British Jazz Festivals 2016

[A Lark Ascending]

Anything catch your eye?

Cheltenham is as tame as it has been in the last few years but I'm going to go down on the Saturday (maybe bring the tent and do a bit of walking) to see:

• Alexander Hawkins: Environment Music - with Laura Jurd, Percy Pursglove and Nick Malcolm, alongside students from Birmingham Conservatoire. (a free one)
• Tim Berne's Snakeoil (only ever seen Berne do a walk on for a tune during a Django Bates gig).  
• The Printmakers - the Nikki Iles/Norma Winstone band responsible for the marvellous 'Westerly' last year - saw them in Sheffield several years back. Be good to hear how they've come on - a great band where the front rank players - Mike Walker, Mark Lockhart, Steve Watts, James Maddren - are up there and at the centre, not just supporting the singer. 

Bath is more or less dead as a jazz weekend. 

Anything else promising? 

Edited March 21, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[sidewinder]

Alex's band would be nice to see but I'm not planning on heading up to Cheltenham this year. Or Bath for that matter - sadly. Solo Branford in Bath Abbey seems to be about it.

Yet again, most of the action this Summer seems to to be South of Shepton Mallet i.e.  Swanage, plus the lineup of Westbrook gigs ().

It will be tempting to hit the road to Rotterdam for the North Sea Fest.

Edited March 21, 2016 by sidewinder

[JohnS]

I've given up looking these days.  Okay, age is part of it but there seems very little to attract me I'm sorry to say.

[A Lark Ascending]

Llandudno, which I think started last year, seems to have a similar sort of line-up to Swanage - a bit like Appleby used to be but without the tartness of the Evan Parker Freezone. It clashes with Sidmouth Folk Festival for me but I'm not sure I'd have been tempted if I'd been free.  

http://www.llandudnojazzfestival.com/#!schedule/ctxb

It must be to do with the recession and the cutbacks in local government subsidy as those authorities are hammered by austerity. Ten years ago they were flying in the Mingus Big Band for one gig at Brecon. Most of the festivals seem quite insular with just the occasional American performer with a high enough profile to guarantee sales. A long way from Bath of old where Ned Knowles was regularly lining up performers from all over Europe no-one has never heard of. 

There also seem to be some more glitzy festivals which cross over into soul and rock. This one gets heavy promotion:

http://www.lovesupremefestival.com/lineup

We might be able to challenge the 'jazz festival' label under the trades descriptions act! Nothing wrong with it as a music festival but there's not a lot for jazz fans to chew on.  

[BillF]

34 minutes ago, A Lark Ascending said:

Llandudno, which I think started last year, seems to have a similar sort of line-up to Swanage - a bit like Appleby used to be but without the tartness of the Evan Parker Freezone. It clashes with Sidmouth Folk Festival for me but I'm not sure I'd have been tempted if I'd been free.  

http://www.llandudnojazzfestival.com/#!schedule/ctxb

It must be to do with the recession and the cutbacks in local government subsidy as those authorities are hammered by austerity. Ten years ago they were flying in the Mingus Big Band for one gig at Brecon. Most of the festivals seem quite insular with just the occasional American performer with a high enough profile to guarantee sales. A long way from Bath of old where Ned Knowles was regularly lining up performers from all over Europe no-one has never heard of. 

There also seem to be some more glitzy festivals which cross over into soul and rock. This one gets heavy promotion:

http://www.lovesupremefestival.com/lineup

We might be able to challenge the 'jazz festival' label under the trades descriptions act! Nothing wrong with it as a music festival but there's not a lot for jazz fans to chew on.  

The Wigan Jazz Festival was decimated the moment the Tories got into power in 2010 and slashed local authority budgets. Formerly international, it's now become largely local, even if Georgie Fame did come from Wigan! Can't see me going this year:

http://www.wiganjazzclub.co.uk/WIJF.htm

 

[sidewinder]

Probably what did for Bath was the cuts in BANES council funding and maybe they also lost the use of the Pavilion at affordable rates. I also think that another major reason was that the very nice lady, Eloise, a key force behind the scenes in managing the Jazz content of the fest, sadly passed away. It was never really the same again after her passing. At the end of the day and above all else it is people and their dedication that makes these things happen (which is why Swanage goes from strength to strength).

