Brecon Jazz - 7th, 8th, 9th August 2009

Programme

• Art Themen, Julian Marc Stringle, Bruce Adams Sextet

  Friday 7 August 2009, 6.30pm-7.45pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  An extra special stellar line-up put together for this year’s Brecon Jazz Festival.
  
  Art Themen on saxes, Julian Marc Stringle on clarinet and Bruce Adams on trumpet with Leon Greening on piano, Chris Dodd on bass and Mike Bradley on drums.

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• Stan Tracey Octet

  Friday 7 August 2009, 7.30pm-8.50pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  The great pianist and godfather of British jazz presents his new Octet performing pieces from some of his commissioned suites. The stellar line-up is: Stan Tracey, Guy Barker, Mark Nightingale, Sam Mayne, Simon Allen, Mornington Lockett, Andrew Cleyndert and Clark Tracey.

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• John Etheridge's Sweet Chorus

  Friday 7 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Cathedral

  Now celebrating its tenth year together, John Etheridge’s Sweet Chorus was originally formed as John's tribute to his mentor and inspiration Stephane Grappelli, with whom he worked for five years in the 70s and early 80s. Taking its cue from the Hot Club of France – the legendary group that featured Grappelli and Django Reinhardt – the band features John’s dazzling guitar work and the scintillating violin of Chris Garrick. The relationship of these two has been described as one of the most potent in European jazz, and backed up by the propulsive drive of Kelbie and Crowdy the band produces breathtaking sallies through repertoire both classic and contemporary. A must for all fans of melodically-based inspired, swinging acoustic jazz.

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• Empirical with Kevin LeGendre

  Friday 7 August 2009, 8.30pm-10pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Tribute to Cannonball Adderley

  Nathaniel Facey – alto saxophone, Freddie Gravita – trumpet, Tom Farmer – double bass, George Fogel – piano and Shane Forbes – drums.
  
  A special presentation celebrating the fascinating life of saxophonist Cannonball Adderley on the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Kevin LeGendre illuminates the life and work of this brilliant saxophonist, hailed as the inheritor of Charlie Parker's mantle, with archive film and audio footage. Not only a member of one of Miles Davis' most revered bands and band leader in his own right, Cannonball's work with black civil rights activist Jesse Jackson has a topical poignancy at the start of Barak Obama's presidency.

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• Art Themen & Julian Marc Stringle

  Friday 7 August 2009, 8.30pm-9.30pm, Castle Hotel

  in conversation

  
  Entry to this event is free, but you must reserve a ticket.
  

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• Seth Lakeman

  Friday 7 August 2009, 9.30pm-11pm, Market Hall

  in concert

  The virtuoso fiddle player and superstar of British Folk opens the Market Hall programme with his band in a concert co-presented with Brecon Fringe. He combines the haunting lyrical power of his Folk roots with spectacular instrumental brilliance that’s often been compared to Hendrix. The band marauds across folk/rock/jazz borders with ease and joy, and are mesmerising live performers. His fourth album Poor Man’s Heaven followed the chart-topping Freedom Fields.

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• Alan Barnes Octet

  Friday 7 August 2009, 9.30pm-10.50pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Bruce Adams – trumpet, Andy Panayi – saxes and flute, Art Themen – saxes, Mark Nightingale – trombone, Alan Barnes – saxes and clarinet, David Newton – piano, Alec Dankworth – bass and Bobby Worth – drums.
  
  The Alan Barnes all-star octet will feature music from several of Alan's 8-piece projects and will include music from his 'Sherlock Holmes Suite', 'The Marbella Suite' and the 'New Italian Radio Orchestra'. Also on the eclectic menu will be several pieces by Duke Ellington and a few gems from the Johnny Hodges small band repertoire. Great arrangements with plenty of space to feature stellar soloists.
  

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• Sarah Jane Morris

  Friday 7 August 2009, 11pm-12.30am, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Where It Hurts

  Tim Cansfield – acoustic guitar, Liam Genockey – drums & percussion, Tony Remy – acoustic guitar, Henry Thomas – bass, Sarah Jane Morris – vocals.
  
  We’re thrilled to launch the 50th birthday album of new jazz songs by the singer and songwriter.
  
