Scarborough Jazz Festival 2024

Scarborough Jazz Festival 2024

Scarborough Jazz Festival is returning in 2024! This will be the 21st year of the festival and the first year with Mark Gordon as festival director.

We are delighted to announce the full line-up for the 2024 Scarborough Jazz Festival!

• Big Ben: Celebrating Ben Webster - with Tony Kofi & Alex Webb

• Alan Barnes’ Copperfield: A Dickensian Jazz Suite

• Fergus McCreadie Trio

• Gareth Lockrane Big Band

• Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell

• Elaine Delmar

• Benet McLean Quintet

• Nigel Price Organ Trio

• Fay Claassen with Emma Rawicz and Barry Green

• ARQ Alison Rayner Quintet

• 3D Trio

• Tom Smith Big Band

• James Hudson (Octet)

• David Preston – ‘Purple / Black’

• Jazz Samba – Music of Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd

• The Al Morrison Blues Experience

• Family Band

• The Gaz Hughes Trio

• Jamil Sheriff's 4 in 1

• The E.A.S.Y. Band

• Funky Tuesday Choir

  
  

Friday Session 1

11:45am: Al Morrison’s Blues Experience

The leader of the festival’s jazz café trio (and guitarist for New York Brass Band), Al Morrison, takes to the festival main stage with his superb 11-piece blues outfit, created in 2008 for Hull Jazz Festival. Al, known for his blues inflected jazz guitar, is a firm favourite at Scarborough Jazz Club where he is a regular guest artist.

Al Morrison – Guitar, Kate Peters - Vocals, Jenny Smith - Vocals, Sarah Brickel – Vocals, Stuart Garside - Vocals, John Marley - Bass, Martin Longhawn - Piano, Gordon Kilroy - Drums, Rosie Nicholl - Trombone, James Hamilton - Trumpet, Atholl Ransome – Saxophone

‘Amazing… Al’s a wonderful player’ Steve Shaw (Hull Jazz Festival)

Al Morrisons Blues Experience at the Hull Jazz Festival Documentary. (youtube.com)


1:30pm: Family Band 

Kim Macari - Trumpet, Riley Stone-Lonergan - Tenor Saxophone, Tom Rivière - Double Bass, Steve Hanley – Drums 

Comprising four long-term collaborators and friends (thus the 'family' tag), the band takes as its starting point the freewheeling music of those musicians who, back in the 1960s, were at the forefront of the free jazz revolution, but whose opening up of jazz's constraints is now recognised as not a break from the past but an integral part of the music's development. So Family Band doesn't recreate the work of Ornette Coleman and others, but shares its powerful and freewheeling momentum - moments of fierce intensity, introspection and the blues all combining into an emotionally complex and often cathartic whole. 

'One of the best modern jazz groups performing at the moment' - Bebop Spoken Here  

Family Band - Family Band | Review | The Jazz Mann  


3:15pm: Elaine Delmar 

Winner, Vocalist of the Year 2023 at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 

“Her style is a mixture of Broadway musical punch and jazz-inflected subtlety. She has the belting defiance of a torch singer at times and the knowing raised eyebrow rasp of a blues artist, but also a hushed, confiding intimacy where it is appropriate, it is a blend that invites the widest possible audience.” John Fordham, The Guardian

Elaine's recording career began in the early 60's when she recorded various albums for one of her early champions, producer Denis Preston of Lansdowne Records. The first was an EP titled A Swinging Chick featuring the wonderful talent of Victor Feldman. Amongst her other albums, Elaine has also released the highly acclaimed Elaine Sings Wilder, a tribute to one of America's lesser-known composers, Alec Wilder. This album has become something of a collector's item. The pianist and musical director on this record was Colin Beaton, one of Elaine's mentors and early musical influences.
 
Elaine's popular appearances at the world famous Ronnie Scott's Club in London have shown her to be remarkably adaptable in a jazz setting, having worked here at different times with such jazz giants as Herb Ellis, Benny Carter and Stephane Grappelli. Her recent season and her live album at Ronnie Scott's evidence a singer who remains in the prime of her performing life. By popular demand, she regularly headlines at the club, along with her band which features pianist Barry Green, whose trio backs Elaine at this year’s SJF. Elaine has recently made a new recording which is due for release in 2024. 

Singer | Elaine Delmar | London

Friday Session 2

6:00pm: David Preston – ‘Purple / Black’  

London based guitarist and composer, David Preston has been described by the Guardian as “Virtuosic” and TimeOut as “A superb modern jazz guitarist”.  

He released his debut album ‘Purple / Black’ on Whirlwind Recordings in 2023 featuring ECM recording artists, Kit Downes, Sebastian Rochford and bassist Kevin Glasgow.  

Sebastian Rochford - Drums, Elliot Galvin - Keys, Kevin Glasgow - Bass, David Preston - Guitar/Compositions  

“Virtuosic" - The Guardian   “You are playing some scary s#!*” - Kurt Rosenwinkel   

UK/US Jazz Label Whirlwind Recordings  


7:45pm: Fergus McCreadie Trio 

Fergus McCreadie is one of the most exciting jazz pianists on the world stage today. With a unique blend of Jazz and Scottish folk inspired by his country’s sublime landscapes, his music captures the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide, with an appeal that extends far beyond the constraints of genre.  

Fergus McCreadie - Piano, David Bowden - Bass, Stephen Henderson - Drums

‘The sound of the Fergus McCreadie Trio is the sound of joy’ - All About Jazz  

 FERGUS McCREADIE  


9:30pm: Alan Barnes’ Copperfield 

Alan Barnes has been the compere for Scarborough Jazz Festival since the very beginning and is again at this year’s festival. He always brings something fresh and thought-provoking to the festival stage, but the organisers are particularly excited about welcoming his Copperfield Suite in 2024.

Like the Dickens classic itself, Alan Barnes’s “Copperfield” has something for everyone. A great night out that is also a treat for the jazz connoisseur; it will delight anyone who loves music or literature – or just being entertained!  

Alan Barnes - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet and Bass Clarinet, Bruce Adams - Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Mark Nightingale - Trombone, Robert Fowler - Tenor Saxophone and Clarinet, Karen Sharp - Baritone Saxophone and Clarinet, David Newton - Piano, Simon Thorpe - Double Bass, Clark Tracey - Drums