Brecon Jazz reviewed

Another year, another Brecon Jazz Festival with a cornucopia of delights. The streets were eerily quiet this year but inside the venues everyone was enjoying themselves.

My personal highlights this year included a crowd-pleasing funky set from Courtney Pine with special guest Omar Puente (pictured right).

The Great Tenors - Benny Golson (left) and Johnny Griffin - lived up to their billing, and the jump jive sounds of Blue Harlem (vocalist Imelda pictured above) showed the delights of the Stroller programme.

Singer Liane Carroll - one of my tutors at this year's Glamorgan Jazz Summer School - gave a wonderfully versatile performance in Theatr Brycheiniog, giving material from Tom Waits, Steely Dan and Laura Nyro the jazz treatment as well as a new twist to standards like Caravan.

Ian Shaw joined Liane for a duet on You've Got A Friend - look out for a broadcast of the concert on BBC Four in the coming weeks.

Finally, my own band Wonderbrass had a great time closing the festival in the Captain's Walk on Sunday night with around three hundred revellers baying for more - even a power cut during the first number didn't stop us.

See some more photos on my Jazz Connection website.

Hope to see you next year - click the button below to add your comments on this year's Brecon Jazz Festival.

See also:

BBC News - Complaints after street jazz ban

Jazzwise - Crowds queue for Courtney Pine

BBC Mid Wales - Brecon Jazz Memories