Aberdeen Jazz Festival has announced its eagerly awaited lineups for popular Jazz the Day and Soundbath events. With last year’stop-class shows selling out in record time, fans are advised to book early in order to enjoy the rich variety of acts on offer. This year, as well as a host of top-class performers, the festival includes a record number of free events, family-friendly shows and chances to participate, making this a truly welcoming and inclusive festival with something for everyone.
Jazz the Day is a one-day musical melting pot brimming with varied performances, jam sessions, family events and more. With one ticket giving access to a whole range of events throughout the afternoon, Jazz the Day is the perfect opportunity to sample a wide range of different acts and activities. All of the Jazz the Day venues are open to children of all ages, making this a great day out for the whole family. Following the success of previous years’ Jazz the Day shows, the concept has been expanded to cover two different areas of the city on two consecutive Sundays.
Tenement Jazz Band’s Cabinet of Musical Wonders
The first Jazz the Day on Sunday 17th March will showcase the all-swinging all-dancing vintage sounds of Edinburgh’s Tenement Jazz Band in the new West End venue of Great Western Community Centre. Formerly Holburn West Church, the magnificent building has recently been purchased by the Great Western Community Trust and transformed into a thriving community hub. With several flexible spaces, it offers the perfect venue to dip in and out of the numerous shows and activities throughout the day. These are set to include: the entertaining and informative Richard Michael on solo organ; chance to perform on the open stage with some top Latin jazz musicians; an interactive family show by hosts the Tenement Jazz Band; plus an innovative and immersive Japanese-inspired ‘listening cafe’ space.
The following Sunday, 24th March, sees the return of Jazz the Day to the city centre. With a single ticket, you can flit between the Blue Lamp, Lemon Tree and Spin and enjoy events, including a Youth Jazz Showcase with the finest young talent from across the city and beyond; Dee Don Danube - musicians from Aberdeen and its twin city of Regensburg joining forces at the Blue Lamp; an opportunity to jam with some top jazz musicians down at Spin plus a chance to enjoy the hip vibes of MisFunk; and, if it all gets a bit much you can chill out to the rich vocals of Alice Faye, or the swashbucklin’ blues of Jed Potts and the Hillman Hunters at the Lemon Tree.
Kimberley Tessa
The festival’s immensely popular Soundbath series is also set to return. With free entry, this is a great chance to enjoy a series of short site-specific performances in the historic Bon Accord Baths. Closed to the public since 2008, the light-drenched, cavernous space provides an amazing aural experience as sound reverberates around the tiled walls and pool floor. This year’s 3 specially-composed solo pieces will be created and performed by Kimberley Tessa (saxophone/flute); Ming Hui (violin); and Sue McKenzie (saxophone).
Free lunchtime jazz concerts are also on offer at the Cowdray Hall. Sensational pianist Alan Benzie will take to the stage on Thursday 14th, with eclectic guitar duo Los Acousticos Bandidos performing the following Thursday. Aberdeen Jazz Festival also operates a ‘Warm Welcome’ ticket scheme to enable as many people as possible to attend and enjoy its wealth of events - for more information, please see here.
Jed Potts & the Hillman Hunters
As well as presenting public performances with extremely wide appeal, Aberdeen Jazz Festival has been working with several communities across the city behind the scenes. Initiatives such as Dance for Parkinson’s and musical events within sheltered housing complexes have enabled even more people to experience and enjoy jazz in its many forms. The Good Manors Quartet featuring Sola Okunuga perform a free lunchtime concert at Middlefield Community Hub, introducing new audiences to jazz in a relaxed, everyday setting. Jazz Scotland’s Community Engagement Worker Melodie Fraser says ‘we want everyone to have the chance to be involved - it’s so important that it’s not just for a small group of people. That’s what we’re aiming for - to bring the festival to new parts of the city and to new communities.’
The Aberdeen Jazz Festival is funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and Aberdeen City Council.