The 32nd Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival runs from the 30th July to the 8th of August, with 110 acts playing at venues across the city. It attracts the largest audience of any Jazz Festival in the UK.
MTV presenter, soul diva and jazz chanteuse China Moses makes her first appearance at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues festival. Performing with French pianist Raphael Lemonnier, Moses is one of the world’s best new jazz singers. This is her only UK concert in 2010.
Joining her on the must see list is Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble who perform on Damon Alburn’s latest Gorillaz album. After earning accolades for their performance at last year's Glastonbury Festival and on BBC’s ‘Later’ this will be one of the hottest tickets at this year’s festival. They play the new Assembly venue at the Ross Band Stand in Princes Street Gardens.
After last year's sold out inaugural Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra concert, Joe Temperley returns to conduct the orchestra in a celebration of the music of Count Basie. Joe will also be leading a jazz swing concert along with other world-leading exponents of jazz swing, including Bob Wilber and Scott Hamilton.
A new commission for the Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra by trumpeter Colin Steele, spearheads the 25 concerts in the Scottish Jazz Expo, supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. Steele will lead the orchestra at The Queens Hall on the 7th of August.
The genius of Django Reinhardt in his centenary year is celebrated with concerts by Martin Taylor, Fapy Lafertin, Evan Christopher among others. A mini-festival of French jazz including the Scottish premiere by Orchestre National de Jazz; Emile Parisien, the return of smash 2009 hit Les Doigts de L'Homme, and Baptiste Trotignon plays alongside Scottish saxophonist, Konrad Wisniewski. Curtis Stigers also makes his Festival debut with his sensational band featuring the amazing trumpeter, John Sneider.
Jazz World Premieres
This year the festival hosts two world premieres: Tom Bancroft’s unique Scottish jazz flashmob street event, Clandemonium takes place in Parliament Square. Bancroft is inviting volunteer drummers, dancers and kazoo players to join in, in this unique fun event. The second premiere is ‘Naturally Inspired’, a collaboration between the Storytelling Festival and the Mela, which involves a day of planned and impromptu events, scattered throughout Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
A celebration of 60 years of Edinburgh jazz takes place throughout the festival with 18 concerts, from Sandy Brown's 50s jazz to Kevin Mackenzie, Martin Kershaw and the youthful jazz of Ruaridh Patterson. Along with Fat Sams' Band and Salsa Celtica celebrating their 25th and 15th year anniversaries.
The Edinburgh institution Café Graffiti sadly shut its doors 10 years ago. This year sees the re-creation of it’s most celebrated night the Lizard Lounge featuring Mercury Prize nominated rapper TY, Joseph Malik(live), James Brown’s Trombonist Fred Wesley’s and the new JB’s and The Rhumba Caliente Afro Latin Soul Orchestra complete the line up. The Bays make their Festival debut alongside Hidden Orchestra with Su a Lee + Asthmatic Astronaut / Astroboy.
This year’s Blues Festival sees the long awaited return of ‘Canned Heat Woodstock Reunited’ playing their first Edinburgh date in 15 years at the Queens Hall on the 31st of July. Eric Burdon and The Animals play The Queens Hall on the 6th of August. Local gravel voiced legend Tam White bring his unique Sermon Orchestra featuring guest vocalist Niki King to the Queens Hall on the 1st of August.
Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite plays The Jamhouse on the 7th of August. Nominated 6 times for a Grammy, he has collaborated with amongst others Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits, Ben Harper, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and the best man at his wedding John Lee Hooker. Described as the second coming of Led Zeppelin with Tom Waits on vocals.
Samuel L Jackson's guitar tutor, loved and admired by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor, multi Grammy nominated Alvin Youngblood Hart makes his first appearance at this year’s festival. His album 'Start With Soul' was one of the New York Times top ten albums of 2000 and the BBC’s No.1 Blues album.
Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green and friends play at The Picture House on the 2nd of August. Blues ‘n’ Trouble singer Sandy Tweeddale and guitarist Tim Elliot play a tribute to Elmore James and Jimmy Reid,. This year see’s the return of Jon Cleary, a huge success at the 2008 festival.
The Jamhouse hosts a weekend of blues on the 7th and 8th of August, featuring ‘Blue’s n Trouble,’ The River Devils King King, Gerry Jablonski Electric Band, John Hunt, Paul Lamb & The King Snakes, Barbara Morrison, the Lisa Mill's Band and the 'Violet Leighton Band'.