With the tenth anniversary Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival almost upon us, the full 2017 line up is announced.
Local, national and international artists will grace the main stage, courtyard and Great Hall, which are uniquely set in one of the UK's finest Elizabethan stately homes.
With twenty-seven performances across four different stages, festivalgoers will enjoy jazz vocalist Claire Martin OBE with saxophone legend Ray Gelato, Northern Ireland blues star Kaz Hawkins and Mississippi native Lisa Mills, to name but a few.
Having grown year on year, this delightful, family friendly festival with its beautiful and safe environment, and with locally sourced food and drink on offer, provides music for all tastes. It’s ideal for those seeking an ambient accompaniment to a glass of wine or pint of local bitter in the majestic grounds, as much as for the jazz or blues aficionado wanting to get up close to star performers.
A Celebration of St Lucia
To celebrate the festival’s tenth anniversary, Burton Agnes welcomes some very special guests from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. Festivalgoers will enjoy the best of Saint Lucian jazz talent, with the island's famous rum cocktails and Caribbean cuisine.
Dynamix - Vibrant young sax-led quartet
Claudia Edward - Caribbean gem and St Lucian household name
Rupert Lay Quartet - Steel pans add the quintessential Caribbean edge to Rupert Lay's jazz guitar trio
Chrycee - Soulful singer-songwriter with distinctive style
Field and Forage will be serving a fabulous range of locally sourced food on the food lawn, whilst our newly-restored vintage ice cream van serves its delectable ice creams.
Award winning Wold Top beers will also be on tap, brewed just a few miles away.
There is camping in the beautiful surroundings of the adjacent Park Field, with hot showers laid on.
Within Burton Agnes' grounds, there’s a maze, giant games, jungle garden and woodland walk with forest creatures to explore, with balloon artistry and face painting laid on for the child in each of us.
Friday 30th June - Evening 6:30 - 10pm
The Pat McCarthy Quartet featuring Shannon Riley - With Thom Whitworth on trumpet and guitar, Warren Jolly on bass and Shannon Riley singing, the Pat McCarthy Quartet presents a warm and melodic repertoire of standards and original songs in a modern vein. These incredibly talented and engaging musicians perform the very best of jazz and swing, from 1930's classics to the new generation of modern jazz hits.
Portmanteau - This horn heavy funk and soul outfit from Leeds has been trailblazing their sounds throughout the nation and beyond. Bringing together some of the UK's finest home-grown musicians, the nine-piece creates highly danceable funk, soul and hip-hop. Dynamic vocals, infectious beats, a tight and powerful horn section and an in-the-pocket rhythm section all add up to a sparkling show.
Late night sessions 10pm - Midnight
Following hot on the heels of Friday's main stage acts, the party continues in the bar tent. In association with Strada music.
Stillhouse - Progressive acoustic music at its finest, Stillhouse is a mandolin, guitar, double bass and vocal trio ensemble, presenting beautifully crafted original songs and meticulously arranged instrumental material with roots in bluegrass, jazz and folk.
Half Deaf Clatch - slide stomp blues machine and 11-time British Blues Award finalist.
'a growl that makes Chris Rea sound like one of the Chipmunks and slide guitar skills that would make Ry Cooder green with envy, Half Deaf Clatch is as old school as you can get...this Hull Bluesman delivers a selection of raw, hypnotic tracks that mark him out as a natural' The Blues Mag
Saturday 1st July 11:30am – 10pm
Claudia Edward - Caribbean gem and St Lucian household name, Claudia is performing with her band 'Naked Chords'. Further afield, Claudia has a big fan base in Asia, where she tours each year. She has headlined the Hainan International Jazz Festival and the Jazz & Creole Festival in Dominica. Claudia was selected as a singer to represent the Caribbean at the London 2012 Olympics.
Chrycee - Soulful, passionate and unique, singer-songwriter Chrycee is undeniably mesmeric. Born in Saint Lucia in 1985, Chrycee grew up with a DJ father, sang solo in church, performed in talent shows, and rapidly progressed to opening for music icons Keyshia Cole and Earth Wind and Fire at the 2014 Tobago Jazz Experience.
