I am very excited to announce that the Elaine Delmar Quintet is performing for our Herne Bay Jazz Festival 2025 benefit concert in partnership with The Kings Hall, in Herne Bay, Kent, on Friday 28th February 2025. 

Following her sold-out show at Ronnie Scott’s in January, Elaine will be appearing with an absolutely top-notch lineup including John Pearce, piano, Simon Thorpe, bass, Bobby Worth, drums and Andy Panayi, saxophone (who has also appeared as a soloist at our festival). 

“One of the ageless, evergreen singing stars that we have … as beautiful and talented as ever… she’s marvellous!” -Michael Parkinson, BBC Radio 2. 

We last had Elaine Delmar perform for Herne Bay Jazz on the Pier Stage back in 2022. Her performance at the time was completely captivating – I was dashing around, stage managing (as well as a multitude of other tasks) and suddenly, I was compelled to stop dead in my tracks and listen – something about Elaine’s stage presence insisted on stillness, and attention; I was completely mesmerised. 

An absolute gem of a singer, Parliamentary Jazz Award-winner Elaine Delmar has long been established on the UK and international jazz circuit, with a career spanning nearly seven decades.  Having performed with jazz giants including Herb Ellis, Benny Carter and Stephane Grappelli as well as in concert performances with stars including Andy Williams and Michel LeGrand, Elaine’s personality remains warm, amicable and full of humour. This presence really comes across on stage, along with her stunning, seamless vocal lines on tunes from across the repertoire. 

• All proceeds from our benefit show on 28th February will go towards the 2025 Herne Bay Jazz Festival to be held 15th to 17th August 2025, in partnership with the Kings Hall, the Pier Stage, and numerous smaller venues. The lineup announcement for our August festival is coming – but in the meantime, why not spend a weekend at the seaside and join us for this brilliant performance with one of the UK’s iconic jazz singers. 

TICKET LINK BELOW

• Herne Bay Jazz Festival was founded in 2017, with four hours on the Pier Stage. Since then, we have grown to involve more than 10 venues in our seaside town with over forty hours of performance over three days. The festival will return for its 8th year from 15th to 17th August 2025, with world-class performances from top jazz artists and emerging talent, as well as workshops, a local makers market and a New Orleans-style festival parade. 

• VOLUNTEERS!! Want to get involved? Become a volunteer! Join our team and help make this festival an unforgettable experience. Email us at hernebayjazzfestival@gmail.com to sign up.

It would be brilliant to see you at the Herne Bay Jazz benefit concert, Friday, 28th February. 

The post Elaine Delmar Quintet to perform Herne Bay Jazz Festival 2025 benefit concert 28 February first appeared on UK Jazz News.

The programme for the first weekend of 2025 looks like the best yet. It draws mainly on UK musicians, often those based in the South West, along with a few Europeans who might not otherwise be seen on these shores. This year that brings us Laura Jurd’s new quartet, topping the bill on Friday night, one new trio venture from Saxophonist Ian Ballamy, Molecatcher (don’t ask) with Rob Luft on guitar and Conor Chaplin on bass, and another featuring committed improvisers Larry Stabbins, sax and Mark Sanders on drums with the remarkable French-resident bassist Paul Rogers, who will get to work on Sunday afternoon.

More familiar UK line-ups also appearing include two sextets on Saturday afternoon, when Kevin Figes’ excellent tribute to Keith Tippett’s compositions and arrangements, We Are Here, follows on from altoist Dee Byrne’s Outlines.

From farther afield, the are also sets from Fraser Fifield’s Secret Path Trio, down from Scotland, and the intriguing Netherlands-based singer and pianist Nani Vazana, who is weaving new songs from her roots in Morocco using the Ladino language. The whole thing is topped and tailed by pianist Ky Osborne’s quartet who begin the live music on Friday evening, and Huw Warren’s beautiful duo collaboration with singer and violinist Angharad Jenkins, with their unique set of old Welsh carols that mark the turn of the year.

