Notice: Guildford Jazz Announce Line Up For JazzFest ’20

Published on: 12 Feb, 2020
Updated on: 12 Feb, 2020

A three-day jazz festival will run at Guildford’s Electric Theatre from Friday to Sunday, March 20 to 22, featuring a wide spectrum of jazz, funk and latin music.

The festival is being organised by Guildford Jazz, a community arts organisation that hosts regular monthly gigs at the Jazz Café at the Electric Theatre and at Guildford Pavilion.

Headlining the festival will be saxophonist and composer Iain Ballamy.

Other major artists appearing at JazzFest ’20 include funk trombonist Dennis Rollins, the Nightingale / Barnes / Waterman Sextet, the Nicolas Meier World Group, Latin jazz salsa band Heads South, piano/saxophone duo David Newton and Alan Barnes and the Pete Churchill and Gareth Williams duo.

Alongside sets from these artists, the festival will feature free ‘foyer jazz’, a ‘Gin in the Jazz Bar’ evening, New Orleans dixie jazz from clarinet player Duncan Batchelor and a number of community events.

These will include a celebration of Surrey Young Jazz Musicians of the Year, a jazz vocal workshop and a talk organised in conjunction with West Surrey Arts Society on the early history of jazz by broadcaster and bass player Sandy Burnett.

The club’s patron, Bill Bruford, the drummer from bands Yes, King Crimson and Genesis will also appear in discussion with Iain Ballamy to talk about their time playing together in the group Earthworks.

Saxophonist and composer Iain Ballamy will headline the festival.

The festival is a first for Guildford Jazz, that has been arranging regular sell out gigs since 2011.

Its founder, local bass player Marianne Windham, said: ”The festival represents a celebration of all that Guildford Jazz is about – bringing the finest UK jazz musicians to Guildford to play a wide spectrum of accessible music in a friendly club-like atmosphere.”

More details about the festival can be found at guildfordjazz.org.uk/guildford-jazz-fest-20 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GuildfordJazzFest.

Booking for individual gigs and day and weekend festival passes is through the Electric Theatre box office at electric.theatre.

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