Tower and Town, July 2015 (view the full edition)Marlborough International Jazz FestivalThe Brewin Dolphin Marlborough International Jazz Festival 2015 (MIJF) takes place over the weekend of July 17th , 18th and 19th. Street closures and the ever-present foot-tapping sounds emerging from every pub and alley will ensure a carnival atmosphere. The event is expected to be the biggest yet. To see each band individually would cost hundreds of pounds. Once again, there is an incredible programme. That MIJF is a truly international festival is signified by the presence of the sensational Bratislava Hot Serenaders, the big band that returns through public acclaim. 'We booked them on instinct last year', says Festival Convenor, Nick Fogg. 'They were an absolute wow! I got a genuine feeling of what it was like to experience the great big bands of the interwar era. And, as for their vocal trio, The Serenader Sisters, how about the Andrews Sisters? But I would stress: this band isn't a pastiche of something else. It's the real thing.' The Festival is proud to feature the last of the great Louisiana blues artists, Leon Atkins, aka Lil' Jimmy Reed. He was awarded the Alabama Blues Treasure Award in 1995, named Blues Harmonica Player of the Year by the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame, and inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2014. Ace saxophonist Gilad Atzman will be appearing with his Orient House Ensemble. He was recently described by The Guardian as 'the best musician in the world today'. Darius Brubeck, a member of one of the Royal Families of Jazz, will be with us. The Latin beat will pulsate around the town. The top-flight jazz flamenco guitarist, Eduardo Niebla, has been described by The Scotsman as 'poignantly poetic... and truly fabulous'. Elkie Brooks, British Queen of the Blues, will headline the weekend. Double MOBO award-winning saxophonist, YolanDa Brown, will make a welcome reappearance. Eight-fold winners of the British Jazz Awards, Digby Fairweather's Half Dozen, features Craig Milverton and Julian Marc Stringle. Singer/guitarist and Clare Teal protégé, Ben Cipolla, winner of the 2014 Brewin Dolphin Award for The Best Newcomer, will return. This indicates the festival's ability to build enduring contacts with rising artists, a claim underlined by the presence of the YOUNG JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR, Alexander Bone, with his band. At the time of this release, artists have been booked from 27 countries, including Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroons, Canada , Congo, Dominica, France, Germany , Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Hungary , Israel, Ireland , Italy, Mali, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the UK, USA, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Nick Fogg |
Ex-Chris Barber drummer, Sticky Wicket returns with his Swing Orchestra. Old favourites Big 10 Man Clayton, Chris Jagger, the Red Stripe Band, the African Bandstand and Pete Allen are amongst some 100 bands on show. Around the festival may be found such well-established British jazz stars as James Allsopp, Richard Bryant, Kit Downes, Dave Green, George Haslam, Steve Kershaw, Robin Jones, Dave O'Higgins, John Pearce, Karen Sharp, Stan Sulzmann, Enrico Tomaso, Steve Waterman, Chris White and Jason Yarde.