Bute Jazz

The Man with the Jazz Guitar

Administrator — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:53:13 +0000

The Discovery Centre Cinema in Rothesay will be screening The Man with the Jazz Guitar on Saturday at the Festival. This is a delightful portrait of the fascinating 1950s jazz musician and popular radio broadcaster, Ken Sykora. Deeply inspired by Django Reinhardt, Ken’s musical career was cut short by the 2nd World War and rock‘n’roll. He moved into broadcasting where he worked on more than 3000 programmes over 4 decades. At the peak of his popularity in the early 70s he suddenly and unexpectedly quit the BBC and moved his wife and young family from Suffolk to Scotland, to run a hotel, in ‘the middle of nowhere’. This was the Colintraive Hotel.
Featuring intimate interviews with his three children, close friends and colleagues, Ken is creatively brought to life through a mixture of animation and his radio voice. With exclusive access to Ken’s extensive archive, his life of music, food and words is reconstructed using memorabilia and rare sound recordings of his musical career not heard for more than 50 years.

Laurie Chescoe’s Reunion Band

Administrator — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:31:38 +0000

The band was formed in 1990 by the drawing together of talented like-minded musicians of real star quality coming from the ranks of the finest and well known bands on the jazz scene. Three members had been in the Alex Welsh band, one in Kenny Ball’s band and one spent many years with Acker Bilk. In 2013 Laurie is bringing the band back to Bute.

The Jazz Parade

Administrator — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:10:00 +0000

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 Guildford Sq. Exact time to be confirmed.

Nova Scotia Jazz Band featuring Roy Williams

Administrator — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:24:02 +0000

The Nova Scotia Jazz Band is firmly in the tradition of the swinging Dixieland groups led by Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier, and Alex Welsh. Featuring the world class trumpet of Lorne Cowieson, the banjo wizardry of Duncan Findlay, the elegantly swinging string 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. Since 2009 the band have released five CD’s and have appeared at the Glastonbury, Kelburn, Crail, Biggar and Swaledale Festivals, and the Tarragona, Keswick, Bute, Pershore, Shetland, Southport, Ayr, Lockerbie, Glasgow, Fife, Inverurie, Swanage and Edinburgh Jazz Festivals and have played concerts all over the UK with their special guests Roy Williams, Jim Fryer, Ian Bateman, Brian Kellock, Digby Fairweather, Richard Leach, Graham Smith, Graham Woodhouse, Gregor Beck and Forrie Cairns.

In 2011 the NSJB won their first award as ‘Best Early Jazz Band’ in the Scottish Jazz Awards and 2012 saw the debut appearance by the NSJB on the silver screen, appropriately enough as the travelling Dixieland band in the TWS film ‘The Happy Lands’. The new NSJB album featuring the wonderful Brian Kellock, ‘The Beale Street Blues’ is out now.

What the papers said.
This was a terrific gig which ensured the festival went out with a bang Ryan Quigley brought a dynamism to proceedings and delivered a series of superb, red-hot solos, His muted breaks on That Da-Da Strain were especially memorable, along with some beautiful, Chet Baker-esque playing on Embraceable You, a gorgeous duet with pianist Brian Kellock who had earlier threatened to blow the roof of the tent off with his sensational playing, notably on what must be the only version of C Jam Blues to kick off with the Death March theme from Star Wars!
Alison Kerr Glasgow Herald

“the classic Dixieland model, played with direct, bluesy concision and presented with humour and creativity”
Rob Adams, Glasgow Herald

“Burgess’s clarinet and sax bubble and simmer their way through the Nova Scotia’s music, shooting it out with the rich toned cornet of Mike Daly, the skittering banjo of Duncan Findlay and Ken MacDonald’s limber double bass”
Jim Gilchrist, The Scotsman

Led from the front by the larger than life Burgess the band delivers on every level, Trad jazz this is not : this is music of the great classic period of Bix and Muggsy Spanier but with a clarity that makes it distinctly modern and relevant. This is music of today, of a remarkably high standard with four musicians at the top of their game”
Jeff Merryfield, Shetland Times

T.J.Johnson & his Band

Administrator — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:56:15 +0000

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 an extraordinary blend of music that transcends the boundaries of jazz, blues, soul, country and gospel and is influenced by the likes of Ray Charles, Dr John, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, BB King, Nina Simone, Alberta Hunter, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Witherspoon and many more. His distinctive voice and unique personal stage manner brings both the band and the audience together to create an intimate yet exciting atmosphere that is rarely equalled.

Visit the T J Johnson website

Local Sponsors

Administrator — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:49:04 +0000

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 & Margaret Brown, Colin and Jessie McKay, Jenny Brown, Donald Kinnear, Martin Keating, Vivien D Collis, Joanna Keating, Marjorie Jack, Pauline McGough, Ian Boyter, Karen Molloy, Donnie MacLeod, Maggie Spear, Janet Skillin, David Hay (Management Solutions) Craig Alexander (the Victorian Shop), Willis Glen, Alison McAllister, Nigel Sutherland (www.nigelsutherland.co.uk/)
More names to be added soon

Local Business Sponsors

Commodore Guest House
STB 3 Star Guest House with Self catering apartments
01700 502178
(website)

Cannon House Hotel
4 star quality
01700 502819
(website)

Munro’s Bed & Breakfast
Boutique 4 star quality
01700 502346
(website)

Balmory Hall
5 Star luxury
01700 500669
(website)

The Bayview Hotel
A victorian house hotel
01700 505411
(website)

Ardencraig House Apartments
Luxury self-catering accommodation
01700 505077
(website)

The Victoria Hotel
Town Centre Hotel, Restaurant and Venue
01700 500016
(website)

The Moorings
Seafront B & B
01700 502277
(website)

W.M.Skelton & Col
Lawyers and estate agents
01700 505551
(website)

Picture Bute
Local gifts and photography for sale
01700 500030
(website)

The Ardyne Hotel
Comfortable seafront hotel with restaurant
01700 502052
(website)

MacQueens of Rothesay
Local Beef & Lamb
01700 502067
(website)

Brechins Brasserie
Local bistro restaurant
01700 502052
(website)

C M Soane
Taxation, Accountancy & Management Services
01700 502256
(website)

Richard White’s Fivers

Administrator — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:00:39 +0000

George Rodger Sextet with Hermie Longalong & Leanna Zacarini

Administrator — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:37:00 +0000

The band has been playing in Central Scotland for the past five years and after a spell of retirement from the music business, George (guitar) brought together some of his past colleagues to concentrate on Gypsy style Jazz mainly in the vein of the legendary Django Reinhardt and more recently Bireli Lagrene. Three of the ensemble are brothers! Big Frank Henery (guitar) has a unique style very much of his own and was greatly influenced by the late great Barney Kessell.

He has accompaniment from the younger members of the family in the form of Danny (accordion) and also John (double bass). To complete the quintet is Tony Muir (drums/percussion). All musicians play a wide selection of jazz and their program will display this.

Artists and Events Video

Administrator — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:48:41 +0000

Take a look at some video of this years acts plus past events

T J JOHNSON and his Band

THAT SWING SENSATION

MIKE WHELLANS

THE JAZZ PARADE

Become a Festival Sponsor

Administrator — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:15:12 +0000

In our efforts to keep the festival alive we are raising money through donation and sponsorship. If you’d like to contribute you can download our sponsors information leaflet below

Sponsors Information PDF

Your donation can qualify for Gift Aid which will allow us to reclaim tax of 28% on the amount.
Download the Gift Aid Form here