Line up for this year's Scarborough Jazz Festival is revealed
The Scarborough Jazz Festival returns with a razzle-dazzle line up and a new director for its 21st year at the Spa in South Bay next month.
Each year the festival brings a variety of jazz musicians from all over the world to perform at the venue.
Festival-goers flock from all corners of the world to attend the event and take advantage of the seafront location.
After 20 years of being festival director, Mike Gordon passed the reigns to his son Mark Gordon.
“I’m very excited to have become director of the 2024 Scarborough Jazz Festival,” said pianist Mark, who is also a member of the house band for Scarborough Jazz Club based at the Cask in Ramshill and which meets every Wednesday from 7.45pm.
“The festival has been part of my life for more than two decades and I attended every previous festival while my father, Mike Gordon, was director.
"Overall, I share my father’s ethos on the festival – that it should be focussed on improvisation and that the programme should be varied in terms of both instrumentation and style, so little will change in that respect.
"I’m confident that the 2024 line up is varied and exciting and features some of the finest jazz musicians in the UK as well as some superb European and American artists.
“One slight change will be the showcasing of two of the acts that will appear on the Grand Hall main stage next year, in Farrer’s bar this year.
"They will appear after the last main stage acts on Friday – Jamil Sheriff’s 4in1 – and Saturday – the Gaz Hughes Trio.
“There is a wonderful sense of occasion to the festival, with people travelling from all over the country and from abroad to spend the whole weekend here.
“I’ve made many good friends over the years, and it’s always lovely to see them and relax in such a beautiful location with some great music and lovely food and drinks in the chilled atmosphere that surrounds the festival.”
The full line up and timings for the 2024 Scarborough Jazz Festival:
Friday
11.45am: The Al Morrison Blues Experience
1.30pm: Family Band
3:15pm: Elaine Delmar
6pm: David Preston – ‘Purple / Black’
7.45pm: Fergus McCreadie Trio
9.30pm: Alan Barnes’ Copperfield: A Dickensian Jazz Suite
Saturday
11.45am: Jazz Samba – Music of Stan Getz NS Charlie Byrd
1.30pm: Benet McLean Quintet
3:15pm: James Hudson (Octet)
6pm: Nigel Price Organ Trio
7.45pm: Hejira – Celebrating Joni Mitchell
9.30pm: Tom Smith Big Band
Sunday
Noon: ARQ Alison Rayner Quintet
1.45pm: Fay Claassen with Emma Rawicz and Barry Green
3.30pm: Gareth Lockrane Big Band
6.15pm: 3D Jazz Trio
8pm: Big Ben: Celebrating Ben Webster – With Tony Kofi and Alex Webb – Part 1
9:10pm: Big Ben: Celebrating Ben Webster – With Tony Kofi and Alex Webb – Part 2)
Scarborough Jazz Festival runs from Friday September 27 until Sunday September 29. Weekend, day and session tickets are available from the Scarborough Spa website https://www.scarboroughspa.co.uk/whats-on/scarborough-jazz-festival or the box office on 01723 376774.
The box office is outside of the Spa.