Southport’s Winter’s Weekend packs ’em in again
Monday, December 7, 2015
The 12th edition of Southport’s popular Jazz on a Winter’s Weekend features 70 musicians and 11 high-calibre gigs from 5 to 7 February 2016 at the town’s Best Western Royal Clifton Hotel & Spa.
The festival offers a forward-looking international programme alongside top UK names, including trumpeter Ryan Quigley leading the Royal Northern College of Music Big Band, Alec Dankworth’s Spanish Accents septet featuring his daughter Emily on vocals plus saxophonist Mark Lockheart, guitarist Phil Robson and violinist Gabriel Garrick alongside dancer Jesus Olmedo and percussionist Demi Garcia. Other British names include the David Newton/Iain Dixon Quartet, Jim Mullen with the Neil Burns Trio, singer Ben Cox’s Band, the horn-heavy Alan Barnes/Dave O’Higgins Sax Sextion band and the UK/US Steve Fishwick, Osian Roberts, Frank Basile Sextet.
Fresh-faced European names include frenetic Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset’s Quartet and rising star Danish singer Mads Mathias, while award-winning US saxophonist Patrick Cornelius performs the UK premiere of his piece ‘While We Were Still Young’, inspired by the works of A.A. Milne. Paris-based violinist Daniel John Martin completes the headline line-up with his modern take on the classic Hot Club gypsy jazz sounds, while the festival’s fringe programme boasts a bevy of free music, jazz workshops and talks all held under one roof. Full weekend tickets are available from £135, with day tickets and individual concerts also available from the festival website www.jazzinsouthport.co.uk/festival/jazz-on-a-winters-weekend-2016/tickets/
- Spencer Grady