Zara McFarlane, Tony Kofi, Nigel Price and Norma Winstone get Swanage swinging

This year’s Swanage Jazz Festival swings back into action from 7 July to 9 July with a packed weekend of gigs from leading UK jazz acts. The festival has extended its Friday programme which starts at 4pm and returns to its traditional home of Sandpit Field, overlooking the sea, while retaining the Mowlem Theatre, providing two 400 capacity venues alongside participating venues in the town.

Headliners announced so far include James Taylor Quartet, Claire Martin Quartet, Alina Bzhezhinska’s Hip Harp Collective, Zara McFarlane sings Sarah Vaughan, Tony Kofi’s Inside Straight, Alyn Shipton’s Friends of New Orleans and Chris Hodgkin’s Tribute to Humphrey Lyttelton. Further bookings include Bristol acts Get The Blessing and pianist Rebecca Nash’s Band; plus festival favourites Alan Barnes and Nigel Price, with the latter joined by outstanding Italian guitarist Alessio Menconi. There’s also a welcome performance by revered Brit-jazz vocalist Norma Winstone with her trio; high-energy clarinettist Arun Ghosh, as well as bands led by bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado, drummer Corrie Dick, saxophonist Dave O’Higgins, and rising bassist/singer Isobella Burnham.

Also added to the programme is the 18-piece Dan Mar-Molinero Jazz Orchestra, featuring leading British pianist Ivo Neame, who will now close the Sunday night in place of Issie Barratt’s Interchange who has had to withdraw for health reasons.

The Molinero orchestra will be performing his recent composition ‘Taproot’ recently released on his own Sea Miller label. Festival Director Paul Kelly said, “We are really sad to lose Issie Barratt and her superb 10 piece band from the Festival and will be working to bring her to Swanage at a future date. Meanwhile we are delighted to have secured a worthy replacement. The moment I heard Dan Mar-Molinero’s ‘Taproot’ I was struck by the power and imagination of his compositions and arrangements.  They rank with the best traditions of large-scale jazz composition.  Festivals give the opportunity to programme things you can’t do in small jazz clubs and we are very pleased to have turned unfortunate circumstances to our advantage and bring this great band and piece to the Festival.”

Another addition to the bill are Bristol duo Sarsen Drift, an exciting electro-improvisation duo with Rebecca Nash and Nick Walters to the programme, plus the more conventional duo of Julian Phillips and Mike Denham performing ‘Ragtime to Boogie Woogie’ – four hands one piano.

The New Orleans and mainstream programme will feature alongside these bookings while the Saturday will kick off with the traditional New Orleans street parade.

For full details and tickets visit www.swanagejazzfestival.co.uk