  'A voice that can excite shivers of passion and delight… Soaring, swooping, sensual and sophisticated, this voice is more than a style, it’s a force of nature… Torch song, soul standard or smoky blues, the message remains constant: human passion with a dazzling voice.' Neil Spencer, The Observer.
  
  'Leave your preconceptions at home,' begins one London critic’s assessment of sensual singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Morris, who straddles rock, blues, jazz and soul with a goosebump-raising four octave range that rumbles from the heels of her size eight shoes to the tips of her flame-red mane.
  

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• Amit Chaudhuri Band

  Friday 7 August 2009, 11pm-12.30am, Cathedral

  This Is Not Fusion

  The acclaimed novelist is also, says the editor of Rolling Stone India, ‘one of India’s most talented musicians’, a singer in the Indian classical tradition who has had worldwide acclaim for his pathbreaking experiment, This Is Not Fusion, a unique take on Indian music’s intersection with the West, where raga meets blues, jazz, and rock. Berlin, Calcutta, Gershwin, Calcutta, OK Tata, Potsdamer Platz…

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• Carnival Jazz Parade

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 10.30am-12pm, Streets of Brecon

  starting from Theatr Brycheiniog

  Jazz parade through Brecon town centre, starting from Theatr Brycheiniog. All welcome, no ticket required.
  
  The Adamant New Orleans Marching Band lead the parade of floats, horses, musicians and entertainers putting jazz onto the streets of Brecon. Among the other bands playing will be Wonderbrass, Marcia Pendelbury and her spanish horses, Clark Tracey’s Calypso Band, 5 go Swing, Julian & Digby’s Band, John Crampton, and the Barcodes & Friends.
  
  The carnival parade collection will be in aid of Usk House Hospice.
  
  

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• Keith Little Band

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 12pm-1.15pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Laurence Davies – trumpet, Martin Butterworth – clarinet/tenor saxophone, Peter Lock – trombone/vocals, Donnie Joe Sweeney – string bass, Mike Pincombe – drums, Keith Little – piano.
  
  The highly entertaining band specialises in early swing music, Dixieland and shuffle inspired by the likes of Fats Waller and Mugsy Spanier. They also play jump and jive music that includes hot versions of Louis Prima and Louis Jordan numbers. Formed in 1998, the group of experienced professionals combines to create a superb band that reaches beyond the traditional with a repertoire of lively, exhilarating jazz that is simply sheer enjoyment.
  
  

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• Gareth Williams Power Trio

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 12pm-1.30pm, Market Hall

  Ian Thomas – drums, Laurence Cottle – electric bass, Gareth Williams – piano/vocals.
  
  One of the most intensely creative, dynamic and exciting performers on the UK scene, Gareth Williams has been receiving increasing critical and public acclaim since becoming a professional musician in the early 90s. Described as 'jewel of a player... spinning out luminous introductions and codas' by Jazziz Magazine (USA), he has dazzled audiences not only by his virtuoso approach to the piano, but also by his multi-instrumentalist talents on guitar and vocals.
  
  An electrifying performer, he has been described as 'a fantastic improviser' by John Fordham in The Guardian and 'If you've seen Williams perform, you'll know that he's the embodiment of creative energy, a physical player who gets wrapped up in his work, with a keyboard command that's both impressive and well-directed,' by Peter Vacher in Jazzwise.
  
  

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• Sixtet – Cardiff Supergroup Sextet

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 12.10pm-1.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Kevin Figes – saxes, Osian Roberts – saxes, Paul Jones – piano, Richard Jones – guitar, Mark O'Connor – drums, Paula Gardiner - double bass.
  
  This new six-piece group features some of the finest luminaries from Wales and south west Jazz scene playing material specially written and arranged for this all-star line-up. All six have previously featured together in the Wales Jazz Composers Orchestra, but this is their first outing together in a small group format. With tremendous soloing ability from this great front line and a powerful intuitive rhythm section this group promises to be an essential new collaboration.
  

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• Art Themen

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 12.10pm-1.30pm, Cathedral

  plays the John Coltrane Songbook

  Robin Aspland – piano, Paul Morgan – bass, Martin Drew – drums, Art Themen – sax.
  
