Scarborough Jazz Festival to bring top singers to town

Vocalists are usually very popular performers and this year's Scarborough Jazz Festival has three superb, and contrasting, female singers.

Jo Harrop, Lelia Box and Vimala Rowe will all be appearing duing the festival, which runs at Scarborough Spa from Friday September 28 to Sunday September 30.

The concerts are:

Fever: Jo Harrop sings Peggy Lee, with special guest Tony Kofi (alto sax).

Vocalist Jo pays tribute to Peggy Lee, the sultry songstress who Duke Ellington called ‘the queen’ and whose career spanned six decades.

Fever’ features Alex Webb (piano, musical director), Neville Malcolm (double bass), Pete Hill (drums), and special guest Tony Kofi (alto sax), with the creamy-voiced Harrop delivering moving renditions of Peggy Lee ballads as well as swinging out on other great songs from the Lee canon.

The gig is on Friday September 28 at 8.45pm

Leila Martial Baa Box

You know you’re in for something different when you read the line-up of the French trio Baa Box: Leila Martial (voice, electronics), Eric Perez (drums, human-bass, voice, electronics), Pierre Tereygeol (guitar, voice, electronics).

“The music is very unusual but truly accomplished and gripping,” said festival director Mike Gordon.

Vimala Rowe sings Bille Holliday with John Etheridge.

Those who were present at the 2015 Scarborough Jazz Festival are unlikely to forget Vimala’s moving rendition of ‘Strange Fruit’ – there was hardly a dry eye in the Spa’s Grand Hall.

As a result festival director Mike Gordon suggested Vimala might sing Billie Holliday at this year’s event. She and John jumped at the chance.

John Etheridge is without doubt a world class guitarist and to give the performance added depth the backing is joined by one of the UK’s foremost bass players, Andy Cleyndert.

The Scarborough Jazz Festival runs at Scarborough Spa from Friday September 28 to Sunday September 30.

The full line-up is:

Alan Barnes Octet

Andchuck

Atlantic Crossover

Ben Crosland Quintet plays the Ray Davies Songbook

Dave Newton and Alan Barnes

Gareth Lockrane Big Band

Fever: Jo Harrop sings Peggy Lee’

Henry Lowther’s Still Waters

Matt Ridley Quartet

Nerija

Nigel Price Organ Quartet

Stan Sulzmann’s Neon Orchestra

Terry Seabrook Quintet

Vimala Rowe sings Billie Holliday with John Etheridge

Woody Black 4

Compere: Alan Barnes

Day tickets and weekend tickets are on sale from the Spa box office on 01723 821888 or on line at www.scarboroughspa.com