It was at its best I guess when I lived in the city several decades ago (it was actually possible to afford/buy a house there then). On quite a small scale when it start out and concerts very reasonably priced for a fiver or so, even at the Guildhall etc.  You could even buy wine from the glass at the gig - classy !

 

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

I've given up looking these days.  Okay, age is part of it but there seems very little to attract me I'm sorry to say.

I feel somewhat the same way I'm afraid !

Edited March 21, 2016 by sidewinder

[BillF]

2 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Probably what did for Bath was the cuts in BANES council funding and maybe they also lost the use of the Pavilion at affordable rates. I also think that another major reason was that the very nice lady, Eloise, a key force behind the scenes in managing the Jazz content of the fest, sadly passed away. It was never really the same again after her passing. At the end of the day and above all else it is people and their dedication that makes these things happen (which is why Swanage goes from strength to strength).

It was at its best I guess when I lived in the city several decades ago (it was actually possible to afford/buy a house there then). On quite a small scale when it start out and concerts very reasonably priced for a fiver or so, even at the Guildhall etc.  You could even buy wine from the glass at the gig - classy !

 

I feel somewhat the same way I'm afraid !

Yes, the passing of a key individual can be the reason for the disappearance of a festival, etc. Rossano Sportiello told me that this was why the Norwich Jazz Party - at which he was a regular - lapsed. Of course, the same thing is happening, bit by bit, to the jazz audience  - at least the audience for classic jazz. Once it was young guys, now it's guys with walking frames and hearing aids, next it's no one :-(

[romualdo]

Not totally Jazz but I'd love to be at this years "All Tomorrow's Parties" (April 15-17, Pontins, North Wales)

https://www.atpfestival.com/events/atp042016/lineup

There are a number of jazz participants - Sun Ra Arkestra, Alan Wilkinson, John Edwards, Steve Noble, Han Bennink, Evan Parker, John Russell, Steve Beresford, Tania Chen, David Toop, The Ex

Also if you're into folk, Shirley Collins & John Kirkpatrick (he & The Trembling Bells are doing the "No Roses" LP)

I'd also like to see Rocky Ericson, The Raincoats, The Fall, Thurston Moore, Shonen Knife

Dave Graney & The Necks are coming from Australia

[A Lark Ascending]

1 hour ago, romualdo said:

Not totally Jazz but I'd love to be at this years "All Tomorrow's Parties" (April 15-17, Pontins, North Wales)

https://www.atpfestival.com/events/atp042016/lineup

There are a number of jazz participants - Sun Ra Arkestra, Alan Wilkinson, John Edwards, Steve Noble, Han Bennink, Evan Parker, John Russell, Steve Beresford, Tania Chen, David Toop, The Ex

Also if you're into folk, Shirley Collins & John Kirkpatrick (he & The Trembling Bells are doing the "No Roses" LP)

I'd also like to see Rocky Ericson, The Raincoats, The Fall, Thurston Moore, Shonen Knife

Dave Graney & The Necks are coming from Australia

Yes, that's more like a festival. A bit too heavy on the avant-noise-punk* for me. But I'd love to see the reconstruction of "No Roses" (but will the hipsters at a festival like this know how to join in the choruses?).

Even this Festival has had difficulties though matters appear to be resolved: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/02/all-tomorrows-parties-festival-pontins-stewart-lee

(* I made that up but I think you know what I mean)

Edited March 22, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[sidewinder]

Hipsters at Pontins?

 

'Morning campers... Hi de hi and time to wax the beard'.

[A Lark Ascending]

7 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Hipsters at Pontins?

 

'Morning campers... Hi de hi and time to wax the beard'.

Might have made a great sit-com in 1961 - bushy moustached colonels facing down Kerouac-sporting Ban The Bomb activists. Not sure it would be a goer today.  

[sidewinder]

Great news to hear that Swanage 2019 will be going ahead - with a new local organising committee. Way too good a festival to be dissolved.

[Steve Reynolds]

Any word on where our friend Bev is??

[mjazzg]

12 hours ago, Steve Reynolds said:

Any word on where our friend Bev is??

I last heard from him in Nov/Dec and he was well and thriving in his retirement, listening to lots of music and attending concerts regularly

[Steve Reynolds]

8 hours ago, mjazzg said:

I last heard from him in Nov/Dec and he was well and thriving in his retirement, listening to lots of music and attending concerts regularly

Good to hear - please send him my regards 

many good memories from here and beyond:)

[mjazzg]

Shall do. I shall use this as a prompt to contact him