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The Wigan International Jazz Festival, has
for 23 years provided a stage for some of the world’s greatest big
bands. Great names such as The Count Basie Orchestra, Charles Mingus Big
Band, Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau, Lester Bowie’s ‘Brass Fantasy’
and the BBC Big Band have entertained Wigan audiences and enabled the
festival to establish itself as one of Europe’s foremost Big Band
showcases. However, the last few years have seen the festival venture
into new jazz music territories, adding a contemporary element to the
more traditional programme.
‘The 2008 programme is probably our most adventurous to date’. Says
Festival Chairman Pete Gascoigne. ‘In the past we have dipped our
musical toe into the contemporary jazz pool but this year we have taken
a deeper plunge with Avishai Cohen and Guy Barker booked to play’.
‘We are not moving completely away from our Big Band roots, but simply
looking to satisfy changing audience needs. There is growing demand for
festivals to offer a more contemporary and progressive jazz slant’.
Leading the new way is seemingly the man of the moment – Guy Barker, who
will be offering his acclaimed and award winning Amadeus Project on
Sunday evening 13th July. Top ranking trumpeter Barker, has created and
will be performing two swinging jazz suites, one inspired by characters
in Mozart’s Operas and the other a radical update of ‘The Magic Flute’.
Guy Barker and The Amadeus Project have together won high acclaim this
year. As well as being Number 5 in GQ’s 100 Best Things in the World,
the musician and his album were described as ‘consistently impressive
and occasionally brilliant’ by the London Evening Standard and The
Amadeus Project has been nominated in the up and coming BBC Jazz Awards
for Album of the Year.
The innovation continues with Avishai Cohen. Cohen, who has previously
performed with the likes of Paquito D’Rivera, Roy Hargrove and Joshua
Redman will play Wigan on the evening of Wednesday 16th July. The
Israeli born musician now playing out of New York is one of the most
progressive bassists and composers around today and was recently
described by Downbeat Magazine as “a jazz visionary of global
proportions”. Performing with his trio, Avishai will be playing original
compositions from his album ‘Gently Disturbed’, released in May.
Pete Gascoigne is excited at the prospect of giving Wigan festival
audiences something new. ‘It should be terrific. Both artists are
wonderful musicians in their own right but their compositions are not
just original and inspiring but delightful on the ear’.
The full Wigan International Jazz Festival Celebrity Series includes;
Elkie Brooks (Saturday 12th July). Matthew Ford and the Guy Barker
Amadeus Project (Sunday 13th July). Synthesis – The big band of Brigham
Young University (Monday 14th July). Multi instrumentalist - James
Morrison and the Wigan Jazz Club Big Band (Tuesday 15th July).
World-renown bass player Avishai Cohen (Wednesday 16th July). Dennis
Rollins, Empirical and the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra (Thursday 17th
July). Liane Carol and Ian Shaw (Friday 18th July). Plus many other
performances and artists as part of the Dinner Jazz and free Fringe
programmes.
Festival tickets and brochures are available from Wigan’s Tourist
Information Centre (01942 825677). For regular updates visit the
official festival website:
www.wiganjazz.net
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please
contact Keith L Bergman (Wigan Tourism Unit), on 01942 486951 (mobile:
07958 461421) or at
k.bergman@wlct.org Alternatively contact Phil
Green, Public Relations Officer for Wigan Council on 01942 827369.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: The WIJF are happy to arrange photo opportunities
prior to and during the festival period (July 11th – 19th). We are
currently negotiating opportunities for a number of artists appearing at
this year’s festival to make themselves available for media interviews
in advance of the festival. There will be a limited number of free media
familiarisation places available during the festival and at a
pre-festival media day on June 16th. Festival Press Passes are also
available. Contact Keith L Bergman.
The Wigan International Jazz Festival is organised by Wigan Leisure and
Culture Trust, Wigan Council and Wigan Jazz Club.
Sponsors: The Wigan International Jazz Festival’s principle sponsor is
Manchester Airport. Other sponsors and supporters of the festival are:
Stewart Milne Homes; Lancashire Life Magazine. John Smith’s Ltd; JJB
Stadium; and Leisuretec.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a
charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and
support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over
300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See
www.wlct.org
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Guy Barker
Avishai Cohen |