MANCHESTER Jazz Festival takes place from 13 – 21 July. Seventy events, more than half of them free, will take place across six central Manchester music venues, offering a journey of discovery through the world of jazz today. The weird and wonderful, the challenging and relaxing, the surprising and familiar - MJF is a prized collection of treasures that is simply not available anywhere else.
MJF means many things to many people; it’s a creative hub of new work, a platform for undiscovered talent, the culmination of genuine collaborations, or a chance to share new discoveries.
Launching the festival on 13 July, with a bold and brassy celebration, is Manchester’s Pocket Central. Opening weekend continues on Saturday 14 with the energetic avant garde piano trio A Greater Horror, while The Bugalu Foundation take over Saturday night in the Festival Pavilion with a danceable, up tempo groove.
Across the festival venues, this year’s MJF highlights how jazz improvises with influences from folk, electronic, reggae, rock, classical, Irish, African and South American music, (amongst many others). At the RNCM, a twenty-piece band join British jazz legend Stan Sulzmann with arrangements of the music from his favourite musicians on Tuesday 17.
Jessica Berry
The Band on the Wall programme includes Mercury prize nominee Zoe Rahman on Wednesday 18, and at Matt & Phred’s Jazz Club Manchester guitarist Stuart McCallum joins forces with celebrated vocalist Rioghnach Connolly.
A celebration of Manchester’s native music scene, MJF hand picks the best international artists to debut in the UK. Presented in collaboration with Instituto Cervantes, Mastretta (14 July) bring a theatrical and fiery tone and Kind of Cai (19 July) bring an Andalusian colouring to Miles Davis’Kind of Blue.
Other MJF exclusives programmes continue with MJFintroduces giving a platform to more breakthrough bands than ever. MJF afternoon tea is a sell-out ticket at the Midland Hotel and the MJF originals scheme presents two premières of original works: George King's Songs of the Caged Bird is a collaboration with Manchester Camerata, and Pete Moser's Sound Games, in collaboration with More Music, is an unusual take on the Olympic frenzy about to grip the nation. MJF off stage is new this year with a series of insightful events into music-making offering the chance to take part.
George King
In addition, MJF, welcomes BBC Radio 3 and the team from Jazz on 3, who will be recording a special edition of their show, featuring the best in unsigned bands (16 July).
MJF’S Artistic Director, Steve Mead, said: “This year’s festival programme once again demonstrates our core mission to bring the best and newest contemporary jazz to Manchester, condensed into a thrilling nine days. MJF means many things to many people; it’s a creative hub of new work, a platform for undiscovered talent, the culmination of genuine collaborations, or a chance to share new discoveries.
“I’m thrilled with the variety of this year’s programme and I guarantee it will surprise, enthral and entertain our listeners too. With up to ten separate concerts and events each day, above all it’s the ideal place to experience great new music.
Sons Of Kemet
Stan Sulzmann
Zoe Rahman
Olivia Moore