  Art Themen was involved in the traditional jazz scene in Manchester in the late 1950s. A member of the award winning Cambridge University jazz band from 1958 to 1961, he became involved in the early London blues scene, playing alongside Alexis Korner, Mick Jagger, and Chuck Berry. He fronted the Stan Tracey quartet for 20 years from 1976, has toured worldwide and played and recorded with many US and British luminaries.
  
  

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• Trudy Kerr Quartet

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 2.15pm-3.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Trudy Kerr – vocals, Michael Garrick – piano, Julie Walkington – bass and Seb de Krom – drums.
  
  They will be performing songs from Trudy and Michael's latest recording ‘Like Minds’. Here, on this her eighth album, Trudy teams up with British jazz legend and Ellington aficionado Michael Garrick on piano to add a new dimension to some of the Duke’s favourite tunes. Among them are 'In a Sentimental Mood', 'Mood Indigo' and 'Don’t Get Around Much Anymore', plus some of Michael’s own compositions, such as 'October Woman' and 'Song by the Sea'.
  
  'Trudy and Michael's sensitive approach pays dividends and brings a freshness to the form which deserves both credit and a wider audience. A superb example of British-based, vocal-led jazz.' Keith Ames, The Musician Magazine.
  
  

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• Dennis Rollins

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 2.30pm-4pm, Market Hall

  Griots to Garage

  The rising superstar trombonist introduces his show ‘Griots to Garage: A Musical History of the African Diaspora’. He takes the audience through an historical musical journey, inspired by the African Diaspora, starting with the long-established traditional cultures of sixteenth century West Africa. 'Griots to Garage' documents the path of peoples and time through music of African origin: the horrors of transportation and slavery; field-work songs; the developments of the blues and jazz; and onwards through samba, soul and reggae, to the funky, urban hip-hop and garage grooves of today. The music is perfectly complemented by the artistry of Vijay artist Nick Hillel of Yeast Multimedia, whose mixing of imagery with live performance intensifies the emotional impact of this powerful story of tragedy and transcendence.
  
  

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• Wonderbrass

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 2.30pm-4pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Rob Smith’s 30-piece band has a rock solid rhythm section, led by Mark O'Connor, and is complemented by a dazzling array of brass playing juggernaut funk, filthy blues, spicy Latin, skankin' ska and uplifting African township melodies. Much of their material is original, having been written and performed during the numerous collaborations they have enjoyed with a number of major bands and individual performers such as Claude Deppa (Africa All-stars, Carla Bley) Jason Yarde (Jazz Jamaica), Ska giant King Django and South African percussion giants Amampondo, with whom they have worked with on a number of occasions.
  
  

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• Asaf Sirkis Trio

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 2.30pm-3.45pm, Cathedral

  Israeli-born drummer Asaf Sirkis with Tassos Spiliotopoulos on guitar and Patrick Bettison on bass and harmonica unleash thunderous, hard-hitting jazz fusion.
  
  “Since arriving in London from Israel at the end of the end of the '90s, Asaf Sirkis has earned a reputation as one of the world's premier drummers”
  Ian Patterson, All About Jazz, September 2008
  
  'Israeli-born drummer and London resident Asaf Sirkis unleashes with thunderous abandon on this hard-hitting fusion offering that harkens back to a time before the genre became codified, diluted and reduced to a critical joke.' Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times (USA), April 2009
  
  'Sirkis is simply the most sensitive of percussionists.' Chris Parker, January 2009
  
  'Devastatingly creative.' John Fordham, The Guardian, 2008
  
  Sirkis is not only an inventive drummer but also a composer of rigour, wit and surprising delicacy.' Chris Ingham, Mojo Magazine, October 2008
  
  'Asaf Sirkis, the world class drum phenomenon reminiscent of Jack DeJohnette and Tony Williams at the height of their powers that's taken the British scene by storm over the last few years.' Renaissance Man, 2004
  

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• Amigos

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 2.30pm-4pm, Castle Hotel

  You will probably never hear such a wide range of music as you will at an Amigos concert, all played with virtuosity and plenty of passion. They have a repertoire of some 1,000 tunes, varying from Gypsy Jazz, Trad Gypsy, Hot Club Jazz, Hungarian, Yiddish, Russian, Mussette, Latin, Spanish, Tex-Mex, Cuban, Samba, Rumba, Calypso and Celtic.
   
