NOW in its 18th year, Manchester Jazz Festival (MJF) is back with another packed line-up of musicians. The festival, which spans ten days and features over 70 bands, always attracts a wide audience. It will be up and running at a range of venues from Friday 26 July to Sunday 4 August.
"We've even managed to squeeze in an extra day of music into an action-packed line-up."
The festival’s artistic director Steve Mead said, “MJF is all about championing the best new music from the North West and beyond, and giving audiences some surprising and memorable experiences that open up new worlds of sound without dumbing down. Over twenty gigs are free and we've even managed to squeeze in an extra day of music.”
This year’s festival highlights include: explosive US sax legend Pharoah Sanders Quartet; two new UK-Franco JazzShuttle collaborations - Manchester's guitar whizz Stuart McCallum's Channel Four, with Laurent de Wilde and Laurent Robin, and Chris Sharkey and Christophe de Bezenac team up with Donkey Monkey for The Dors; US funksters Snarky Puppy; the mesmerising duet of Iain Ballamy & Gareth Williams; Billy Moon - a new text-based work with Matthew Bourne and Seaming To; Jim Hart's Cloudmakers Trio; Tom Challenger's Dice Factory; Nick Walters' Paradox Ensemble.
There's also a range of UK vocalists including The BBC Big Band with Claire Martin, Georgia Mancio's Quartet, Moonlight Saving Time; Emilia Mårtensson plus the sultry, looped voice of Sara Colman in The April Songs with pianist Jamil Sheriff.
Pharoah Sanders
Elsewhere there are performances from BBC New Generation Artist Trish Clowes with Tangent; Mancunian songstress Kirsty Almeida & The Troubadours; Gilles Peterson favourites GoGo Penguin, the earthy but spiritual Matthew Halsall Sextet, exploratory trumpeter Laura Jurd's Quartet; world-jazz protest songs from Kefaya; ska-jazzers Skamel; the Arabic-jazz-tinged Yazz Ahmed Quartet; the Zappa-esque Shatner's Bassoon; Taiwa featuring Al MacSween, Dennis Rollins and Claude Deppa; and the Riot Jazz Brass Band and the New York Brass Band go on the rampage on the closing night.
There will be four strands to MJF.
MJF originals - The flagship commissioning programme unveils a new work at each festival and this year sees the première of The Felonius Monks, the brainchild of saxophonist Mike Hall and early music specialist Debbie Rogers, who will be fusing jazz with Renaissance music performed on a curious selection of period instruments.
MJF international – this brings the best of undiscovered jazz acts to Manchester from France, Spain and Luxembourg, in their debut UK appearances. There'll be Spanish harmonica virtuoso Antonio Serrano with a solo recital, Luxembourg's Benoit Martiny Band with their garage punk-jazz to town and Journal Intime, a pocket brass band from France, giving the music of Jimi Hendrix a new slant.
Journal Intime
MJF introduces - the very best of young talent from the North West takes the spotlight, including Apes Grapes - the brainchild of fast-rising guitarist Daniel Brew, and the intimate acoustic guitar duet of Los Sombreros.
MJF afternoon teas – always popular, always a sell-out – this year the music includes such curiosities as Blue Ejder with jazz-tinged Nordic folk songs.
There's a whole lot more, including a special Jazz on 3 show, DJ nights, a jam session and a collaborative series with young Mancunian promoters Efpi Records.
You can enjoy the music music at Band on the Wall, Bridgewater Hall, The Midland, Matt and Phred’s, RNCM and St Ann’s Church or head off to the festival hub - Festival Pavilion in Albert Square - for great music, free gigs and food and drink in a relaxed atmosphere.
For tickets and more information click here.
