VENUES
Festival Theatre N icolson Street. 0ueen’s llall Clerk Street.
Jazz Festival Club Adatn Rooms. George Hotel. George Street.
Cotton Club The Cavendish. West Tollcross.
St Giles Cathedral High Street.
Boss Theatre Princes Street Gardens. University Staff Club Chambers Street.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL
Tickets for the Jazz Festival Gala Concert at the Festival Theatre are only available from the Festival Theatre, lticoison Street, 529 6000. All other tickets for the Jan and Blues Festivals are available from The 0ueen’s ilall Box office, Clerk Street, 668 2019 (or Ticket ilotline, 667 7776), or front The Ticket line, 220 4349. Credit card bookings are subject to a 50p booking tee. A Cold Card allowing entry to all events at the Cavendish is available at £40 for all jan events, and £25 for the blues festival.
SATURDAY 3
I The Crassrnarket Mardi tires The Grasstnarket. l—4pm. One of the two big. free events this weekend brings a host of bands and performers to play on lorries and floats in the Grassmarket. A good way to sample what‘s in store for the rest of the week. especially if the sun shines. I Jazz Festival Opening Party University StaffClub. 8pm—2am. £10. A parallel programme here. with dancing in the Mural Dance Lounge. and listening in The Bistro Bar. Bands on show include visitors from Austria. Canada. Spain and New Orleans.
SUNDAY 4
I Dick llyrnan Queen‘s Hall. 8pm. £8-£l0. A very late change to the programme brings back pianist and jazz historian Dick Hyman for a recital exploring the work of Gershwin. Waller. Ellington. and. not surprisingly. Hyman himself.
I Jan on N Summer’s Day Ross Theatre. I lam—6pm. The biggest free jazz event in the UK always attracts large crowds to Princes Street Gardens. The day begins as usual with a Gospel Service directed by the Reverend Alan Sorenson. followed by the usual selection of bands from the Festival programme. First up are the City of Edinburgh Schools Big Band with guest Dick Hyman (l2.30pm). then Psycho Zydeco ( t. IOpm). The Toronto iiot Five Janinakers ( I .45ptn). Blue ilote Six (2.25pm). La Vella Dixieland (3.05pm). 1M Club All-Stars (3.45pm). lars Edegran Band with Big Al Carson (4.25pm). and Ray Celato’s Jazz Giants (5.05pm). Campbell Bumap will compere proceedings. as well as taking up his trombone with the TDD Club All-Stars.
I Jazz Festival Club 12.30—2pm. £3. A new home for the Festival Club this year. hosting three sessions daily. The excellent traditional and Dixieland outfit La Vella Dixieland from Barcelona kick off the first lunchtime slot. while the Francis Cowan 0uo entertain diners in The Carvery.
I Jan Festival Club 3—6pm. £4. The afternoon session kicks off with the Boilermaker Jazz Band from Pittsburg (3pm). followed by two sets from the Armstrong-influenced Toronto ilot Five Jannakers (4pm and 5pm).
I Jazz Festival Club 7.30—l lpm. £7. Boston's New Black Eagle Jazz Band launch proceedings. followed by one of this year‘s more intriguing visitors. the Lars Edegran Band with Big Al Carson (8.45pm). The Swedish pianist lives in New Orleans. and is best known for the musical One Mo' Time. Both bands then team up for the final session at lOpm.
I The Cotton Club 8pm—2am. £ l0. La Voila Dixieland (8 m and ll.45pm) share the night with the llemaker Jazz Band (9.15pm). and the exuberant jump-jive of lay Celato’s Jazz Giants ( 10.30pm! I am). In The, Harlem Room. the 1” Club All- Stars are followed by the Blue llote Six
MONDAY 5
I Acker Bilk’s 40th Anniversary Celebration Queen's Hall. 8pm. £9—£ l 2. The hokey uniforms and jokey patter can sometimes deflect attention from his abilities as an instrumentalist. but the clarinetist has been a staple of the British traditional jazz scene frotn his days with Ken Colyer in the early 50s. and his Paramount Jazz Band are one of the longest-running outfits in the business. He isjoined in this concert by trumpeter Doc Cheathatn.