  Founded in 1992 by guitarists Gary Phillips and Andy King, the line-up also includes violin, accordion, double bass and percussion.
  
  

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• Julian Marc Stringle & The Dream Band with Jacqui Hicks

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 4.30pm-6pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Julian Marc Stringle – clarinet, saxes and vocals, Jacqui Hicks – vocals and percussion, Dominic Ashworth – guitars, Leon Greening – keyboards, Chris Dodd – bass and Mike Bradley – drums.
  
  Julian performs a blend of bebop, blues, ballads, classics and Latin jazz. ‘Jazzenergy at its best’ – a feast of funk and fusion from the dynamic band of virtuoso musicians led by Europe’s premier jazz clarinettist, Julian Marc Stringle.
  
  ‘Julian is an immense talent, a truly world class performer, and the best clarinettist to emerge on the jazz scene in decades.’ Sir John Dankworth CBE.
  
  

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• Abdullah Ibrahim

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Market Hall

  solo

  Born in South Africa, the legendary pianist began his musical career 60 years ago under the name Dollar Brand. Discovered by the legendary Duke Ellington, he moved to America, where he also worked with Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. This solo concert includes songs from his latest album, Senzo.
  
  

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• Clark Tracey Sextet

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Clark Tracey – drums, Lewis Wright – vibes, Paul Jordanous – trumpet, Piers Green – saxes, Kit Downes – piano and Ryan Trebilcock – bass.
  
  Clark Tracey has put together a brand new line-up of excellent musicians, which promises to continue his exceptional record as a godfather to the most dynamic and exciting UK jazz talent. He nurtures the superstars of tomorrow, and infuses them with his own joyful and spellbinding performance style.
  
  
  

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• Butchers Brew

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Cathedral

  Andrew Butcher – trombone, Andor Jensen – saxes, Andy Skinnard – piano, Matt Ridley – bass and Elliot Toms – drums.
  
  The quintet’s style varies from the modern jazz of the late 1950s through to funk in bright arrangements of standards as well as originals for the line-up of trombone, saxophone, guitar, bass, piano and drums.
  

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• Joe Webb Trio

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Castle Hotel

  Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Jazz Series

  The Joe Webb Trio features the exciting young piano talent from Swansea – Joe Webb – with a new take on classic jazz standards. Joe is ably supported by Aidan Thorne on double bass and Ollie Howell on drums.
  

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• Martin Drew & The New Jazz Couriers

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 7pm-8.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  The New Jazz Couriers have established a large following by playing superb music that is energetic and a joy to listen to. The established tradition of playing the music of Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott continues. Fantastic music played by great musicians who want the audience to enjoy the music as much as they do!
  
  
  

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• Courtney Pine

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Market Hall

  Transition in Tradition

  The great Brecon favourite, made a CBE this year, returns with his new project.
  
  'Pine serves up a creole gumbo of Caribbean, Latin and African flavours with the nuanced power to restore the most jaded jazz palate… the Jazz Warrior succeeds in broadening our minds as well as our ears.' BBC Music Magazine
  
  Featured on the recording are guitarist Cameron Pierre, pianist Alex Wilson, electric violinist Omar Puente, double bassist Darren Taylor, and drummer Robert Fordjour, alongside American vibraphonist/Marimba player Stefon Harris, all of whom have succeeded in creating music that is as deep as the legacy of jazz, and as encompassing as the journey from Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe can be – in other words, this is the soundtrack to their cultural journey.
  
  A change in instrumentation sees Pine's bass clarinet take centre stage on many occasions, alongside harmonium, castanets and mandolin, and the resulting sound is like no other Courtney Pine record. 'Of course I pay respect to the great Bechet by playing a silver soprano saxophone like his, but there are other flavours like my alto flute playing on The Tale Of Joe Harriott and of course that Caribbean groove.'
  
  It's that very groove that gives this album another of its unique elements, as forays into New Orleans second line beats merge into an old school swing beat, a medium tempo swing smoothly flows into a reggae one drop beat; there is a feeling of continuing movement as each track passes from one place to another. 'I want to show in these compositions how our journey as a culture is constantly in transition, things change in one tune musically just as we do in real life. You can hear this movement especially in Creole Swing or the blazing opener Haiti.'
  
