NEWS
BRECON JAZZ 30TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL LINE-UP ANNOUNCED
26/02/2014
Burt Bacharach, Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula & Loose Tubes headline our 30th Birthday! Get your Pre-Sale Link now.
Following last month’s teaser announcement of the first four acts scheduled to play Brecon Jazz 2014, we’re pleased to announce the full list of acts who will be helping us celebrate the 30th anniversary this August.
In celebration of this landmark anniversary, we’ve decided to get the festival underway a night early on Thursday 7th of August. And what better way to start the festival than with a special performance by the legendary Burt Bacharach!
Alongside his band and singers, the multi Academy and Grammy winning legend of popular music will perform his most loved songs and more at the Market Hall, as the opening concert of the 30th edition of Brecon Jazz.
Then on Friday 8th of August, the festival kicks in to full swing, starting with the Warren Vaché Quintet featuring Alan Barnes at Theatr Brycheiniog. Having featured on the bill of the very first Brecon Jazz, we are pleased to be welcoming one of the Brecon Originals back to the festival in our 30th year, where he will perform with his quintet, featuring multi-award winning reeds man Alan Barnes.
Friday’s line-up also features rising Brit starlet Zara McFarlane, internationally renowned saxophonist and ex-Jazz Messenger Jean Toussaint, who appears with his quartet JT4, and the unique talents of German pianist Michael Wollny.
Coincidentally, Brecon Jazz shares its 30th Anniversary with that of Loose Tubes, the newly reformed, anarchic 21 piece big-band whose line-up reads like a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of a brilliant generation of musicians. The band made their Brecon Jazz debut in 1985, and return to headline Friday night at The Market Hall.
Saturday also marks the return of the much loved The Captain’s Walk outdoor arena in Brecon town centre, which will welcome another of the Brecon Originals and a true Welsh jazz institution, Mike Harries Root Doctors. Also appearing there on Saturday are Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio, Imperial Kikiristan and Beats & Pieces Big Band. Tickets will be priced £25 for each day, and allows you to nip out to other concerts as well if you so wish! To add to that, there will be craft and food stalls, toilets and a bar.
And on to a packed Saturday line-up. Headlined by the wonderful Brit and Mercury Award Nominee Laura Mvula (The Market Hall), you’ll also be able to catch the Fapy Lafertin Quartet, led by the famous Gypsy Jazz guitarist who made his Brecon bow in 1985 and became an instant festival favourite. Also performing are Kit Downes’ Troyka, the brilliant vibraphonist Roger Beaujolais (with Quartet), and the freshly re-imagined Penguin Café.
Our Artist in Residence Huw Warren presents a new jazz suite based on the poetry of Dylan Thomas. ‘Do Not Go Gentle’ is specially commissioned for the Dylan Thomas centenary year, receiving its world premiere at Brecon and is respectfully dedicated to the most famous of musicians to tie up Dylan Thomas in jazz, Stan Tracey. The sadly missed piano great will also be remembered at the Tribute to Stan Tracey concert, with his son Clark leading a Quintet performing his father’s final album The Flying Pig.
Also appearing on Saturday are Don Weller & David Newton, Kairos 4Tet, Marius Neset Quartet, Burum and the RWCMD & NYJW double bill.
Whilst the festival will close to the booming voice of Grammy winning US singer Gregory Porter (Market Hall), Sunday at Brecon starts as ever with the riotous Jazz Service at Brecon Cathedral, which this year will be followed by current BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, Trish Clowes, with her Quintet featuring Mercury Prize-nominated pianist Gwilym Simcock.
Singer Christine Tobin salutes the legendary Leonard Cohen in her award winning show ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep’; one of the most successful Brazilian musicians in the sphere of Bossa Nova and Jazz and the pioneer of neo-Brazilian music, Vinicius Cantuária performs at Theatr Brycheiniog with his Quartet; The Big Chris Barber Band features everything from New Orleans to blues to late 20's Ellington, played with their usual panache and skill; one of contemporary jazz's great performers, pianist John Taylor makes a rare performance with his trio; Polar Bear return with drummer Sebastian Rochford leading the band in a new direction, and Artist in Residence Huw Warren presents the latest encounter in the World Wide Wales series of musical dialogues, this time with Italian clarinettist Gabriele Mirabassi.
Sunday also marks the return of The Guildhall Welsh Jazz Club Concerts, curated by Brecon Jazz Club in association with partner Welsh jazz clubs and associations. Performances from Lady Nade & The Silhouettes, Organic, The Remi Harris Gypsy Jazz Project and The Jim Barber Trio Meets Bluesy Suzie can all be seen with the purchase of the Guildhall Stroller ticket (£25).
Sunday at The Captain’s Walk promises electrifying performances from Township Comets featuring Pinise Saul, the Ollie Howell Quintet and James Clark’s Lonely Hearts Rugby Clwb. The curtain will fall in spectacular fashion, to the rhythms of the UK's premier samba percussion group, Rhythms of the City; the perfect end to 4 days of what George Melly called “Gentle riot and polite mayhem” in the first ever Brecon Jazz festival programme.
Masterclasses
As ever, a selection of the Festival’s performers will also hold Masterclasses at Christ College across the weekend, giving an insight in to their craft and inspirations. This year we welcome Paula Gardiner, Kit Downes, Clark Tracey, Chris Batchelor, Gabriele Mirabassi and Jean Toussaint. Tickets are only available online and places are limited so get your tickets quickly.
Tickets for all Brecon Jazz 2014 events go on general sale from Friday 28th of August at 9am.
Remember, stay in touch with us on Twitter and Facebook for further announcements.
