Van Morrison and Gregory Porter for Blenheim Palace Nocturne nights
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
A double bill of iconic Irish singer songwriter Van Morrison and Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Gregory Porter are the first names announced for the new Nocturne at Blenheim Palace concert series – both of whom will perform on 25 June.
The concert is the first in several planned events to be produced by music promoters Neapolitan Live Events, the same company behind the successful Love Supreme Jazz Festival (back for a third time this July) and U-Live, the new live music division of Universal Music. With a £2.5million investment from the 12th Duke of Marlborough of Blenheim Palace, the series will bring large-scale live music events back to the historic venue’s Great Court for the first time in ten years.
Both Morrison and Porter have recently released albums on the resurgent, now Universal-owned, Blue Note label with the former’s 2012 recording Born To Sing: No Plan B his most jazz-orientated for years, while Porter’s Grammy-winning third album (and first for Blue Note) Liquid Spirit has enjoyed global chart success and achieved platinum sales status.
Neapolitan Music’s Ciro Romano commented on the series: “It’s a huge honour to be entrusted by the Duke of Marlborough to bring music back to this unique palace. We are thrilled that we have secured Van Morrison to return to Blenheim for the first time since his historic performance in 2004 and also Gregory Porter, whose career I have personally followed since first seeing him perform in small clubs in London only a few years ago. Both acts perfectly realise our vision to bring the greatest talent to Britain’s greatest palace.”
– Mike Flynn
Tickets go on sale on Friday 13 February – for more info go to www.nocturnelive.com