I Jazz Festival Club I2.3()—2pni. £3. Traditional jazz from Boston's New Black Eagle Jan Band. The Campbell Normand Duo entertain in The Carvery.
I Jazz Festival Club 3—6pm. £4. Barcelona‘s la Vella Dixieland are followed by veteran trumpeter Doc Cheathain (4pm) and the 10th Avenue Jazz Band (5pm).
I Jazz Festival Club 7.3(l—l lpm. £7. A more modern session is opened and closed by singer Tina May (7.30pm and IOpm. see preview). with an excellent trio featuring pianist Steve ilamilton and drummer Clark Tracey. In between. Edinburgh‘s David Milligan Trio are joined by a special guest in trumpeter Eddie Severn (8.45pm).
I The Cotton Club 2.30—6pm. £5. ilelen Craytord takes us through her Hislmfi' of Ragtime. followed by the Festival's now traditional Pianororna (3.45pm). featuring nine pianists. Upstairs in The Harletn Room. the Tubaraina (2.30pm) will feature an even more surreal gathering. followed by Austria's Blue Note Six (3.45pm) and Barcelona‘s La Vella Dixieland (5pm).
I The Cotton Club Spin—2am. £ l O. The Lats Edegran Band with Big Al Carson lead off. followed by Blue Note Six
(9. l5pm) and The llew Black Eagle Jazz Band ( l().30pm). Edegran returns with trumpeter Doc Cheathatn ( l I.4Spm). and London‘s TDD Club All-Stars (lam) round out proceedings. The Harlem Room has
3» .«
Blue Note Six (8pm). La Vella Dixieland (9. l5pm). 10th Avenue Jazz Band
( l0.30pm). TDD Club All-Stars (I I .45pm). and New Black Eagle Jan Band t lam).
I McEwans Pub Trail The Pub Trail runs from today until Fri 9. with sessions from I2.3()-2pm and 8— l0.30pm each day. The music on offer is varied. but features largely local bands. and leans very heavily toward traditional jazz. with a sprinkling of blues. The Jazz Festival brochure carries a full listing of who is playing where. and should be available in all of the participating venues. which are: Bannerman‘s. Cowgate; Bertie's Bar. Merchant Street; City Cafe. Blair Street: Kicks. Candlemaker Row; Negociants. |.othian Street; Smugglers. Cowgate: The Tilted Wig. Merchant Street; and The Woolpack. Potterrow. Admission is free.
TUESDAY 6
I Scottish llational Jazz Orchestra Queen's Hall. 8pm. £9—£ l 2. This is the Edinburgh premiere of the new SNJO. under co~directors Totntny Smith and Bobby Wishart. Their Glasgow Jazz Festival concert suggested that there is a bit of ironing out still to be done. but also offered some fine playing on contemporary charts by the likes of Chick Corea. Bob Mintzer. and Rob McConnell. The orchestra will be joined by two special guests on this occasion. alto saxophonist Peter King and trumpeter Guy Barker. antl their expanded set (more akin to their debut in Dundee) will allow a greater choice of material.
I Jan Festival Club l2.30-2pm. £3. Tina May (see preview). The Francis Cowan Duo are in The Carvery.
I Jazz Festival Club 3—6pm. £4. The Jazzabelles are followed by the TDD Club All-Stars (4pm). and then a set from Doc Cheathant (5pm) with the l()() Club rhythm section.
I Jan Festival Club 7.30—l lpm. £7. Again. a more modern feel. with an opening set from the Steve ilamilton- Clark Tracey Trio . then two trios led by artists from the New York scene. Finnish pianist Mika Pohiola (8.45pm) and guitarist non Jackson ( l()pm). who made a good impression at The Tron on his only previous visit to Edinburgh.
