Brecon Jazz suspends payments
Organisers of the Brecon Jazz festival are reportedly suspending payments to creditors while they try to cover a "significant loss" following the 2008 event. According to the BBC News website, a letter has been sent out to creditors saying the festival hopes to have a full picture of funds available to it by the end of October.
The letter says the Brecon Jazz board is contacting key stakeholders to try and find additional funds to cover the deficit. The BBC report quoted a Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson as saying the heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones would discuss the matter with the Arts Council of Wales, which was already working with the festival to consider viable options for the future.Brecon Jazz already receives funding of almost £125,000 a year via the Arts Council of Wales, having escaped the grant cuts which have left organisations such as the Welsh Jazz Society without any public funding. Read the full story on the BBC News website - incidentally the Brecon Jazz website at www.breconjazz.co.uk was unavailable at the time of writing.
Jazz Connection playlist 16 October 2008
Here's what I played on the Jazz Connection on GTFM on Thursday 16 October:Alex Wilson – Let's Stay Together
Mac Rebennack & The Soul Orchestra – The Point
Clark Tracey Trio – Just You, Just NowDave Holland Sextet – Pass It On
Acker Bilk – Buona Sera
Randy Crawford & Joe Sample – Every Day I Have The Blues
James Chadwick & Julian Martin – Enrico's Last Dance
Robert Mitchell Trio – Teardrop
The Amigos – Russian Lullaby
Viktoria Tolstoy – Stranger in Paradise
King Pleasure & the Biscuit Boys – Walkin' With Mr Lee
Dr John – Keep On Goin'
Neon – Deviation
Paula Gardiner Trio – Riding on the Back of the Salmon
Buena Vista Social Club – Chan Chan (Live at Carnegie Hall)
Geoff Eales - Waltz For Debby
Geoff Eales interview
Geoff Eales - Song For My Father
Heavy Quartet – Desert Song
Zoe & Idris Rahman – Sanctuary
Keith Little Band – Basin Street Blues
Chris Hodgkins Trio – Swinging at the Copper Beach
Azhaar Saffar Quartet – Moose the Mooch The next show will be on Thursday 27 November - keep sending me your gig info and CDs for airplay.You can hear GTFM on 107.9 FM in south Wales or live online at www.gtfm.co.uk - also on the station is Marie-Claire Sarantz who plays an hour of smooth jazz every Sunday night at 8pm.
Jones O'Connor Group on tour
Cardiff-based jazz stars the Jones O'Connor Group take their cutting edge sounds on tour this autumn courtesy of a Jazz Services grant.They've won acclaim for their albums Alpha and A Crow For Every Crow, and have been reviewed in Jazzwise magazine as "hip and unpredictable with taste to spare ... excellent forward thinking Brit jazz."Here are the dates:October 29 - Queens Head Inn, MonmouthNovember 2 - Hotel Hatfield, LowestoftNovember 7 - Theatr Harlech, Gwynedd November 8 - Pembroke House Hotel, HaverfordwestNovember 19 - Lescar Hotel, SheffieldNovember 22 - Octave and Ray's Jazz at Foyles, LondonNovember 28 - The Bear, BristolJanuary 22 - Cafe Jazz, CardiffSee www.jonesoconnorgroup.co.uk for more details.
Geoff Eales comes home
Jazz pianist Geoff Eales returns to his native south Wales for a string of dates in October 2008.Tuesday 28 October - Dempseys, CardiffWeds 29 October - St James Social Club, SwanseaThurs 30 October - Coleg Morgannwg, LlwynpiaBorn in Aberbargoed, Geoff enjoyed stints with Joe Loss and the BBC Big Band before embarking on a solo career.You can hear him in conversation with me on the Jazz Connection this Thursday 16 October on GTFM between 7 and 9pm. Tune in on 107.9 FM in south Wales or listen online at www.gtfm.co.ukSee www.geoffeales.com for more about the man and his music.
Jazz FM back on air
Jazz FM is back on air via digital satellite, the internet, and DAB digital radio in selected areas including south Wales.The station returned at 7pm on Monday 6 October with one of its most popular programmes, Dinner Jazz with Sarah Ward.
Jazz FM promises a broad range of jazz across the board from smooth to standards, classic soul, blues, bebop, swing, trad, big band, Latin, nu-jazz, fusion and electronica.
Peter Young, Mike Chadwick and Steve Quirk are among the presenters returning to the Jazz FM line-up along with new names including Mike Doyle and Anthony Davis.
You can hear the station via www.jazzfm.com, Sky Digital channel 0202, Freesat channel 730 and on DAB in selected areas including London and the South East, Cardiff and south Wales, Birmingham and the West Midlands, Manchester and the North West, and Glasgow.