5th Annual Bath Jazz Weekend at Widcombe Social Club, Bath.

Dates: Friday, January 03, 2025 - Sunday, January 05, 2025

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

Nod Knowles has forwarded the following Media Release;

BATH JAZZ WEEKEND 2025 – MEDIA RELEASE

The 5th annual Bath Jazz Weekend - Friday 3 to Sunday 5 January 2025 – features a remarkable line up of bands and soloists of international standing.

The Europe-friendly programme welcomes celebrated jazz artists from the Netherlands and France alongside some of the best British bands.

This uniquely co-operative annual event has found musicians and audiences alike delighted to fill the no-mans-land downtime of the first weekend in January with some of the best and highest quality contemporary jazz.

The 2025 Weekend continues this new tradition, appropriately in the friendly surroundings of Bath’s Widcombe Social Club.

Beginning on Friday night, as always, with a jazz-suffused film, this year’s offering is director Robert Wise’s classic 1959 film noir Odds Against Tomorrow starring Harry Belafonte and Shelley Winters and featuring a soundtrack from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet with Bill Evans and Jim Hall.

Friday’s live programme kicks off with leading young generation artists in a quartet led by pianist Ky Osborne. Equipped with the fire of discovery and the support and inspiration of organisations such as Tomorrow’s Warriors, Ky and his band are the perfect choice to ignite the flame of the Jazz Weekend for 2025.

Topping the bill on Friday night is the celebrated trumpeter and composer Laura Jurd. Joined by a unique line up of viola, guitar and drums, innovation is at the heart of everything Laura creates within the rich traditions of jazz and folk music whilst taking twists and turns that prove her to be one of the UK’s most important new generation jazz artists.

Saturday’s programme divides into afternoon and evening sessions.

Saxophonist Dee Byrne leads off on Saturday afternoon with her sextet Outlines, a new avant jazz project playing original compositions and taking short musical sketches as springboards for this dynamic ensemble to improvise in ever fresh directions.

Another sextet - Kevin Figes’ You Are Here - is a loving tribute to much admired but now sadly departed friends, mentors and collaborators, featuring new arrangements of
compositions by Keith Tippett, Elton Dean, Harry Miller, Dudu Pukwana and others, played by a band which represents the strength and breadth of the vibrant Bristol scene.

Saturday evening’s session reinforces the international and diverse flavour of the programme.

Scotland’s Secret Path Trio, fronted by the low whistle and the Highland pipes of Fraser Fifield, creates a unique and melodic repertoire that infuses jazz with Scottish traditions alongside the inspiration of leading Scots artists Paul Harrison on keyboard and drummer Tom Bancroft.

From the Netherlands, pianist, vocalist and composer Nani Vazana is one of the only artists in the world writing and playing songs in the ancient, matriarchal Ladino language, propelling it into the 21st century with socially pertinent lyrics, celebrating migration, gender and female empowerment.

The evening ends with a premiere of Molecatcher, a new trio built around the ever-inventive, fulsome creativity of saxophonist Iain Ballamy and the award-winning virtuosity of guitarist Rob Luft – jazz musicians from two generations who have both achieved the rare distinction of creating their own unmistakable and uniquely individual styles.

On Sunday the three-gig programme begins with the quartet Ribbons, jointly lead by pianist Rebecca Nash and vocalist Sara Colman whose repertoire includes original compositions as well as a celebration of the intimacy and delicacy of songs from jazz and their favourite singer-songwriters.

Following on is another premiere from a new trio of three magisterial improvisers: saxophonist Larry Stabbins, now well into his thrilling new chapter of musical exploration; Paul Rogers, back from France, with his fierce, insatiable commitment to testing the limits of the double bass; and drummer Mark Sanders, champion mainstay of the best in free improvisation.

Rounding off Sunday is the perfect finale for the Bath Jazz Weekend and the beginning of 2025. Pianist Huw Warren and vocalist and violinist Angharad Jenkins present their new interpretation of Calennig, the Welsh traditional music that celebrates and welcomes the New Year. Based on the beautiful, ancient Plygain carols symbolising hope and new beginnings, the duo’s collaboration draws inspiration from the traditions of their native Wales and steps gently and melodically between the worlds of jazz and folk.

Tickets – for all Weekend, single days or single sessions – are available online from https://alloftheabovemusic.eventbrite.com and online, by phone 01225 463362 and in person from Bath Box Office – https://bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on/bath-jazz-weekend-2025/about

More info and updates can be found at;

http://www.bathjazzweekend.com

http://www.facebook.com/AllOfTheAboveMusic

http://www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk

For other info email
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or call 07880 703518

PROGRAMME IN FULL:

Fill those dull days after Xmas and New Year before going back to school and work with music of the highest international quality at the 5th annual Bath Jazz Weekend.

Full programme details…..

