Pee Wee EllisPublicity photo

Peter Bacon reports: 

The headliners for the 2019 Margate Jazz Festival are Pee Wee Ellis, Liane Carroll and Theon Cross, it has been announced. There will also be a new “social partnership” with one of the prime-mover organisations on the young London scene, jazz re:freshed. Booking opens later this month.

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The Margate press release in full:

The Margate Jazz Festival 2019 will take place from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd September with a headline artist lineup of Pee Wee Ellis, Liane Carroll and Theon Cross. This is the second year of a partnership between Olby’s Soul Cafe and the Margate Jazz Festival that’s already brought some of the finest contemporary jazz artists in the world to Kent’s South-East coast including Courtney Pine, Binker and Moses, Omar Puente and Bansangu Orchestra.
For this year’s event there is also a new social partnership with Jazz re:freshed, the London-based contemporary music/arts movement and record label at the forefront of the current young British jazz scene. As well as jazz re:freshed’s festival participation there will also be a  series of partnership live events taking place at Olby’s through into 2020.
In addition to the headline artists’ performances at Olby’s Soul Cafe, there will be an increase in the number of fringe performances at venues around Margate, including the Cinq Ports Restaurant & Bar, The Lifeboat Ale & Cider House and Ales of the Unexpected with more to be announced.
Kicking the weekend off is the great saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, leading his jazz quartet featuring pianist Gareth Williams, double bassist Alec Dankworth and drummer Mark Mondesir. A student of Sonny Rollins with a stellar 50 year career including MD/bandleader and architect of James Brown’s late 60’s sound as well as Van Morrison’s MD/bandleader. Pee Wee was the co-founder of the JB Horns with Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley and a producer for George Benson, Esther Phillips and Brother Jack McDuff. Since moving to the UK he has arranged and recorded with artists including Boy George, Joss Stone, George Clinton and Paul Carrack, and for many years has toured the world with his own fine jazz lineups. Pee Wee is also an acknowledged educator and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Bath Spa University in 2014.
Headlining on the Saturday night is Liane Carroll, a pillar of the British jazz and soul scene for over thirty-five years. Born in London and raised in Hastings, she has dedicated her life to creating a deep and abiding connection with audiences all over the world through her exceptional talent, versatility and ability to truly interpret a song. Along the way she has collaborated with such diverse artists as Paul McCartney, Gerry Rafferty, Long John Baldry, Ian Shaw, Claire Martin OBE and drum and bass outfit London Elektricity, with whom she headlined at Finsbury Park’s Hospital in the Park festival and Glastonbury 2017. She has won Best Jazz Vocalist of the Year Awards numerous times and the prestigious BASCA Gold Badge Award for Services to Music in 2016. 
Ending the Sunday evening on a massive high is Theon Cross, the London-based tuba player and composer and one of the key components of the city’s thriving young jazz scene. He has made a name for himself for providing his own unique brand of swaggering tuba bass in jazz and various other styles of music, most significantly in the award winning four-piece Sons of Kemet. He has also worked with Moses Boyd, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Pharoahe Monch, Emeli Sandé and Kano. He skilfully leads his own powerful and eclectic group exploring the diverse range of musical sounds of London through his compositions. His 2019 album Fyah has already made a great impact on the UK and US vinyl and streaming charts.

Tickets for the three days are £37.50 and available from 23 May at www.olbyssoulcafe.co.uk or call 01843 448595.
Olby’s Soul Cafe & Music Rooms
3-5 King Street, CT91DD Margate, Kent

LINK: Margate Jazz Festival