Firebird Quartet - This sophisticated quartet performs original compositions with energy and driving grooves, and music from great contemporary jazz composers. Underpinned by solid, pure swing, it's rooted in the melodic jazz of the '60s and '70s and that of the present day. This quartet delivers sophistication for jazz aficionados, with a sense of groove that any audience will enjoy.
Dynamix - Vibrant young sax-led quartet. This talented group, from the Saint Lucia School of Music, formed in 2013 when the members were between 14 and 17 years old. They impress well beyond their years, with Saint Lucian compositions and fresh Caribbean infused takes on well-known jazz standards.
New York Brass Band - Hailing from the ancient streets of York, NYBB are North Yorkshire's only contemporary New Orleans inspired brass band and have played all over Europe. A powerful team of Yorkshire's finest musicians forms an arsenal of percussion, sax, trumpets, trombones, and sousaphone with a varied repertoire of styles from jazz to pop, reggae to funk and New Orleans to ska. The band blurs the line between performers and audience by inviting the crowd to become part of the show. NYBB packs a potent punch and will really get the party started.
Claire Martin OBE & Ray Gelato: 'A Swingin' Affair' - Join internationally renowned vocalist and BBC Radio presenter Claire Martin OBE, and legendary saxophonist and singer Ray Gelato, for their first show together: 'A Swingin' Affair'. Celebrating the release of their album 'We've Got a World That Swings' - described by The Observer as 'jazz artistry' - these much celebrated and respected aritsts take to the stage to explore the Great American Songbook. Alongside a world-class trio of musicians, Claire and Ray revisit classics such as 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off', 'They Can't Take That Away from Me', 'They all Laughed' and 'Can't We Be Friends'. If you like your music sassy, sharp and swinging, this is the show for you. A swingin' affair indeed.
'Hugely entertaining and beautifully performed' The Observer
'Strikes all the right notes, played and sung with real joie de vivre' Jazzwise
'She ranks amongst the four or five finest female jazz vocalists on the planet' Jazz Times USA
'Not for nothing is Gelato known as 'The Godfather of Swing'' The Telegraph
Kaz Hawkins - Northern Ireland's very own blues and soul darling, multi-award winning Kaz Hawkins has been compared to Etta James and Janis Joplin. Kaz, already a hugely popular blues artists in the UK and Ireland, is now wooing blues fans all over the world with her powerful, deep, soulful voice and superb original song writing. Her high-energy shows, 1950s stile swing dress-meets-Dr Marten's look and ability to connect closely with her audience combine to create a unique performance that's not to be missed. Kaz's recent haul of accolades includes Best Studio Album (Blues Matters 2015), Best Emerging Artist (British Blues Awards 2015) and Best Female Vocalist (Pure M Awards), Best Music Video (Pure M Awards 2016) and a nomination for the UK Blues Challenge 2016. No mean feat!
'...terrific vocal performance' Paul Jones BBC Radio 2
Late night sessions 10pm - Midnight
Following hot on the heels of Saturday's main stage acts, the party continues in the bar tent. In association with Strada music.
Jessica Lawson and Phil Simpson - Jessica sings and accompanies herself on autoharp and acoustic guitar. Her original songs reflect a background in folk music and a love of Americana as she sings stories about the seas, love, loss, war, and a few 'fallen' women. Jessica will be accompanied by singer-songwriter Phil Simpson on guitar, vocals and melodeon.
The Alligators - Festival favourites The Alligators will round off Saturday night with their high-octane brand of 'no holds barred', old school rhythm and blues.
Sunday 2nd July 11:15am – 6pm
Rupert Lay Quartet - steel pans, archtop guitar, double bass, and drums. This talented group incorporate bebop, Caribbean/Latin jazz, groove soul and indigenous music into theirs sets. They have performed internationally at festivals including the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, Barbados Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Martinique Music Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival. We look forward to adding the Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival to their impressive list.
