Cowbridge Jazz Festival 2007

There's another celebration of jazz in the Vale of Glamorgan as the market town of Cowbridge hosts its annual jazz festival from June 28 to July 1.

The Temperance Seven and Digby Fairweather are this year's headliners, with other attractions including the Keith Little Band, Patti Flynn and Humie Webbe, Andrew Fawcett Quartet, Bridgend Dixielanders, the Amigos featuring Tim Kliphuis, and Rivers, a six-piece female vocal group from Croatia.

There'll also be a series of jazz workshops for young musicians on the Saturday morning.

See www.cowbridgejazz.co.uk for full details.

Pembrokeshire Jazz 'n' Blues

Fishguard is the setting once again for a jazz and blues festival, running over the bank holiday weekend from August 24 to 26.

Byron Wallen and Indigo are the headliners of a diverse programme, which includes Julia Biel, Soothsayers and Cleveland Watkiss, plus popular Welsh artists like Keith Little.

Organisers Aberjazz are keen to make it a family friendly festival, with workshops aimed at young musicians over the bank holiday weekend.

For more info see www.aberjazz.com or phone festival coordinator Carmen Power on 01348 874015.

Brecon Jazz - Welsh artists confirmed

The list of Welsh artists performing at this year's Brecon Jazz Festival has been confirmed:

The Amigos
Ruby Samba
Five Go Swing
RWCMD Explode the Repertoire
Gareth Roberts Quintet
Buena Risca Social Club
The Root Doctors
Dave Stapleton Quintet
The Heavy Quartet
RWCMD Jazz Ensemble
Keith Little’s Hot Six
The Greater Gwent Youth Big Band
Wonderbrass
The Jones O’Connor Group
Andrew Fawcett’s Italian Connection
Marcia Pendlebury Quintet
Huw Warren
John Gibbon Trio + Mornington Lockett
Geoff Eales Trio

Festival Director Jim Smith thanks everyone who applied for a slot at this year's festival, and urges people to contact him again in the autumn when he starts planning the programme for the 2008 event. There'll also be a chance meet Jim in Cardiff next January on a date to be confirmed.

The address to send your CDs, biogs and letters is:

Brecon International Festival of Jazz Ltd
Lion Yard
Bethel Square
Brecon
LD3 7JP

See www.breconjazz.co.uk for full details of this year's festival.

Jazz at St David's Hall

Look out for these forthcoming jazz concerts at St David's Hall in Cardiff:

Thurs 28 June - Cubana Bop

Weds 25 July - Jazz Prom with Clare Teal

Tues 31 July - Frankly Basie : Live at the Sands
featuring Paul Lacey's Back to Basie Orchestra

For full details see www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Keith Tippett Tapestry Orchestra on CD

Cardiff-based Red Eye Music is giving the first ever official release of a concert by Keith Tippett hailed as an underground classic by one of the pioneers of post-modern British jazz.

First Weaving was recorded live at the 1998 Le Mans Jazz Festival. Originally commissioned by the BBC it stayed under wraps because the intention was to produce a studio recording for which the funding never materialised.

The Tapestry Orchestra features leading musicians such as Larry Stabbins, Louis Moholo, Mark Charig, Paul Rutherford, Dave Amis, Julie Tippetts, Maggie Nicols and the late Elton Dean.

Steve Day describes the work as follows: "There is a whole debate about the relationship between the 'jazz orchestra' and 'big band' traditions, one that is complicated still further by a composition such as First Weaving, which draws inspiration from music reaching well beyond the label 'jazz'.

"It is not just about orchestrating, Keith Tippett uses written composition to open up space for twenty, thirty, forty other soloists to come together to extend the possibilities of the score sheet...

"First Weaving unites some of the most important innovators on the British scene, playing in a setting well beyond national boundaries. It has taken nine years for this brilliant performance to be heard on CD, now that it is available on Red Eye Music; it needs to be listened to more than ever."

Keith Tippett, well known in Cardiff for his work as a tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, will be performing at a launch event for the double CD at The Social, Miskin Street, Cathays, on Saturday 9 June as part of the Cardiff Jazz Festival.

For more details see www.redeyemusic.co.uk and www.myspace.com/keithtippett

Cardiff Jazz Festival - June 5-9

Some of Cardiff's leading jazz venues have joined forces to launch a new festival celebrating some of the city's best musicians, with the focus on "youth and vibrancy" and some visiting stars.

Here's the line-up:

Tuesday 5 June - Dempseys - Blake Wilner Quartet

Weds 6 June - Dempseys - Brigette Beraha Trio

Thurs 7 June - Cafe Jazz - Heavy Quartet

Fri 8 June - Dempseys
Jim Barber Quartet ft Osian Roberts (8pm)
Buena Risca Social Club (11pm)

Sat 9 June - The Social (note change of venue)
Keith Tippett's Tapestry Album Launch (8pm)
Dolan/Nash Quartet (10pm)
Jonny Bruce Sextet (10.45pm)

For more details see www.myspace.com/cardiffjazzfestival

Tim Kliphuis on tour

Gypsy jazz violinist Tim Kliphuis comes to Wales for a short tour at the end of May 2007.

The Dutch star has previously appeared at Brecon Jazz with Fapy Lafertin and Angelo Debarre, but these are his first dates as a leader:

Weds 23 May - Swansea - St James Social Club

Thurs 24 May - Cowbridge - Hare and Hounds, Aberthin

Fri 25 May - Narberth - Queens Hall

Sat 26 May - Bangor - Theatr Gwynedd

Sun 27 May (1pm) - Aberystwyth - Conrah Hotel

Sun 27 May (7.30pm) - Cardiff Bay - Norwegian Church

In spirit and style, Tim's music closely resembles that of the late maestro Stéphane Grappelli: virtuoso violin playing with a love for melody. Expect a swinging concert saturated with gypsy, folk and classical influences, from Django Reinhardt, Stevie Wonder, Loch Lomond to Grieg's Norwegian Dance.

Nigel Kennedy says: "Stéphane Grappelli’s style is alive and well in the hands of Tim Kliphuis."

See the website at www.timkliphuis.com

Brecon Jazz - back on the streets

Saxophonist Joe Lovano headlines this year's Brecon Jazz Festival from August 9-12 as the first ever Artist in Residence in the event's 24 year history.

Organisers also promise the return of jazz on the streets following audience comments about a lack of atmosphere at last year's festival.

Lovano will perform with the BBC Big Band and in a specially commissioned quartet featuring pianist Gareth Williams. He'll also lead a special masterclass featuring some of Wales's finest young jazz musicians.

Other highlights include Jools Holland, Curtis Stigers, Chris Barber, Humphrey Lyttelton, Mulgrew Miller, Martin Taylor, Mose Allison, Jazz Jamaica, Ray Gelato, Tony Coe, Andy Sheppard and Scott Hamilton.

Women in Jazz is a theme for this year's event, with artists ranging from pianists Jessica Williams, Hiromi and Zoe Rahman to vocalists Tina May and Mica Paris. Welsh harpist Catrin Finch will also be showing her jazz chops in the Thursday eve-of-festival curtain-raiser concert.

Once again, there's a packed Stroller programme featuring the best of UK and local Welsh talent, along with music on the streets.

Writing on the Brecon Jazz website, festival director Jim Smith says: "We know that some of you missed the street music at Brecon last year.

"Much effort has gone into bringing this back with the co-operation of the local authorities and the police service to ensure that the special atmosphere is back in Brecon for the festival weekend.

"We look forward to sharing this great festival of music with you once again."

The box office opens on May 15 - for full programme and booking details, see the website at www.breconjazz.co.uk or phone 01874 611622.