  When asked about the South African tinged tracks ('Afropean' and 'Au Revoir'), that close the album, Pine explains, 'Having worked in the 80s with many of the exiles from apartheid South Africa, these pieces fitted the project perfectly as it was the changes in 1994, when all-inclusive elections occurred for the first time in South Africa, that inspired me to believe in the notion that this world could be a better place to live in.'
  
  Embracing change and unity, allowing for the transition of tradition.
  

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• Alec Dankworth's Spanish Accents

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Alec Dankworth – double bass, Mark Lockheart – saxes, Andy Panayi – flutes, Phil Robson – guitar, Demi Garcia-Sabat – percussion.
  
  Alec Dankworth’s long-standing love of all things Spanish provided the inspiration for this album. Metheny, Corea, even Rodrigo are reinvented alongside traditional folk songs and originals in flamenco rhythms creating a wonderful and genuinely Spanish world.
  
  

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• Jack Pescod & The Barcode Trio

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Cathedral

  concert dedicated to Esbjörn Svensson

  Jack Pescod – piano, Sam Nadel – drums, Joe Pettitt – bass, Ben Cummings – trumpet.
  
  A young ambitious piano quartet. They play melodic, original compositions that are funky and a bit EST-like. Both full of spirited piano parts and well-drilled unison figures. Their music recalls the party groovism of Ramsey Lewis, the lighter side of Keith Jarrett and the pop-crossover fizz of Esbjörn Svensson.
  
  A concert dedicated to Esbjörn Svensson, who died last year.
  
  

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• Little Fish

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Castle Hotel

  Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Jazz Series

  Gorgeous and lyrical work from the pen of bassist Chris Hyson. 2009 winners of The Welsh Jazz Awards for best new band, Little Fish feature the virtuosic piano skills of Chris Gilligan and sympathetic drum grooves of Ollie Howell.
  

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• The Spikedrivers

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 10pm-11.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Ben Tyzack – guitar, Constance Redgrave – bass guitar and vocals, Maurice McElroy – drums and vocals.
  
  One of the most original, innovative and exciting American bands around, their combination of gutsy slide guitar, rock-solid bass, infectious grooves and highly distinctive vocals, creates a sound that is uniquely their own. They take you on a journey, from southern juke-joints and lazy front porches to the huge open spaces of dust bowls and railroad tracks disappearing into the distance…
  

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• In The Fabric

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 10pm-11.30pm, Castle Hotel

  Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Jazz Series

  Joe Northwood – tenor sax, Dan Messore – guitar, Aidan Thorne – double bass, Ollie Howell – drums.
  
  An eclectic fusion of contemporary jazz and folkloric influences producing a fresh new sound.
  

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• King Salsa

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 10.30pm-12am, Market Hall

  The 13-piece powerhouse Afro-Cuban band feature some of the brightest stars of the UK Latin music scene. From traditional Son, Boleros, Rumba and Salsa through to the more contemporary Timba, King Salsa play from the original charts of such greats as Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri and Chucho Valdez, as well as newer charts from the leading Latin writers of today. Equally at home in the concert hall or the dance hall, King Salsa have become something of an international institution of Latin music, dance and folklore over the course of their 20-year history.
  

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• Anouar Brahem Trio

  Saturday 8 August 2009, 11pm-12.30am, Cathedral

  Anouar Brahem – oud
, François Couturier – piano
, Jean Louis Matinier – accordion.
  
  Transporting and spectacularly beautiful concert from the great Oud’s conjurer round midnight.
  
  This age-old traditional Oriental lute carries in its calabash all the musical heritage of the Arab and Islamic worlds. Brahem is a phenomenon, a concentrated mix of prolific paradoxes: a supremely subversive classicist; a solitary soloist resolutely open to the world; a culture smuggler ever inclined to adventure beyond his own limits, pushing back musical frontiers without ceding an inch of the aesthetical standards forged across time and tempered in a profound respect for tradition.
  
  From the rich repertory of Jazz (John Surman, Dave Holland and Jan Garbarek are just some of the leading players to succumb to his melodic spells), to the multifarious traditions of Mediterranean and Oriental influence (from his native Tunisia to the confines of India and Iran), his sensitive yet rigorous music ceaselessly redefines a composite universe of poetry and culture, balancing discretion and sensuality, nostalgia and contemplation.
  

