Jazz in Wales

News about gigs, festivals, famous names, new artists and more compiled by DJ Andy Roberts in Cardiff, Wales. Send your updates to andy @ jazzinwales.co.uk

Monday, July 31, 2006

Jazz is back at the Riverbank

Jazz is back at the Riverbank Hotel in Cardiff after a six month break.

Three Sunday lunchtime gigs have been lined up for August to coincide with the popular weekly Riverside food market.

Sun 6 August - Paula Gardiner Quartet ft Lee Goodall
Sun 20 August - Jones O’Connor Group
Sun 27 August - Lee Goodall Quartet

Admission is free, and the gigs take place from 12.30 to 3pm on the patio stage of the hotel, which sits on Fitzhamon Embankment across the river Taff from the Millennium Stadium.

Phone the Riverbank Hotel on 029 2022 7982 for more details.

Jazz Connection Brecon Special - Aug 5

There's a special edition of my Jazz Connection show on BBC Radio Wales on Saturday 5 August at 6.30 till 8pm.

I'll be looking ahead to the following weekend's Brecon Jazz Festival with tracks from as many of the big names and local heroes as I can cram into ninety minutes.

You can hear the show live across the UK on digital satellite channel 0117 or anytime in the week running up to Brecon via the website at
bbc.co.uk/jazzconnection

Glamorgan Summer School - thank you!!

Just a message to say the biggest ever heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this year's Glamorgan Jazz Summer School in south Wales.

I was in the vocalists group last week and had a whale of a time - special thanks to our inspiring tutors Liane Carroll and Iain Mackenzie, and to my fellow students for their support and tolerance of any especially cheesy excesses of mine, on or off stage.

There's still a chance to see students and tutors perform every weekday night until Friday 4 August at Shafts Bar in the students union at the University of Glamorgan, Treforest near Pontypridd - see www.glam.ac.uk for directions and other info.

And I may be singing at a venue near you sooner than you expect.

Be afraid - be very afraid...

Brecon Jazz - Stroller programme details

Due to public demand, here are details of the Stroller programme for this year's Brecon Jazz Festival:

BISHOPS GARDEN
SATURDAY
1200-1315 Nia Lynn
1345-1500 Eddie Parker’s Mr. Vertigo
1530-1645 Tom Williams’ Jazz & Blues Band
1715-1830 Bill Fletcher’s Ecclusiastics
1915-2030 Pete Saunders’ Fat Tuesday Band
2100-2230 John Crampton
SUNDAY
1200-1330 The Gramophone Party
1400-1515 Fatjacket
1545-1715 Ray Stubbs
1730-1900 Break (cathedral)
1915-2045 Hollow Bone


CASTLE HOTEL
FRIDAY
2030-2200 Nia Lynn
SATURDAY
1230-1400 Scott Hamilton
1445-1615 Sarah Bennett Quintet
1700-1830 Alan Barnes Quartet
1915-2045 Eduardo Niebla Trio
SUNDAY
1200-1330 Frank Giasullo & Art Themen Quartet
1400-1530 Mike Piggott Quartet
1615-1745 The Jones O’Connor Group
1830-2000 Don Weller & John Gibbon Trio
2045-2200 Marcia Pendlebury Quintet featuring Art Themen

BEACON VENUE
FRIDAY
1945-2100 The Barcodes
2145-2300 Bluesy Susie
SATURDAY
1200-1330 John Crampton
1415-1545 The Daniel Smith Blues Band
1630-1800 The Sonny Black Band
1845-2015 The SoulKitchen
2100-2230 The Guv’nors
SUNDAY
1200-1315 Keith Little’s Hot Six
1345-1515 Sax Appeal
1600-1730 Tom Williams’ Jazz & Blues Band
1815-1945 Mike Piggott Quartet
2130-2300 Ray Stubbs


