Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival are delighted to announce more artists have been confirmed and added to the line-up of their thirteenth summer festival.
Bringing a jazz-rock element are the some of the North's most creatively diverse young musicians who form the band Artephis – a favourite of Jamie Cullum and a new band for Burton Agnes.
The Mark Williams Trio, a Jazz, blues, rock, fusion outfit are also new to Burton Agnes although not to festivals to which they have played many, both national and international.
Manchester-based contemporary jazz-rock quintet, Artephis, comprises some of the North's most creatively diverse young musicians, who met at the Royal Northern College of Music. Their debut, loosely conceptual album, ‘ALL CHANGE NO CHANGE’, was independently released in June 2017 with an accompanying UK tour and has aired on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Jazz Now’ and BBC Radio 2, Jamie Cullum calling it a “brilliant new release that got my ears bouncing” and choosing ‘Feroz’ as his BBC Introducing highlight of the year.
Formed in 2014, Artephis is a mercurial, improvising collective that draws contemporary influence from Christian Scott's 'Stretch Music', Butcher Brown, and Brian Blade & the Fellowship, all the while rooted in Miles Davis' late-'60s/early-'70s On The Corner/Big Fun/Jack Johnson era, distilling an eclectic sound of their own with an increasingly electronic element. Informed diversely by the musicians’ backgrounds and specialisms including Afrobeat, contemporary classical, funk and hip-hop settings, Artephis compose with a feel for the programmatic, immersing the listener in a familiar, while challenging, sound-space of imaginative textures, explosive and sensitive grooves, and spirited melodies.
Mark Williams is a guitarist/composer from Belfast who came to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1999 to complete a BMus (hons) in Jazz, Popular and Commercial music.
Since then he has worked with some of the top jazz musicians in the country.
He is currently a member of Zoe Gilby's quartet as well as other varying musical outfits throughout the North East.
Having played and recorded alongside numerous jazz artists, he finally put together his own trio in 2009 to showcase his own compositional and improvisational talents.
The trio draws influences from jazz, blues, rock, fusion and metal to create original music that is unique, diverse and honest.
Mark also has over 20 years’ experience teaching privately, in schools and in workshops.
Paul Susans (bass) / Russ Morgan (drums) / Mark Williams (guitar)
The thirteenth Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival is set in one of the UK’s finest Elizabethan stately homes with early bird tickets now on sale and for a limited time only.
A wide variety of jazz, blues, acoustic, soul and funk – with, above all, superb musicianship – will grace the main stage, performance tents, courtyard and Great Hall. Firmly established in the festival calendar, this is a weekend designed for the whole family to relax and enjoy, in the most beautiful festival surroundings imaginable.
The Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival began in 2007 and past performers have included the multi award winning Claire Martin OBE and Ray Gelato, Mississippi native Lisa Mills, Belfast Blues legend Kaz Hawkins, 3 time Grammy nominee Billy Branch, Jo Harrop and the New York Brass Band, to name but a few.
Published on 19 February 2019 by Ben Robinson