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• Erik Truffaz with Sly Johnson

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 12.30am-2am, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Paris Project

  A mesmerising late night collaboration between the great French trumpeter and the superstar beatboxologist, featuring the drummer Philippe Garcia.
  
  See a video clip from a recent concert: www.bigchill.net/news/2009/04/erik-truffaz-and-sly-johnson
  
  Please note that this event takes place late on Saturday 8 August into the early hours of Sunday 9 August.
  

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• Jazz For Juniors

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 10am-11am, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Trudy Kerr – vocals, Derek Nash – sax, Michael Garrick – piano, Seb de Krom – drums, Julie Walkington – bass.
  
  Jazz For Juniors is a live show designed especially for kids, the whole family, and for anyone who is young at heart and loves jazz music. Trudy is joined on stage by a band of brilliant UK jazz musicians and their instruments – piano, bass, drums, saxophone and trumpet. During an hour-long jazz adventure the band brings jazz music to children in a fun and exciting way. Come and learn about the history of jazz music from its origins of slavery, marching bands and the blues through to today. The musicians introduce children to the instruments and how they work as well as how they fit together to make up the sound of a jazz band. The kids are involved as much as possible. Expect lots of audience participation, from singing and clapping to marching, dancing and movement. There's even a drum lesson for a lucky volunteer.
  

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• Welsh Jazz Composers

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 10am-11am, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  The 2010 Adventure

  Come and join Simon Thorne, Huw Warren, Paula Gardiner and friends to be in at the very start of a new commission to tour major festivals of Wales next year. This is the place it starts – with shared sounds, dreams and explorations.
  

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• Digby Fairweather in conversation

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 10am-11.15am, Castle Hotel

  
  Entry to this event is free, but you must reserve a ticket.
  

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• Festival Jazz Service

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 10.45am, Cathedral

  Led by the Adamant Band and featuring festival stars. Preacher – the Very Reverend Geoffrey Marshall, Dean of Brecon.
  
  Entry to this event is free

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• Protect The Beat

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 12.15pm-1.45pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  featuring Derek Nash

  Derek Nash – sax, Winston Blissett – bass, Arden Hart – keys, Tim Cansfield – guitar, Darby Todd – drums.
  
  The guys bring an aggressive brand of jazz/funk along the lines of George Duke, The Yellowjackets and The Breckers. The saying goes: if you want to bake a great cake you need to get the ingredients just right. Take 3 heaped spoonfuls of Derek Nash, leading arranger for Jools Holland's R&B Orchestra and frontline sax man to the same. Add an egg while gradually sifting in the soulful bass lines of Winston Blissett, Massive Attack. This cake will not be short of "Heart" if it's gonna rise and this recipe calls for the talented Arden Hart on keys and trumpet and the celebrated guitar of Tim Cansfield, whose credits include such dessert delights as Annie Lennox, Ray Charles and most recently Steve Winwood. The icing, you ask? Who needs it! We will just stick Darby Todd (currently touring with Justin Hawkins and Hot Leg) plus Darby's entire 150 piece drum and cymbal set up smack on top of this cake. Like the two figures atop a wedding cake, only this time the bride and groom are none other than Jazz & Funk. Their second album Intrepid stayed at number 1 for 15 weeks in a respected independent UK Jazz chart last year.
  

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• Digby Fairweather's Half Dozen with Paul Jones

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 12.30pm-2pm, Market Hall

  This ‘Rockin’ In Rhythm’ showcases the dynamic teaming of Paul Jones, the l960s chart-topping star of Manfred Mann, the Manfreds and later his own ‘Blues Band’ with Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen, pollwinners in the British Jazz Awards. Paul Jones – famous for l960s hits such as ‘5-4-3-2-1’, ‘Doo Wah Diddy Diddy’, ‘Pretty Flamingo’, ‘I’ve been a bad bad boy!’ and more – joins Digby Fairweather’s sensational Half Dozen for a performance which celebrates both his music and exciting new arrangements of the great jazz and blues standards they both love.
  
  

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• Gregg Kofi Brown & The Afrobeat Band

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 12.30pm-1.45pm, Cathedral

  Phil Dawson – guitar, Emmanuel Rentzos – keyboard & vox, Tansay Ibrahim – drums, Paapa J Mensah – percussion & vox, Ike Leo – bass, sax & vox, Jaroslav Barnick – trumpet, Ben Hadwen – sax & flute.
  