FRIDAY 03.01.2025
Evening: Doors 5.00pm – programme begins 6.15pm

ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW
Soundtrack by The Modern Jazz Quartet with Jim Hall & Bill Evans With its dark jazz score and brooding atmosphere Odds Against Tomorrow was directed in 1959 by four time Oscar winner Robert Wise (The Sound of Music, West Side Story) . A classic of film noir, this tale of crime, corruption and the tension of racism stars Harry Belafonte. Shelley Winters and Robert Ryan.

KY OSBORNE’S KO QUARTET
Ky Osborne/Joe Steyn/Freddie Canton/Ollie Young
Pianist Osbone (scheduled to appear last year with Mail Sheard) and his new band are from the ever-active, far-sighted, inspirational Tomorrow’s Warriors – London’s
seedbed for talented young musicians and original compositions and home of the already thriving next generation.

THE LAURA JURD QUARTET
Laura Jurd/Cori Smith/Tara Cunningham/Corrie Dick
Composer-performer Laura Jurd’s unique voice as an improvising trumpet player is at the heart of everything she creates, celebrating and innovating within the rich
traditions of jazz and folk music whilst taking twists and turns that prove her to be one of the UKs most important new generation jazz artists.

SATURDAY 04.01.2025

Afternoon
Doors 12 midday – programme begins 1.30pm

DEE BYRNE’S OUTLINES
Dee Byrne/Tom Ward/Nick Malcom/Olie Brice/Rebecca Nash/Andrew Lisle
Outlines is saxophonist Dee Byrne’s new avant jazz project, playing original compositions and taking short musical sketches as springboards for this dynamic ensemble to improvise in ever fresh directions.

KEVIN FIGES’ YOU ARE HERE SEXTET
Kevin Figes/Jim Blomfield/Raph Clarkson/Tony Orrell/Riaan Vosloo/Pete Judge
You Are Here is a loving tribute to much admired but now sadly departed friends, mentors and collaborators featuring new arrangements of compositions by Keith
Tippett, Elton Dean, Harry Miller, Dudu Pukwana and others by a sextet representing the strength and breadth of the vibrant Bristol scene.

Evening
Programme begins 6.30pm

SECRET PATH TRIO
Fraser Fifield/Tom Bancroft/Paul Harrison
In the hands of Fraser Fifield the low whistle and the Highland pipes deliver a unique and melodic repertoire that infuses jazz with Scottish traditions alongside the
inspiration of leading Scots artists Paul Harrison on keyboard and drummer Tom Bancroft.

NANI VAZANA Solo piano & vocals
A unique instrumentalist and composer, Nani Vazana – visiting the Jazz Weekend from her home in Amsterdam - is one of the only artists in the world that play and
compose songs in the ancient, matriarchal Ladino language, propelling it into the 21st century with socially pertinent lyrics, celebrating migration, gender and female
empowerment.

MOLECATCHER: BALLAMY/LUFT/CHAPLIN
Iain Ballamy/Rob Luft/Conor Chaplin
The Jazz Weekend premieres this new trio, built around the ever-inventive, fulsome creativity of saxophonist Iain Ballamy and the award-winning virtuosity of guitarist Rob Luft – jazz musicians from two generation who have both achieved the rare distinction of of creating their own inimitable, unmistakable and uniquely individual
styles.

SUNDAY 05.01.2025
Doors 12 midday – programme begins 1.00pm

RIBBONS
Rebecca Nash/Sara Colman/Henrik Jensen/Jonathan Silk
Centred around their eponymous original composition, Ribbons is the joyous musical partnership of Sarah Colman’s voice and Rebecca Nash’s piano, celebrating the
intimacy and delicacy of songs from jazz and the realm of their favourite singer- songwriters.

SAROST: STABBINS/ROGERS/SANDERS
Larry Stabbins/Paul Rogers/Mark Sanders
Three magisterial improvisers: saxophonist Larry Stabbins, now well into his thrilling new chapter of musical exploration; Paul Rogers, back from France courtesy of the
Jazz Weekend, with his fierce , unstoppable, insatiable commitment to testing the limits of the double bass; and drummer Mark Sanders, champion mainstay of the
best in free improvisation.

CALENNIG New Year’s Gift
Huw Warren & Angharad Jenkins
As a perfect finale for the 2025 Bath Jazz Weekend, pianist Huw Warren and vocalist and violinist Anhgarad Jenkins present their new interpretation of Calennig, the
Welsh traditional music that celebrates and welcomes the New Year. Based on the beautiful, ancient Plygain carols symbolising hope and new beginnings, the duo’s
collaboration draws inspiration from the traditions of their native Wales and steps gently and melodically between the worlds of jazz and folk.

Bath Jazz Weekend 2025 is generously sponsored by
Great Wine Co
Widcombe Social Club
Arts Council England