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

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Mumbles Mostly Jazz and Blues

Message from Dave Cottle:

"The Laurence Cottle Allstar Big Band with vocalist Claire Martin is opening the Mumbles Mostly Jazz and Blues Festival this year on Friday 4th May. The location is a superb marquee at Southend Gardens, Mumbles (opposite the Antelope!). Excellent facilities on site including food and a good choice of beers and lagers.

"Those who have heard the Big Band before will know the quality of musicians that will be playing. Ian Thomas on drums, Nigel Hitchcock, Simon Allen, Ben Castle form part of the sax team, plus the likes of Martin Shaw, Steve Sidwell and Mark Nightingale are in the brass section. Claire Martin has picked up 'Best Jazz vocalist of the year award' at the BBC awards 5 times!

"The Big Band has really outgrown Swansea Jazzland at the St James Club so this will be an excellent venue (with no pillars in the way!!) to come and hear (and see!) them."

More details at www.mumblesmostlyjazzandblues.co.uk or phone Dave Cottle on 07802 912789.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Free jazz with Michael Garrick

The Welsh Jazz Society presents the Michael Garrick Trio at The Gate arts centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff, on Saturday 14 April at 8pm (rescheduled from Thursday 12).

The pianist has been at the forefront of British jazz for over forty years, and will be accompanied by Paul Moylan on bass and Alan Jackson on drums.

Admission is free of charge for Welsh Jazz Society members, £4 for non-members coming along as guests.

Welsh jazz - fears for funding

The Welsh Jazz Society has expressed its concern over cuts in public funding for jazz compared with other forms of music.

Writing in the monthly WJS newsletter for March, director Brian Hennessey notes a recent review of grant aid by the Arts Council of Wales resulted in a demise in funding for Cardiff Jazz Society, the Preservation Jazz Society, Torfaen Jazz Society and the North Wales Jazz Society.

He says that although the audience for jazz in Wales equates to that for opera, the relative funding allocated to the two art forms is "grossly disproportionate", and the suggestion that jazz societies should now rely on applications for lottery grants is "a decidely unsatisfactory alternative."

Mr Hennessey adds that the WJS has yet to be informed of its own Arts Council of Wales grant for the 2007/8 financial year which is only three weeks away. He says it makes budgeting and programme planning "very difficult if not impossible".

For more about the Welsh Jazz Society and its work, see its website at www.jazzwales.org.uk

Friday, March 02, 2007

Butetown Bay Jazz - March 4

Singers Patti Flynn and Humie Webb celebrate the musical heritage of Cardiff's docklands with the launch of Butetown Bay Jazz at Chapter Arts Centre on Sunday 4 March.

The evening - entitled Jazz Singers of the 20th Century - features the music and songs of Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hammerstein, performed by Patti and Humie backed by the Nigel Hart quintet.

It starts at 8pm and tickets cost £10.50, which includes a 50p contribution to support the redevelopment of Fitzalan High School.

More about the gig at www.chapter.org

You can find out more about Butetown past and present at bbc.co.uk/butetown