Herts Jazz Festival

The 7th Herts Jazz Festival in Welwyn Garden City on 13-15 October 2017.
Early-bird weekend tickets on sale NOW!
Herts Jazz is pleased to announce the line-up for its seventh Herts Jazz Festival taking place on 13-15 October at the Hawthorne Theatre, Welwyn Garden City.

Georgie Fame with the Guy Barker Big Band gets the ball rolling on the Friday night. Saturday night climaxes with The Golden Age of British Big Bands with the Pete Long Orchestra and the Festival concludes on Sunday evening with a rare performance of the late Bobby Wellins’ Culloden Moor Suite featuring Mornington Lockett and graduates from the Purcell School of Music. Artists appearing throughout the weekend include Jay Phelps, Gary Husband, Art Themen’s “New Directions”, Hexagonal, Clark Tracey’s Hexad tribute and Alan Barnes’s Octet performing the recently commissioned “Fish Tales”.

The festival will have a similar format to previous years which was so popular, with free of charge sessions (for Weekend and Day ticketholders) in the foyer during the lunch and dinner intervals and after hours. The free sessions also feature stars from the British jazz scene such as Derek Nash, Leon Greening and Jim Mullen. The Festival is again being supported by Arts Council England, Fazioli and Cambridge Drums.

Festival Director, Clark Tracey, said, “We are so excited to have three big bands with us for the first time. It is great to see our good friend Georgie Fame returning on the Friday and very special to be able to present the Culloden Moor Suite in memory of Bobby Wellins who sadly died last year. We continue to introduce young musicians to the jazz festival world with St Albans Music School Ensemble and students from the Purcell School performing on the Sunday. It is all going to be rather special!”

From previous festivals: “One of Britain’s finest jazz events”, Alyn Shipton, The Times.

“Herts Jazz Festival is everything a weekend jazz festival should be. The venue is excellent and it’s customer-friendly, with decent food and plenty of relaxed chatting space.” Peter Vacher, London Jazz News.

Early-bird Festival weekend tickets are now on sale at www.hertsjazzfestival.co.uk and at the Hawthorne Theatre box office (0300 3039 620). Day and gig tickets go on sale on 1 August.

Festival Programme

Friday 13th

8.30pm-11 Georgie Fame with the Guy Barker Big Band

11-12.30 Foyer: Dave Newton Trio

Saturday 14th

11.30-12.30 Jay Phelps Quartet

1.00-2.00 Clark Tracey's Tribute to Hexad

2.00-3.00 Foyer: Guitarmageddon

3.15-4.30 Gary Husband Trio

5.00-6.15 New Directions

6.15-7.30 Foyer: Nikki Iles/Stan Sulzmann Duet

7.45-10.15 The Golden Age Of British Big Bands

10.30-12 Foyer: Mark Edwards Trio

Sunday 15th

11.30-12.30 St Albans Music School Ensemble

1.00-2.00 Hexagonal

2.00-3.00 Foyer: Derek Nash Quartet play Mulligan

3.15-4.15 Remembering George Shearing

4.45-6.15 Fish Tales - Alan Barnes Octet

6.15-7.30 Foyer: Leon Greening Trio

7.45-10.15 Bobby Wellins' “Culloden Moor Suite” featuring Mornington Lockett