I The Cotton Club 12.30—2pm. Free. Children‘s Workshop with The Jazzabelles.
I The Cotton Club 2.30—bpm. £5. A feature for a variety of ladies of Jazz (a bit old-fashioned on the terminology front. perhaps?) followed by The Janabelles (5pm). The Harlem Room has more modern fare. with Mika Pohiola Trio (2.30pm). the Steve Hamilton-Clark Tracey Trio (3.45pm). and the lion Jackson Trio (5pm ).
I The Cotton Club Spin—2am. £10. Russia‘s Uraisky Jazzmen are followed by
ilorns of plenty: The Hay Celato Clants play Jazz On A Summer’s oay, iioss Theatre, Sun 4
a tribute to the late Spike Maclntosh. featuring the TDD Club All-Starst9.15pm). a mystery Jazz Festival All-Star Big Band (I l.45pm - a glance at tonight's Queen‘s Hall concert may give a clue). and a reprise of the liraisky Jazzlnen ( lam). The Harlem Room has Dale Barlow’s Wizards of Oz with singer Ruby Carter (Barlow‘s track record. which includes a stint as a Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey. and his lat: Jllft't’ CD with Kenny Barron. Ray Drummond and Bert Riley. suggest he may be a name to watch this year). more from the Uralsky Jazzrnen (9. 15pm). and the now familiar modern triumvirate of the Steve Hamilton-Clark Tracey Trio
( 10.30pm). the Mike Poihola Trio
( l l.45pm). and the lion Jackson Trio
( lam).
I McEwans Pub Trail See Mon 5.
WEDNESDAY 7
I Jazz Festival Gala Concert Festival Theatre. 8pm. £1 l—£l7. The Gala Concert is basically a game of two halves this year. rather than a procession of artists. The opening set will feature the veteran French violinist Stephane Crappelli in his usual trio. while the second will bring together guest soloists Scott Hanilton, Doc Cheatharn, llurnphrey lyttelton and Dick Hyman with Echoes of Ellington (see preview).
I Jazz Festival Club 10.30am-noon. Free. A Taylor Trumpet Masterclass with Eddie Severn.
I Jazz Festival Club 12.30—2pm. £3. Igor Burco’s liraisky Jazzmen. who feature all over the place. are a New Orleans jazz outfit from the Ural Mountains (where else?) It's the turn of the Campbell Normand Duo in The Carvery.
I Jazz Festival Club 3—6pm. £4. The 10th Avenue Jazz Band (3pm and 5pm) top and tail a set from Fats Waller specialist Tornrny Burton (4pm).
I Jazz Festival Club 7.30—l lpm. £7. An exotic flavour is served up in this Tropicana Jazz programme. with the exuberant Cuban music of Terry Seabrook’s Cubana Bop (7.30pm and lOpm) on either side of the Latin-jazz outfit Picante (8.45pm).
I The Cotton Club l2.30-—2pm. Adults £2. children free. Bruce Adams conducts a masterclass with the City of Edinburgh Schools Big Band.
I The Cotton Club 2.30—6pm. £5. An examination of The Arr aj'Jazz Guitar. featuring the Nigel Clark Trio (2.30pm). the Kevin Mackenzie Trlo with Dave De Vries (3.45pm). and the lion Jackson Trio (5pm). The Harlem Room features Cubans Bop (2.30pm). followed by Jackson (3.45pm) and MacKenzie (5pm). I The Cotton Club 8pm-2am. £ l0. More from names that are now becoming familiar. with the 10th Avenue Jan Band (8pm). Russia's Uraisky James (9.15pm and lprn). and England's Pete Allen's Tiger Rag ( l0.30pm) and Tm Burton
from Austria (10.30pm and lam). and the Mr Jazz Band (I I.45pm).
Park Stickney and his Guinness-drinking triend play the Festival Club twice on Friday 9
(I l.45pm). The Harlem Room recycles
DD The List 26 Jul-8 Aug I996