  African rhythms, jah spirit and Brit-funk from the Ghanaian stage star, whose latest album is Together As One.
  
  
  
  

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• Dennis Rollins in conversation

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 12.30pm-2pm, Castle Hotel

  
  Entry to this event is free, but you must reserve a ticket.
  

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• Brecon Jazz Youth Band & Imperial College Big Band

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 12.30pm-2pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  We are delighted to welcome the Imperial College Big Band to lead our newly established Brecon Jazz Youth Big Band in this exuberant celebration.
  Suitable for all ages, this is sure to be a hugely enjoyable event, so get your dancing shoes on and join in the fun.
  
  

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• Abdullah Ibrahim Trio

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 2.30pm-4pm, Market Hall

  Abdullah Ibrahim – piano, Belden Bullock – bass, George Gray – drums.
  
  The pianist is joined by his long-term collaborators for a concert that explores his musical heritage and range from Arabic and Moorish roots, township jazz, his work with Ellington and Monk, and the great canon of classical piano virtuosity.
  
  South African pianist Adolph Johannes 'Dollar' Brand was born in Cape Town in 1934. After his conversion to Islam in 1968, he changed his name to Abdullah Ibrahim. He was only 15 years old when he set out on his career as a professional pianist. In 1959 he performed with the group Jazz Epistles on Jazz in Africa, the first jazz album recorded in South Africa. In 1962 he left his homeland and ultimately took up residence in New York. The magic of Ibrahim lies in his capacity to blend the rhythms and colours of South Africa with jazz improvisation. In 1964, Duke Ellington was so impressed by one of the South African's live concerts that he immediately arranged for a recording that resulted in the album Duke Ellington Presents The Dollar Brand Trio. Ibrahim's compositions have been arranged for large orchestras and he has written film scores including that for Lasse Hallström's Chocolat. However, it is when playing with a trio that his true musical identity is best expressed.
  

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• Don Weller Quartet

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 2.30pm-3.45pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Don Weller – sax, Dave Newton – piano, Dave Barry – drums, Andy Cleyndert – double bass.
  
  The multi-award-winning tenor saxophonist and his band play funky jazz fusion.
  
  
  
  

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• Damon Sawyer Project

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 2.30pm-3.45pm, Cathedral

  Bob Haddrell (The Barcodes) – piano and organ, George Pearson (Sonny Black/Daniel Smith Band) – bass, Nick Payn – sax (Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings), Damon Sawyer – drums. Guest performance from Alan Glen of The Barcodes.
  
  Drummer Damon Sawyer appears at Brecon Jazz for the first time with his own project promoting his new album Struttin’ South on Note Records. The album has had airplay all over Europe and America. No stranger to the jazz and blues scene, having played with Sonny Black for over five years, Damon has also worked with Paul Jones, Pee Wee Ellis, Ben E King and Paul Rodgers. You can expect to hear a healthy mix of jazz, blues and New Orleans funk.
  

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• Azhaar Saffar & Sirus B

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 2.30pm-4pm, Castle Hotel

  The Brazilian superstar makes a return appearance to Brecon with her jazz band Sirius B. She is presently promoting her new album Out There on 33 records. This departure from the sounds of Brazil showcases her unique combination of commanding vocals and modern jazz violin and features guest appearances from some of the cream of British jazz, including Jason Rebello and Iain Ballamy.
  
  Sirius B are one of the UK's most respected Brazilian jazz acts. Since they formed in the spring of 1998 they have released six highly acclaimed albums. Their most recent release The Essential Sirius B (Freestyle Records) has received rave reviews worldwide and has been playlisted by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Mike Chadwick, Snowboy and, in Japan, Sunaga T.
  
  The band have captivated audiences all over Europe and were a big hit at the Montreux Jazz Festival. They have opened at the Barbican Centre for Caetano Veloso and Aierto Moreira, and jammed with Carlinhos Brown and Jair Rodrigues.
   
