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The First Herts Jazz Festival - An Introduction by Simon Spillett
There was a time when the words Jazz Festival ensured the paying public a bill studded with celebrated musicians whose contributions had both shaped and consolidated the art form. Yet nowadays with more and more major festivals relying on artists whose reputations have been built outside the idiom, and who are at best what might be termed fringe associates, it is especially refreshing to find that the first Herts Jazz Festival contains a roster of artists whose very names guarantee a glorious celebration of the music’s core values.
As befits an event born out of the recent success of the revived Herts Jazz Club, the emphasis is on what might be termed, with total accuracy, the Best of British, and across the fifteen different performances and masterclasses, there is the welcome opportunity to hear the work of several generations of the UK jazz community. The diversity and breadth of the programme is notable, containing everything from solo recitals to big bands. The former is represented by the immaculate Martin Taylor, arguably the world’s finest exponent of the guitar soliloquy, whereas the big bands include Pete Long’s Echoes of Ellington, with its whistle-stop exploration of the legacy of one of the most prolific of all jazz composers, and, taking a more contemporary route, an all-star orchestra led by Don Weller, making a rare outing as the festivals finale.
In between, the mid-sized groups of Stan Tracey, Steve Waterman and Arnie Somogyi (the latter celebrating the music of Charles Mingus) pack their own punch, and there are three very differing piano trio sets, led variously by the ubiquitous Dave Newton, ascendant star Leon Greening and, making a welcome return to the fold, the former wunderkind of the 1980’s British Jazz boom, Jason Rebello.
For saxophone fans, the appearance of the legendary Peter King and Alan Skidmore, offering a tribute to drum icon Elvin Jones, is a must, and there is also the added fun of witnessing the hyperactive dash of Alan Barnes as he darts from band to band across the festival, pausing to present an engaging duo with long-time collaborator Dave Newton.
Finally the vocal touch is provided by Trudy Kerr, without doubt one of the most accomplished singers to grace our shores.
Alongside the group leaders, well-known British jazz names such as Tony Kofi, Dave O’Higgins, Tim Garland, Simon Allen, Mark Nightingale, Art Themen, Dick Pearce, Mornington Lockett, Andrew Cleyndert and Henry Lowther will all feature, and with an assembly of talent as rich as this it would come as no surprise if the festivals success is already guaranteed.
In addition to the performances, there are two masterclasses; drum legend Mark Fletcher offers an invitation to a workshop surely mandatory for drummers of all stripes and Trudy Kerr provides her insights into the world of jazz singing. Finally, the Hertfordshire Youth Jazz Ensemble, a band already accomplished enough to have collaborated with Stan and Clark Tracey, will provide energetic confirmation that the future of jazz is alive, well and prospering.
Our thanks must go to the indefatigable Clark and Sylvia Tracey, as well as to the equally tireless staff of Campus West, for making this weekend possible.