CAPTAINS WALK
FRIDAY
1915-2045 Scott Hamilton Quartet
2130-2300 Blue Harlem
SATURDAY
1215-1345 Royal Welsh College of Music and Drams Jazz Ensemble
1430-1600 Marcia Pendlebury Quintet featuring Art Themen
1645-1815 The Heavy Quartet
1900-2030 The Gramophone Party
2130-2300 Zoot Money + Nick Newell + The Barcodes
SUNDAY
1200-1330 Pendulum Jazz Orchestra Concert & guests
1400-1530 The Amigos
1615-1745 Keith Waithe & the Macusi Players
2030-2230 Wonderbrass

WATTON MARQUEE
SATURDAY
1030-1130 Pendulum Jazz Orchestra - open rehearsal
1200-1315 Pendulum Jazz Orchestra Concert
1400-1545 Danny Moss Quartet featuring Rosano Sportiello
1615-1745 Spirit of New Orleans
1830-1930 Blue Harlem
SUNDAY
1200-1330 Danny Moss & Jeannie Lamb
1415-1545 Liane Carroll
1630-1800 Keith Little’s Hot Six


THEATRE BRYCHEINIOG
SATURDAY 1000-1130 Junior Groovers (Eddie Parker)

See www.breconjazz.co.uk for further details about Stroller ticket availability and venue locations.

There's still a chance to enter a competition to win a pair of weekend Stroller tickets on my radio show's website at bbc.co.uk/jazzconnection

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Glamorgan Jazz Summer School

Some of the UK's leading jazz stars are performing nightly in the south Wales valleys over the next fortnight as part of the Glamorgan Jazz Summer School.

Martin Speake, Lianne Carroll, Nikki Iles, Dave Hassell, Julian Siegel and Geoff Simkins are among the tutors sharing their skills - and a stage - with more than a hundred aspiring musicians from all over the UK who've gathered at the University of Glamorgan at Treforest.

After each day of workshops, the tutors and students perform what they've learnt at Shafts Bar in the students union every weekday night from July 24 to August 4.

This year is the seventh time I've been a summer school student myself - I'd highly recommend it as a busy but rewarding experience for musicians of any level of ability who want to learn more about jazz.

See www.glam.ac.uk/summerschool for more details and to register your interest in receiving a prospectus for next year's course.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Stroller sounds for Brecon Jazz

The Stroller bill for this year's HSBC Brecon Jazz Festival has been announced, with more than sixty gigs available for day or weekend ticket holders.

There's a variety of traditional and contemporary jazz, blues, Latin, funk, boogie woogie and world music, including stars like Liane Carroll, Alan Barnes, Zoot Money, Eduardo Niebla, Don Weller and more.

Homegrown Welsh talent on offer includes Bill Fletcher’s Ecclusiastics, the Heavy Quartet, Nia Lynn and Keith Tippett leading the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Ensemble.

The Stroller gigs back up a concert programme that includes Stan Tracey, Courtney Pine, Iris Williams, Gwyneth Herbert, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Tommy Smith and George Melly.

Festival Director Jim Smith says: “With over 60 gigs and a spectrum of music from around the world, we are hoping that this year’s Stroller programme will appeal to a broad audience, from those coming back to see Brecon perennials to those tasting something new and unexpected.”

This year’s HSBC Brecon Jazz runs from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th August. Festival details are available on 01874 611622 and
www.breconjazz.co.uk

The festival is sponsored by HSBC and S4C will broadcast from the festival for the first time this summer.

BBC Jazz Awards - the winners

Dennis Rollins, Anita Wardell and Alan Barnes are among the winners of the BBC Jazz Awards 2006.

After two years of Welsh success, our lone representative Ian Shaw was a runner-up to Clare Teal in the Best Vocalist category, which he won in 2004.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/music/jazzawards2006 for the full list of winners and listen to highlights of the awards ceremony on Jazz Line-Up on BBC Radio 3 this Saturday 15 July at 4pm.