Marlborough Jazz Festival - The line-up (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Marlborough Jazz Festival - The line-up

10:55am Thursday 9th July 2009

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Two of the country’s top young female saxophonists, YolanDa Brown and Becki Biggins, will be topping the bill on the opening night tomorrow of the 23rd Marlborough International Jazz Festival.

YolanDa Brown won the 2008 MOBO Award for the best jazz act which ranges from reggae to Afro-jazz, salsa and R&B with a bit of trad jazz thrown in.

This will be her first appearance at the MIJF when she plays at the opening ceremony in the High Street and later in the town hall at 7.30pm where, at 10.15pm, she will be followed by Becki Biggins, who won was voted the best newcomer by the public at last year’s MIJF.

The MIJF organisers credit themselves with discovering Becki at their 2007 festival but she was showing signs of a great future at the age of 12 when she won the Daily Telegraph young jazz musician award.

Now in her mid-20s, Becki has already had an album top the smooth-jazz charts in America.

The festival has its great perennial favourites including the effervescent Red Stripe Band; Paul Leegan and the Legends with their Lonnie Donegan tribute act; the Pete Allen Jazz Band; Chris Jagger (brother of the Rolling Stone, Mick) and his Atcha Band; and the Slaughterhouse Seven.

Julie Felix, the folk singing legend who in her heyday sang with people like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, will be back again entertaining her diehard followers at the Bear Hotel on Saturday from 3pm to 5pm. The venues are as varied as the performers with 20 ranging from the Roman Catholic Church to the fire station, pubs galore and the Conservative and Royal British Legion clubs.

Most of the venues are in the town centre and about the furthest out is the Roebuck Inn in London Road where there is a jazz cocktail night tomorrow and salsa lessons on Saturday. Fullers Brewery dray will be giving rides to and from the Roebuck.

The MIJF will once again be operating its unique Stroller ticket system where people can buy a ticket allowing them into every show on Friday (£17 in advance or £19 on the night), the same on Saturday (£30 & £33), tickets covering Friday and Saturday (£45 & £50) and for all Sunday marquee events (£16 & £18). There will be a jazz mass at St Thomas More RC Church on Saturday at 6pm with a jazz service at St Mary’s on Sunday 10am. The full programme can be found at: www.marlboroughjazz .co.uk.

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