KIRKCUDBRIGHT JAZZ FESTIVAL
A Celebration of Trad New Orleans, Dixieland and Swing Jazz in South West Scotland.
13TH KIRKCUDBRIGHT JAZZ FESTIVAL
10, 11, 12 and 13 June 2010
The 13th annual festival in this unique small Scottish town promises to be even more appealing and exciting than ever, Visitors will have the chance to enjoy, for the first time here, yet more top class and highly professional artistes, as well as some old favourites, ensuring that this festival cateers for jazz loovers of all ages who appreciate quality as well as variety for their entertainment.
Guaranteeing that the weekend will kick off with a great start, Thursday and Friday will feature performances by T J Johnson and his Band. T J is widely considered to be one of the UK's finest jazz and blues singers.
Another first is the appearance of the great New Orleans reed player Thomas l'Etienne from Germany, who will feature with several bands throughout the weekend. Before going solo, Thomas was the bandleader of Lilian Boutte and Her Music.
Another first for Kirkcudbright audiences is the assembly of Mike Durham, Spats Langham, Keith Nichols, Norman Field, Paul Munnery, Frans Sjostrom and Nick Ward who will play in various combinations as Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Band, Spats & His Rhythm Boys, Keith Nichols' Blue Five and Four Pods of Pepper adding to the "classic" brand of 1920's Jazz on tap. In addition there are fist time appearances from the New Century Ragtime Orchestra, Maine Street Jazzmen and Dennis Armstrong's Bristol Blue Five + One.
The bands appearing offer enough variety to please all tastes. You can hear "Trad" bands, Revivalist style New Orleans bands,Ragtime and early Swing, Classic Jazz, Dixieland, Rhythm and Blues and even a hit of Country and Western. If you don't understand the terminology it does't matter, it's the sound that's important.
Held from 10th to 13th June 2010, it is a great time to visit this least populated area of Dumfries and Galloway, only an hour's drive north of Carlisle, It isknown as "the artists' town" because, like St Ives in Cornwall, it has that special kind of light, particularly at sunset, which attracted and continues to attract many successful artists to live and work in the region.
Many historical houses ar around the old harbour. It is also an ideal place to move on from and explore more of the beauties of Scotland at this time of year, where it is still light at midnight.
Come and experience life in this unspoiled corner of Scotland. It's not just music that belongs in a past tradition.
Dave Donohoe.
