Scarborough Jazz Festival reveals dates and acts for this year - tickets on sale now including weekend discounts

This year’s event looks set to reach another high and the acts booked so far are amazing. There’s the usual mix of established performers and lesser known innovative acts.

The acts announced so far include…

A Time Remembered:

The music of Bill Evans sung by the legendary Norma Winstone backed by three outstanding musicians: Nikki Iles (keyboards), Stan Sulzmann (sax) and Dave Green (bass).

Alan Barnes & Dave Newton

Probably the best reeds/piano duo around. Always exploring new ground and always receiving the highest praise. davidnewtonjazzpiano.com www.alanbarnesjazz.com

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers: Rory Ingham/Jim Davison Sextet.

This project demonstrates hard-bop with a frighteningly fresh feel; the music is wildly high-energy and unbelievably swinging. Featuring some of the very finest talent on the British Jazz scene. www.roryingham.com

Bansangu

Saxophonist Paul Booth has united an all-star line-up for his Afro/Samba/Fusion 22-piece super big band Bansangu Orchestra. ‘The music is alive, vibrant and engaging and offers an aural punch that only a great big band can deliver’ (All About Jazz). bansanguorchestra.bandcamp.com

Ben Crosland’s Solway Stories

Bass guitarist and composer Ben Crosland’s memories of the countryside around the Solway Firth inspired him to write these twelve musical vignettes beautifully performed with impressive solos by trumpeter Steve Waterman and Steve Lodder on keyboards. www.bencrosland.co.uk

Dennis Rollins’ Funky-Funk

This is a great jazz groove band led by the irrepressible trombonist Dennis Rollins. The music includes a reworking of some well known classic funk compositions in the way of Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. It's a joyous occasion! www.dennisrollins.com/funky-funk

Hannah Horton Quartet

“Hannah Horton blows funky tenor, gutsy baritone and can write a good tune,” wrote Bebop Spoken Here on her latest release, Inside Out. ‘Rising star Hannah Horton … there’s bold and gritty playing on both baritone and tenor sax’, (Jazzwise). www.hannahhorton.com

Iain Ballamy (UK) & Stian Carstensen (Norway)

The resonance of button accordion (Stian) and tenor saxophone (Iain) is a rare, rich and beautiful sonority. In the hands of these two exceptional musicians it is a combination capable of a great range of moods and textures portrayed with great dexterity. www.ballamy.com

John Law’s Re-Creations

John’s quartet was one of the big highlights of the 2019 festival. He has a fantastic new programme. The quartet still features amazing saxophonist and Parliamentary Jazz Award Winner Sam Crockatt. www.johnlaw.org.uk

Lunar Octet

This award-winning band from the USA plays highly original and eclectic music drawing on Cuban and Puerto Rican salsa, rock, South African high-life music and Brazilian sambas to forge a new sound enriched by these traditions. www.lunaroctet.com

Shirley Smart Trio

Trailblazing cellist and composer Shirley Smart has a vast array of musical influences, The trio features two of the UK's leading lights in world-influenced jazz - John Crawford on piano, and Demi Garcia Sabat on percussion. www.shirleysmart.com

Simon Spillett Big Band

Simon Spillett, biographer, renowned saxophonist, bandleader and leading authority on Hayes, has assembled an amazing, all-star band to play the big band charts of the late, great Tubby Hayes.

www.simonspillett.com

Alan Barnes will once more be the humorous and informative compere at the festival.

Tickets for this year’s festival can be purchased by going online at www.scarboroughjazzfestival.co.uk or by phoning the Scarborough Spa box office: on 01723 376774.

Don’t miss out on the chance to buy your early bird weekend tickets – this discounted rate will only be in place until the end of April.

More acts will be announced in the next few weeks. To keep up to date with the latest information and to buy tickets please visit www.scarboroughjazzfestival.co.uk