Village Charm for International Jazz Artists
Every year, throughout the second weekend in October, the sleepy Pennine village of Marsden plays host to around 8,000 jazz fans, who enjoy a varied programme of music and other events.
2012 is no exception, and from Friday 12th October to Sunday 14th October almost 80 events are scheduled for 48 hours across the weekend, with music being played in every conceivable space.
This year, the festival headliners include King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys, Dennis Rollins, Barb Jungr, Gilad Atzmon, Julian Siegel, Kairos 4tet and Riot Jazz amongst many more.
Additional to the festival is this year’s commissioned piece; an international collaboration of artists working in different art forms. German multi-instrumentalist, Martin Kälberer is also one of the world’s few virtuosic players of the “hang”; a tuned percussion instrument from Switzerland. He’ll be collaborating with Yorkshire-based musician James Squire on “Mills and Moors”, a piece inspired by the industrial heritage and geographical beauty of the area surrounding Marsden. Joining Kälberer and Squire will be visual artist, Rachel Ellis, film maker Peter Schmidbauer and photographer Till Jenninger. The piece will be given its world premiere on October 20th in the imposing mill in the centre of the village.
This year’s festival also features the ground-breaking “New Stream”, a programme of young, up-and-coming and cutting edge music. The line-up includes Shabaka Hutchings, Chris Sharkey, Roller Trio, Tom Challenger’s Ma Trio, and Collider. Tickets for the New Stream are heavily subsidised by the festival, to support these emerging projects and to encourage audiences to try something new. Over the years the New Stream has grown in its importance and influence and these gigs regularly sell out.
Marsden Jazz Festival is not all about serious music for the jazz fans though, as fans well know, one of the major draws of the festival is the variety and breadth of the free gigs on offer. In 2012 the festival will promote more than 50 free events in every space imaginable. Amongst the free gigs are the wonderful jazz/funk/latin influenced Bugalo Foundation (with members of the Haggis Horns), ace guitarist Stevie Williams, and contemporary New Orleans sounds from the New York Brass Band.
Tickets are on sale from Monday 6th August and the festival organisers advise booking in advance, as even the biggest venue is an intimate space with only 200 seats.
A treat for all live music fans!
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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