The 2012 25th Anniversary Jazz Festival
Preparation for next May’s festival is very advanced. You can buy your tickets on-line now and the line up of artists has been booked. Such was the popularity of the 2011 that we have managed to re-book some of the acts. We’ll have full details of the gigs in due course. Read More →
The Jazz Parade
Every year on the Saturday of the Jazz weekend the one and only Jenny Brown leads a parade through the town. It’s a jazz free for all as musicians from many different bands jam together whilst they march casually to the esplanade fountain and gardens. The march is also an opportunity to see the wonderfully colourful decorated brollies and a winner is picked at the culmination of procession. Don’t miss it! Saturday morning - meet at... [Read More...]
Chicago Teddy Bears Society Jazz Band
In the words of the song, “It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it” and there is something about the way the Chicago Teddybears Society Jazz band “does it” that attracts large audiences everywhere they go. Based in the North West of England since the early 1970’s the band has undergone several changes of personnel as it modified and developed it’s style to become one of the most entertaining bands in the UK, the current line-up... [Read More...]
Nova Scotia Jazz Band
Formed by early in 2009 the Nova Scotia Jazz Band is firmly in the tradition of the groups led by Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier, Bix Beiderbecke and Alex Welsh. Featuring the world class cornet of Mike Daly, the banjo wizardry of Duncan Findlay, the swinging bass of Ken MacDonald and the clarinet and saxophones of John Burgess this sweet and hot quartet are a fresh take on the classic jazz style and a welcome addition to the long list of excellent... [Read More...]
Jamie Brownfield Quintet
Jamie Brownfield, 19, hails from the village of Llanrhaeadr Y.M. in Mid Wales. He started on the cornet aged 9, began playing jazz in public when he was 12 and was leading his own jazz quintet by the time he was 13. Since then he has been a regular member of various bands and guested with many more including The Merseysippi Jazz Band, The Chicago Teddybears Society Jazz Band and Richard Leach’s 7 Stars of Jazz. Jamie has recorded two CD’s,... [Read More...]
Fat Sam’s Band
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, but working world-wide, Fat Sams Swing Band occupies a niche in todays jazz-world that is virtually unique. Formed by Hamish McGregor towards the end of 1984, the band went ‘live’ on St.Valentines Day - 14th of February 1985, and is the only professional standard 9-piece outfit working on a regular basis with a repertoire embracing - on the one hand the highly commercial ‘jump-jive’ music of Louis... [Read More...]
Stretch Dawrson and the Mending Hearts
Country historians in some quarters claim Western Swing is part of country music’s heritage pioneered by Bob Wills who blended country instrumentation with Dixieland jazz, big band sounds, Cajun and Mexican music, European polka bands and vocalisation using standards from the 20’s onwards. Here in Scotland we now have our own exponent in Stretch Dawson and the Mending Hearts. The band comprises Stretch dawrson guitar, vocals Tom Macniven trumpet,... [Read More...]
T.J.Johnson Band
TJ Johnson is widely considered to be one of the UK’s finest jazz and blues singers. He is also an accomplished piano player, drummer and a respected bandleader. Always a true ambassador of the soul, TJ sings songs of love lost and gained, of life wholesome and corrupt, songs of hope, songs of the night, all with the true passion and boozy swagger of only a man who has been there and knows. Backed by his group of top British musicians TJ plays... [Read More...]
Local Sponsors
Along with generous help from Calmac, The Co-operative and Argyll & Bute Council, the following local businesses and individuals have either financially sponsored or given their time to the Jazz Festival this year and as a result have helped it to survive. We would like to thank them for their contributions. Individual sponsors in no particular order: Jean & Lenny Moffat, Norman Lamond, Barbara Lynn, H. Yeamans, Margaret Thompson, Nigel &... [Read More...]