That will be a neat festive closer for a January gig, and an apt way to kick off a new year’s listening to quality live music. The whole thing happens in the comfortable confines of Bath’s Widcombe Social Club, a handy five-minute walk from Bath Spa Station for out of town visitors, and is highly recommended.

The post Bath Jazz Weekend first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Its first release, Altered Visions, features the three founders of the label plus bass player Kanoa Mendenhall, a bass player born in Japan, but raised in California, and drummer Iago Fernández.  All five members of the group are young  players already making their mark on the contemporary jazz scene. 

The recording came about because all five happened to be in Basel between gigs and were enthusiastic about playing together.  Their aim was to celebrate togetherness and there is a considerable amount of collective improvisation on the only full track on the album, the 33-minute Wild Marks.

A 33-minute straight-through track might seem a little daunting for an online or CD listener as compared with a live situation.  Nonetheless, my experience was that the playing is varied and moves between so many different approaches that I did not lose concentration.  There is indeed  some really fine playing.

As is often the case with free improvisation, the music constantly changes and goes through a series of episodes: mostly collective improvisation from all five players, or in duo or trio passages, but also some straightforward soloing with saxophone playing over the rhythm section.  There are also at certain points vocals from Maria Grand..  

‘Altered Visions’ is released today, 6 December 2024.

The post Maria Grand, Camila Nebbia, Marta Sánchez, Kanoa Mendenhall, Iago Fernández – ‘Altered Visions’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Who is this vocalist? Her US fans have heard her at the New York cabaret venue 54 Below and in her widely viewed Youtube recordings. I bought her debut album ‘Stella Cole’ on Amazon, curious to see what all the fuzz was about.

Now I know. Some of her online fans compared her to Judy Garland, praise indeed, but listening now to her fresh cover of ‘Over the Rainbow’, I could believe blue birds really fly beyond the rainbow. Authenticity is a rare feature in well-worn standards, but there again, the arranger here is from the vey top drawer, Alan Broadbent. He modestly told Kathryn Shackleton in an interview in 2014: ” I’ve always wanted that swing feeling, interesting harmonies and beautiful melodies…”

The BBC’s Jazz Record Requests has just played ‘Blame it On My Youth’, an essentially bittersweet number, which Stella delivered with the gentleness and sincerity of the Girl who says I believed in Everything. Many of the songs covered come from wartime musicals such as the Wizard of Oz or Meet Me in St. Louis (staple fare for the 54 Below cabarets). Postwar fare includes ‘Walking in the Sunshine’ (probably best known for Sinatra’s 1952 recording?) but here given a rollicking rebirth alongside a swinging Hammond Organ. The most recent of the dozen songs is a version of Billie Eilish’s dreamlike ‘My Future’. Stella gives this a completely different, tentative and reflexive mood.

As a former New Yorker, there is one number of this album that exemplifies the transformation of another old show tune to a real jazz hit. I remember the Rex Harrison production of My Fair Lady on Broadway. Today I recall the character ‘Freddy’ singing ‘On the Street Where You Live’, in a way that an eight-year-old could tell that loser was never going to get the girl. But Stella’s interpretation makes me feel that overpowering feeling….

Ms. Cole has just released a new, Christmas, album, Snow, also produced by Matt Pierson with arrangements by Alan Broadbent. I suspect that will figure in my list for Santa Claus!

Tracklist:

The Boy Next Door
P.S. I Love You
(Love Is) The Tender Trap
My Foolish Heart
Over the Rainbow
Detour Ahead
Moon River
My Future
When the Sun Comes Out
Walking in the Sunshine
Blame it On My Youth
On the Street Where You Live

Produced by Matt Pierson
Band includes: Alan Broadbent (piano/arranger/conductor), Chico Pinheiro (guitar), Ben Paterson (piano & Hammond organ), Neal Milner (double bass), Keith Balla (drums), plus orchestra. Full listing at end of video above.

The post Stella Katherine Cole – ‘Stella Cole’ first appeared on UK Jazz News.