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

Friday, October 24, 2008

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.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

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 Now

Dave 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.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

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, Monmouth
November 2 - Hotel Hatfield, Lowestoft
November 7 - Theatr Harlech, Gwynedd
November 8 - Pembroke House Hotel, Haverfordwest
November 19 - Lescar Hotel, Sheffield
November 22 - Octave and Ray's Jazz at Foyles, London
November 28 - The Bear, Bristol
January 22 - Cafe Jazz, Cardiff

See www.jonesoconnorgroup.co.uk for more details.

Monday, October 13, 2008

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, Cardiff
Weds 29 October - St James Social Club, Swansea
Thurs 30 October - Coleg Morgannwg, Llwynpia

Born 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.uk

See www.geoffeales.com for more about the man and his music.

Monday, October 06, 2008

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.