Jazz festival starts off on a new note via the Kinks

Scarborough Jazz Festival, Scarborough Spa
Ben Crosland and Ray Davies QuintetBen Crosland and Ray Davies Quintet
Ben Crosland and Ray Davies Quintet

Three very contrasting and intriguing bands kick off this month’s Scarborough Jazz Festival which runs at the Spa from Friday September 28 to Sunday September 30.

The event will be kick started by Andchuck, a trio formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

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The band was chosen from a number of nominated bands to be part of the Jazz North Introduces scheme which offers young musicians under 25 their first high profile showcase opportunities at major jazz festivals across the north.

Andchuck is a modern and experimental trio featuring Tom Chapman (bass), Jack March (gGuitar) and Gabriel Alexander (drums).

Their main influences are Esbjorn Svensson Trio, Impossible Gentlemen and Snarky Puppy.

“I was on the panel which selected Andchuck so I am delighted they are coming to Scarborough,” said festival director Mike Gordon.

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Next on the Friday programme is Ben Crosland and his band play the Ray Davies songbook.

“Given the number of hit songs Ray Davies has written over his years fronting The Kinks, it’s astonishing that nobody has attempted to do anything like this before,” said Mike.

Ben has a fabulous quintet that includes the world-class guitarist John Etheridge.

They play jazz versions of popular Kinks’ numbers like Sunny Afternoon and Ev’rybody’s Gonna Be Happy.

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Friday afternoon finishes with the Toots Project, a programme of music from virtuoso harmonica player Phil Hopkins, presenting a homage to the unique Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans, whose career over 50 years saw him working alongside the leading names in jazz, pop and media, gracing their recordings with the highly personal and stirring sound of chromatic harmonica.

Phil is backed by an all-star line-up: Jonathan Gee (piano). Yaron Stavi (bass). Rick Finlay (drums/percussion) and Jeremy Shoham: (saxes).

The line up for the festival also include Jo Harrop, Vimala Rowe, Nerija and Terry Seabrook. The compere is Alan Barnes.

Tickets for the Friday afternoon sessions are £16. All tickets on: 01723 821888.