The opening night of the very first Herts Jazz Festival in 2011 Photo credit: Melody McLaren

The eighth Herts Jazz Festival will take place at the Broadway Theatre in Letchworth Garden City from 5-7 October 2018, it has been announced.

ARTISTS INCLUDE:

Joey DeFrancesco Quartet – their only UK date
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
A Tribute to Jazz at the Philharmonic
Alan Skidmore and Paul Dunmall
Claire Martin, Robert Mitchell, Jean Toussaint and many more!
Plus films:
Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr with live keyboard accompaniment from Gareth Williams
Dreams are Free, a documentary on the life of Bobby Wellins.

Clark Tracey, Festival Director said, “We are really pleased to be able to move the Festival to Letchworth this year. As well as some fantastic music in a great, newly refurbished theatre, festival-goers will be able to experience the vibrant atmosphere of the town – the first Garden City in the world and a centre of the Arts and Crafts movement – with great places to eat and drink on the doorstep.”

The 1936 art deco Broadway Cinema & Theatre in Letchworth Publicity Photo

FULL PROGRAMME

Friday 5 October

8-10.30pm A Tribute To Jazz At The Philharmonic
Pete Long – clarinet; Art Themen, Dean Masser, Simon Spillett – tenor saxophones; Sam Mayne – alto saxophone; Mark Armstrong, George Hogg, Steve Waterman – trumpets; Ian Bateman, Callum Au – trombones; Harry Sanke – guitar; Nick Dawson – piano; Steve Rose – bass; Clark Tracey – drums.

Saturday 6 October

10.15-11.00am Film (Screen 4) Sherlock Jr (Buster Keaton, 1924)
Live musical accompaniment by Gareth Williams.

11.30am-12.30pm Art Themen ‘New Directions’ Quartet
Art Themen – tenor/soprano saxophones; Gareth Williams – piano; Arnie Somogyi – bass; Winston Clifford – drums.

1-2pm Misha Mullov-Abbado Sextet
Matthew Herd – alto saxophone; James Davison – trumpet; Sam Rapley – tenor saxophone; Liam Dunachie – piano; Misha Mullov-Abbado – bass; Scott Chapman – drums.

2.30-3.30pm Paul Dunmall’s Sunship Quartet plus special guest Alan Skidmore
Paul Dunmall, Alan Skidmore, Howard Cottle – reeds; Olie Brice – bass; Tony Bianco – drums.

4-5pm Robert Mitchell Epiphany 3
Robert Mitchell – piano; Tom Mason – bass; Saleem Raman – drums.

6.30-7.45pm Alan Barnes Octet
Alan Barnes, Robert Fowler, Karen Sharp – reeds; Bruce Adams – trumpet; Mark Nightingale – trombone; Dave Newton – piano; Simon Thorpe – bass; Clark Tracey – drums.

8.15-10.45pm Joey DeFrancesco Quartet
Joey DeFrancesco – organ/keyboards/trumpet/vocals; Troy Roberts – saxophone; Dan Wilson – guitar; Michael Ode – drums.

Sunday 7 October

10.15-11.15am FILM (Screen 4) Dreams are Free (Gary Barber, 2013)
Documentary on the life and career of Bobby Wellins

11am-12noon Herts Youth Jazz Ensemble – Bernstein & Beyond
Directed by Duncan Fraser

12.30-1.30pm Claire Martin/Dave Newton
Claire Martin – vocals; Dave Newton – piano

2-3pm Portrait of the Modern Jazz Quartet
Nat Steele – vibes; Gabriel Latchin – piano; Dario Di Lecce – bass; Steve Brown – drums

3.30-4.45pm Gareth Lockrane’s Grooveyard
Gareth Lockrane – flute; Alex Garnett – tenor saxophone; Mike Outram – guitar; Ross Stanley – piano; Dave Whitford – bass; Tim Giles – drums.

5.15-6.30pm Jean Toussaint’s Young Lions
Jean Toussaint – tenor saxophone; Mark Kavuma – trumpet; Ashley Henry – piano; Daniel Casimir – bass; Ben Brown – drums

8-10.30pm Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Georgie Fame – vocals/organ; Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone; Guy Barker – trumpet; Anthony Kerr – vibes; Tristan Powell – guitar; Alec Dankworth – bass; James Powell – drums

The Festival is being supported by Arts Council England, J Samuel Pianos and Cambridge Drums. (pp)

BOOKING AND LINKS

Weekend and Day tickets are now on sale at “early-bird” discounted prices until 31 July.
Weekend £110/£95 Herts Jazz Club members/£75 students.
Saturday £60/£50/£45
Sunday £50/£40/£30

There are NO booking fees!

Gig tickets go on sale 1 August

Tickets can be booked online at the Broadway Theatre site or the Herts Jazz site
Telephone bookings at 01462 681088
Book in person at Broadway Cinema & Theatre, Eastcheap, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3DD