Buxton International Festival is back this July, running from the 10 to 27 July, bringing with it a vibrant mix of world-class opera, intimate jazz gigs, captivating book events, and classical concerts.
The first four days of the festival (10–13 July) kick things off in style with twelve performances, set across two historic venues in the heart of the Peak District: The Palace Hotel and The Pavilion Arts Centre. The Festival is again offering Jazz Weekender tickets, granting access to all BIF jazz events during the Festival’s opening weekend, at a heavily discounted price – link below.
Rowan Flack spoke to two artists involved in the opening weekend’s events, Ineza and Ivo Neame. We also have full listings of the opening weekend and of events later in the festival.
INEZA
Launching the festival on the Thursday is Rwandan-born, London-based vocalist Ineza, a compelling storyteller with a distinct, warm tone. A familiar face at notable London venues: Alfies, Oliver’s Jazz Bar and Toulouse Lautrec,. Ineza will perform alongside her newly formed band—Michael Lack on saxophone, Rob Brockway on keys, Ben Crane on double bass and Kuba Miazga on drums, who recently recorded Ineza’s debut album ‘Ibuka’ — a Rwandan word meaning ‘remember’. The all-originals album — set to be released in late 2025 — explores personal identity, “understanding who you are” and how that all “fits in” within life.
Ineza shared with UK Jazz News that she was adopted at around ten months old, but discloses how the album is “not necessarily” about the adoption — It’s about her heritage and moving to London. She reveals: “It’s a positive album..a positive story.”
The performance will blend original material with some of Ineza’s favourite jazz standards. Formerly drawn to musical theatre, she reveals her love for lyrics and storytelling: “I like lyrics… I like beautiful words.” Expect an evocative set from an artist fast becoming a key voice in the UK jazz scene.
Ineza will be at Jazz at The Palace on Thursday 10 July, 7 pm-8.30 pm
IVO NEAME’S DODEKA
Pre-2019 lockdown, pianist Ivo Neame wrote an album for a new self-led big band project. However, as soon as the music was ready to record, lockdown hit. He tells UK Jazz News that making an album like that would’ve been “completely impossible” at that time. He explains: “It was a very strange time, for many, many people, but there were positives and negatives to it.” For Neame, the isolated, remote working time, and support from Help
Musicians allowed this project to flourish, “learning more about technology” and “understanding the recording process”. And so came the birth of the album Glimpses of Truth.
Following this release, Neame continued to write music for big-band but condensed this to nine horns, and three in the rhythm section, which became the twelve-piece band—Dodeka, formed in 2022. The British pianist — who teaches at The Guildhall School for Music and Drama — talks about the line-up: “You have to approach it a bit more like a pool… a pool of musicians that can cover it rather than a fixed lineup.”
Dodeka recently recorded a live recording at Vortex Jazz Club and many of these musicians will join Neame in playing the originals at Buxton Jazz Weekender this year.
Ivo Neame’s Dodeka plays at Jazz at The Palace on Sunday 13 July, from 1 pm-2.30pm.
==============================
THE BUXTON 2025 JAZZ PROGRAMME
Jazz Festival Director Neil Hughes says that he is “delighted to present a jazz programme that spans the generations, from 100 years of Oscar Peterson right up to the brand-new work of today. In jazz, our connections back to the roots of the music continue to inspire us – the form, the passion and the tunes. It’s all on offer at this year’s summer’s Buxton Festival.”
Indeed, the programme is as broad as it is bold. From Latin and Brazilian jazz to UK modernists, the line-up features an exciting cross-section of styles and artists.
During the weekender, the festival celebrates the global jazz scene, including folk players, and Latin and Brazilian jazz artists and marks Oscar Peterson’s 100th birthday, with the Dean Stockdale and Strings showcasing new arrangements of Peterson’s music.
Saturday’s line-up features a star-studded line-up with 23-year-old saxophonist Emma Rawicz gracing The Palace. The critically acclaimed musician is one to watch—after releasing two albums and embarking on extensive tours across 15 countries.
The Graham Clark Quartet, Barb Jungr, Baiana, Xhosa Cole Quartet, Georgina Jackson, Emily Masser and Trio JDM will all take to the stage during the Jazz Weekend. Alan Barnes brings A Celebration of Art Pepper’s centenary to The Palace, also on the Saturday, with an “all-star” band celebrating the saxophonist’s birth in 1925.
On 18 July Clare Teal features as Doris Day, and Denny Ilett as Sinatra in “Latin For Lovers – The Bossa Nova Songs of Doris Day and Frank Sinatra” . The duo are joined by 29 other musicians on stage for this concert — the rhythm section, featuring Jim Watson on piano, Simon Little on bass, Dave Archer on guitar, Will Cleasby on drums and percussion and Anthony Kerr on Vibraphone/Marimba/Glockenspiel as well as a 23-piece orchestra from Opera North, and special guest, Lizzie Ball. Renditions of Jobim classics will meet Bossa renditions of Great American Songbook staples such as “Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps” and “Fly Me To The Moon”.
FULL LISTING OF THE JAZZ WEEKEND
THURSDAY 10 JULY
INEZA – Jazz at the Palace, 7pm – 8.30pm
GRAHAM CLARK QUARTET – Jazz at the Palace, 9.30pm – 11pm
FRIDAY 11 JULY
EMILY MASSER QUARTET feat Alex Clarke – Jazz at The Palace, 12pm – 1.30pm
TRIO JDM – Jazz at the Palace, 2.30pm – 4pm
BAIANA – Jazz at the Palace, 8pm – 9.30pm
BUTCHER’S BREW – Jazz at the Palace, 10.30pm – late
SATURDAY 12 JULY
ALAN BARNES PRESENTS A Celebration of Art Pepper’s Centenary – Jazz at the Palace, 1pm – 3.30pm
DEAN STOCKDALE QUARTET WITH STRINGS PRESENTS 100 Years of Oscar Peterson – Pavilion Arts Centre, 7pm – 9.30pm
EMMA RAWICZ QUARTET – Jazz at the Palace, 10pm – late
SUNDAY 13 JULY
DODEKA – Jazz at the Palace, 1pm – 2.30pm
XHOSA COLE QUARTET PRESENTS Freemonk – Jazz at the Palace, 4pm – 6pm
GEORGINA JACKSON’S ‘SASS AND BRASS’ – With her Mighty Mini Big Band – Jazz at the Palace, 8pm – 9.30pm
EVENTS AFTER THE JAZZ WEEKEND
16 July Swingtime Big Band with Emma Holcroft and Matt Ford (Pavilion)
18 July Clare Teal, Denny Ilett and The Orchestra of Opera North with Special Guest Lizzie Ball (Opera House)
19 July Lady Nade (Pavilion)
19 July Barb Jungr Sings Dylan and Cohen (Pavilion)
20 July Rumer (support Hannah Brine) (Opera House)
22 July Liza Pulman Sings Streisand (Pavilion)
23 July The Nightcreatures Duo – ‘Farewell to Storyville’ – Songs and Stories from New Orleans (Pavilion)
With the full programme featuring such a stand-out selection of jazz players, July will be full of high notes in Buxton this summer. Booking is now open for the public with tickets for the ‘jazz weekender’—featuring twelve gigs —available for purchase for £175 or jazz day tickets for each of the days from 10 to 13 July from £30. Individual tickets are also available for each gig.
