September 22 2015

Abersoch Jazz Weekend 25th - 27th September
Abersoch’s Jazz Weekend returns with events added on Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday. All band sessions this year are in the one venue - South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club. It will be a fun and friendly weekend, with the very popular parade through the village on Saturday and great opportunities to hear top class musicians and bands who are usually busy touring the UK and Europe.Bands include the Amy Roberts/Richard Exall Quintet, Kevin Grenfell’s Jazz Giants, Jazz Rag and Martin Bennett’s Old Green River Band.
Details and the programme of events are below...

AMY ROBERTS/RICHARD EXALL QUINTET

The quintet is fronted by two of the most exciting and versatile musicians who combine to perform high-octane music on a range of clarinets, saxophones and flute. Their repertoire has well-crafted arrangements that pay homage to Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Goodman, Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Earl Bostic, Charlie Parker and many more. You will hear popular standards and vocals as well as more unusual tunes inspired from early jazz/swing and Latin music. It will be an entertaining session crossing musical styles and boundaries. The rhythm section for this session is the wonderful piano wizard Paul Sawtell, Bill Coleman on bass and nick Millward on drums.

KEVIN GRENFELL’S JAZZ GIANTS
Jazz Giants was the brainchild of internationally recognised trombonist and showman Kevin Grenfell and was formed in 2012 as a five-piece band. The band prides itself in performing high-energy swing, boogie-woogie and mainstream jazz to high standards. Paul Harrison from Denmark is a special guest providing variety and an even greater sound.

MARTIN BENNETT'S OLD GREEN RIVER BAND

The Old Green River Band is named after a Bourbon Whisky that went out of production after the First War. They play what can best be described as Dixieland Swing which covers all the jazz periods. Martin Bennett is an internationally renowned musician who has appeared many times in Canada and the USA from Miami and New Orleans to California. He has played in The Bahamas, The Canary Islands, France, Germany, Holland and Belgium as well as Switzerland, all four countries of Scandinavia and two tours in Australia. For many years he was a regular musician at the major festivals in Ireland as well as many of the jazz venues north and south as well as those throughout the UK from northern Scotland to Cornwall and many times in Abersoch.

Old Green River Band line up -
Chez Chesterman - trumpet, John Finch - trombone, Tony Denton - clarinet and baritone saxophone,
Ed Lloyd-Hughes - double bass, Bill Buck - drums, Martin Bennett - keyboard.

JAZZ RAG
Bringing back that Dixieland era right to your doorstep! Jazz Rag are a large part of the parade band every year and play a session as well as busking outside The Vaynol to raise funds for Ysgol Abersoch. They will be having fun playing the music they love so come and join them - it’s gonna be great!

By popular request Jazz Rag’s line up will be as last year:
Front line: Morris Jones - Band leader and Trombone, David Wilkinson - Clarinet, Sax and vocals, Ron King - Trumpet. Ron is our very special guest, all the way from Devon specially to play at Abersoch with Jazz Rag. Rhythm section: Malcolm Hogarth - Piano, Fred Boggan - Percussion, Isabel Toner - Double Bass.

Jazz Weekend 2015 Timetable
Friday 8pm-11pm - Amy Roberts and Richard Exall Quintet
Saturday 11am - Parade (starting from the Lime Kiln), include Lusitano horses and the Best Dressed Brolly and Hat competitions!
Saturday 2pm-3pm - The Pwllheli Band
Saturday 3.15pm-5.30pm - Jazz Rag
Saturday 8pm-11pm - Kevin Grenfell’s Jazz Giants, with special guest Paul Harrison from Denmark.
Sunday 10.30am - Capel Aber Bilingual Gospel Service
Sunday 2pm-5pm - Martin Bennett’s Old Green River Band
Sunday 5.30pm - Marcia Pendlebury’s famous dancing horses at Pen Llyn Riding School, Llaniestyn. (£10 donations to the Air Ambulance)
Buskers will also be playing over the weekend on The Vaynol patio.

Tickets: Full weekend ticket - £35, Session ticket - £10
Tickets available from SCYC and Abersoch Post Office.