Swanage Jazz Festival 2023 Programme Announced

As he looks forward to this year’s Swanage Jazz Festival, and announces the programme, Festival Chair Paul Kelly writes:

Swanage Jazz Festival has the most stunning setting with the Mowlem Theatre sited at the water’s edge and the lovely greenfield site of Sandpit Field overlooking Swanage Bay.  Last year was blisteringly hot and the mix of Jazz, sea, and boats anchored in bright sunshine was irresistible.

As an organiser I get to see short fragments of the 60+ bands we have in the Festival programme. For me there are three things I relish; putting together a well-balanced diverse programme of quality music, making sure the Festival is well organised and runs to time and thirdly, hearing and feeling the love and joy from artists and audiences. You can’t beat it!

Full Programme by Day

Friday 7 July From 4pm

James Taylor Quartet

Tony Kofi’s Inside Straight

The Alan Barnes Quartet

Rainey’s Ragtime Band

Fletch’s Brew

The Philip Clouts Quartet

The Damian Cook Quintet

Saturday 8 July From 10.30am

Festival New Orleans Parade with James Emmett’s Ragtime Revellers

Claire Martin and her Trio

Alina Bzhezhinska Hip Harp Collective with Vimala Rowe

Alyn Shipton’s New Orleans Jazz Friends

The Arun Ghosh Band

The Nigel Price/Alessio Menconi Quartet

The Norma Winstone Trio – with Nikki Iles and Mark Lockheart

The Rebecca Nash Band

The Isobella Burnham Sextet

The Martin Dale Quartet

Perfect Houseplants

The Craig Milverton Quintet

Jon Lloyd’s European Quartet

The Roger Beaujolais Quartet

Yetii

Thokozile

Soldoro

James Emmett’s Ragtime Revellers

Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends

The Dart Valley Stompers

Sunday 9 July from 10am

Methodist Church Jazz and Gospel service with Alyn Shipton’s New Orleans Jazz Friends

Zara McFarlane Tribute to Sara Vaughan

Issie Barratt’s Interchange

Get The Blessing

Chris Hodgkins’ Salute to Humphrey Lyttelton

The Re-Birth Octet Plays Miles Davis

The Dave O’Higgins/Rob Luft Band

The Misha Mullov-Abbado Sextet

The Leo Richardson Quartet

The Corrie Dick Sextet

The Sound of Blue Note with Mark Nightingale

The Dylan Ross Jazz Collective

One Good Scandal – Nicki Leighton-Thomas sings Fran Landesman

Invisible Apples

Julia Titus as Ma Bessie with Mike Denham and Steve Graham

Tony Waller’s Prohibition Jazz

Chris Walker’s Pedigree Jazzmen

Ticket prices are £130 for the Weekend stroller, £80 for a Saturday or Sunday Stroller and £40 for a Friday Stroller. Heavily discounted tickets are available for accompanied Under 16s.  Residents of BH19 (Swanage) will be entitled to a 10% discount and details of how that will run will be advertised in the Dorset press in March.  A weekend stroller ticket will give access to over 40 bands.  As in 2022 the Festival will also be staging a free Fringe Festival in local pubs and hotels.