’s Hotel, 12.30–2pm, £10   Light lunches available from noon: book direct with hotel on 01576 202415

Angie King with special guest Roy Williams

One of the finest jazz singers in the UK with the great trombonist and pianist Tom Finaly and bassist Brian Shiels.

Somerton Hotel, 2–3.15pm, £8 W  Jazz Brunch available from 12.30pm: book direct on 01576 202583

Alan Barnes, Ken Peplowski Group

The saxophonists get together for a classic two tenor/two clarinet blow with a terrific rhythm section featuring Paul Harrison (piano), Mario Caribe (bass) and Doug Hough (drums). An international jazz summit and a wisecracking masterclass.

Dryfesdale Hotel, 3.30pm, £12 W  Afternoon teas available.

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