  Snowboy called them the 'perfect jazz dance band' – jazz you can dance to, which sums up their music which unashamedly crosses boundaries between jazz, samba, world dance and hard-hitting bossa nova. Catch one of their rare live appearances this year and enjoy the chance to hear some authentic reworkings of the classics of bossa nova, great original tunes, or just dance the afternoon away in true carnival spirit.
  

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• Willie Garnett's Big Band

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 2.30pm-3.45pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Magnificent seventeen-piece swinging big band led by veteran saxophonist Willie Garnett. The line-up is as follows: Andy Gibson, Laurie Brown, Mike Hornet and Mick Collins on trumpets; Jeff Baxter, Chris Low and Alan Tomlinson on trombones. On saxes: Mike Ruby (bari), Bill Wrathal (alto), Mike Coates (lead alto), Alex Garnett (tenor) and Kelvin Christiane (tenor). Other band members include Denis Smith (drums), Tim Pharoah (double bass), Frank Toms (keyboard) and, of course, bandleader Willie Garnett on sax and magic wand!
  

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• London Community Gospel Choir

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Market Hall

  The Rev. Bazil Meade’s singers barnstorm the festival with their swinging, soul-soaring celebrations. The choir are characterised by thrilling arrangements of the great Gospel classics and fantastically charismatic performance.
  

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• Peter King Quartet

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog Studio

  Steve Melling – piano, Martin Drew – drums, Peter King – sax.
  
  'The finest alto saxophonist that Britain has ever produced, and one of the finest in the world today' (Dave Gelly, The Giants of Jazz), has been a major influence on the British Jazz scene ever since he played at the age of eighteen for the opening of Ronnie Scott’s, London's internationally famous jazz Mecca. 'Had Ronnie Scott's Club died overnight and been heard of no more it could still have justified its existence by pointing to a discovery like Peter King.' Benny Green.
  
  
  

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• John Gibbon & Ben Cummings Quartet

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Castle Hotel

  Ben Cummings – trumpet, Phil Mead – piano, Dave Moses – double bass and John Gibbon – drums.
  
  Ben Cummings is an Oxford-based trumpeter whose past includes work with Jacqui Dankworth, Jamie Cullum, Big Buzzard Boogie Band, NYJO, the Brass Volcanoes, Roberto Plas and his Latin Jazz Ensemble, Snowboy and the Latin Section, Bad Manners, the Humphrey Littleton band, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra and more.
  

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• Vic Ash & Simon Spillett Quintet

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 5pm-6.30pm, Cathedral

  The Vic Ash & Simon Spillett Quintet unites five of the leading musicians on the UK Jazz scene and the connections between all the players run deep: BBC Award-winner Spillett was once a student of Brit-Jazz veteran Ash, whilst the stellar rhythm section of John Critchinson, Alec Dankworth and Clark Tracey boast a collective CV including such giants as Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker and Michael Brecker. The mix of Ash's classic clarinet and tenor style with Spillett's energised playing results in a band full of contrast, synergy and genuine mutual respect.
  
  
  

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• Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 5.15pm-6.30pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  Traditions in Transition

  On the crest of a burgeoning worldwide wave of interest in the lesser-tapped sources of music from the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa, Quantic and his new band, the Combo Bárbaro, are leading the charge with the stunning album, Tradition In Transition. This international cast of acclaimed musical creators fuse those rediscovered psychedelic, experimental and rhythmically rich sounds of the past with deep funk and soul elements, giving life to an explosive sonic snapshot of the eclectic and ever-evolving musical landscape of the Americas.
  
  

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• Manu Dibango & The Soul Makossa Gang

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Market Hall

  The Lion of Cameroon is a lover of everything from funk, hip-hop and cabaret to chanson, gospel and reggae; from Latin, Caribbean and West African rhythms to Congolese sounds and his very own Cameroonian derivative, Makossa Soul. At 73 Dibango is still wielding his colour co-ordinated set of saxophones, still rippling his hands over the length of a marimba/xylophone, still improvising melodic lines from behind his circular black specs. Above all else, he is a jazzman.
  
  

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• Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co

  Sunday 9 August 2009, 7.30pm-9pm, Theatr Brycheiniog

  We close the festival with a joyful celebration. The jazz warrior superstar trombonist’s mighty sound can be heard to full effect in his award-winning five-piece band Badbone & Co’s repertoire of groove-based, funky dance music with jazz overtones.
  

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