Lisa Mills - A Mississippi native, Lisa is one of the greatest singers you'll ever hear, and she's no mean guitar slinger either! With blues, country, gospel and soul influences (and adding the occasional dollop of jazz inflection), Mills takes the best of each genre in self-penned pieces and carefully chosen covers, and transforms them utterly.
Lisa Mills takes her audiences on a musical, often humorous, emotional journey with charm and panache. Like the best performing artists, she draws from deeply personal aspects of her life and makes them a memorable part of yours. In short, once heard, she's impossible to forget.
'A singer and songwriter of the first rank, uncompromising in the vision and concept of her art.' David McGee, Deep Roots Magazine
'You should all check her out, she has a wonderful voice.' Robert Plant, singer
The Jamie Brownfield Quartet - Equally adept at mainstream, modern and traditional styles, this fresh, exciting quartet embraces New Orleans street beat, swing and reggae. With British Jazz Awards rising star Jamie on trumpet, Tom Kincaid on piano, Ken Marley on double bass and Jack Cotterill on drums, JBQ has a vast experience in different styles of music. The band members have played all over the world with such notables as Bruce Adams, Shakin' Stevens, Scott Hamilton, Alan Barnes and Digby Fairweather, and are heavily influenced by the likes of Harry Connick Jr, Leroy Jones and Oscar Peterson. From the original New Orleans Street Beat tunes such as 'The Happy Feet Blues', through to their own compositions, you can hear the roots of the music they love.
Ben Beattie's After Midnight Band plus Simon Cunliffe-Lister - Saxophonist and pianist Ben Beattie's compositions bring together an intriguing mix of atmospheric jazz, blue grooves and soulful ballads. Ben and his musicians take the audience on an exciting musical journey, from Delta barrelhouses to smoky jazz and blues clubs of '40s and '50s Chicago, New York and Paris, up to the music halls and pioneering record studios. All the while, they inject a youthful vigour that creates a resounding and individual musical personality. Festival organiser and saxophonist Simon Cunliffe-Lister joins Ben to play out the weekend.
Also confirmed are the artists that will perform inside Burton Agnes Hall:
Great Hall Saturday 11:00am – 5:45pm
Intimate sets in the unique setting of our Elizabethan Great Hall include:
Rev Ray Trio, Jenny Bray and jazz students - The stars of tomorrow perform today! Prepare to have your heart warmed as students aged from five to eighty five entertain and amaze.
Ben Beattie - Saxophonist Ben Beattie dazzles, sometimes with band, sometimes solo at the piano, always engaging and absorbing.
Rupert Lay Quartet - Steel pans accompany jazz guitar maestro Rupert Lay and his trio. Could this be a first for jazz steel pans in an Elizabethan Great Hall? See listings above for more info on this band.
The Lemon Monkeys - Jazz guitar duo. London musicians Carlos Olmos (of Bolivian origins) and Matt Smith. These regular festival favourites return to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
Stillhouse – This mandolin, guitar, double bass and vocal trio ensemble present beautifully crafted original songs and meticulously arranged instrumental material with roots in bluegrass, jazz and folk.
Great Hall Sunday 11:15am – 4:45pm
Burton Agnes Jazz Fest House Band - A tribute to Eva Cassidy. Simon Cunliffe-Lister (of Burton Agnes Hall), Kate Sweeting (of BBC Look North reporting), Michael Nagasaka (of BBC filming) are joined this year for the first time by Kate's mum, Deb.
Claudia Edwards - Caribbean gem and St Lucian household name, performing with a smaller, more intimate break out of her main band. See listings above for more info on this band.
Dynamix - Vibrant young sax-led quartet.
Chrycee - Soulful singer-songwriter with distinctive style, performing with guest members of the Dynamix band.
Jessica Lawson and Phil Simpson - Jessica sings and accompanies herself on autoharp and acoustic guitar. Dueting with vocalist and acoustic guitarist Phil Simpson. See listings above for more info on this band.
Courtyard open stage – Saturday and Sunday
Open mic performances in our shops and café courtyard from musicians also playing the main stage and the Great Hall, with other guests and surprise appearances.
Published on 06 June 2017 by Ben Robinson
.jpg)
