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Edinburgh Jazz Festival


fent99

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Wondering if anyone on here is attending anything at this years festival?

http://www.edinburghjazzfestival.com/

I volunteer and help out at some of the venues so have some interesting stuff to go to. Once you get past the headline stuff that provides some cash (Jools Holland/Van Morrison) there's some interesting things.

I'll be at:

A Mandela themed night with Abdullah Ibrahim,

Julian Arguelles,

James Morrison,

Martin Taylor

Christian Scott.

Anyone in attendance?

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I might make it to Phil Bancroft's gig this weekend but otherwise work commitments will prevent much else. Not too much appeals to me, I regret to say. Far cry from yesteryear but that's replicated up and down the country in festivals.

Agreed about festivals generally, the big headline acts are almost always a long way from what I like as Jazz.

I might go to the Bancroft/ABB gig too.

Sadly, I won't be going, but I see they're cutting funding of jazz as high art in Bonnie Scotland:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/worldfolkandjazz/10971234/Jazz-the-Cinderella-of-arts-funding.html

Its a fair trip from the Hague...

Interesting article and thanks for posting since I never read the Telegraph. Could probably do with more discussion elsewhere.

Although I like Tommy Smith and appreciate the work he's done with the SNJO (prob on a shoestring compared to Marsalis' Lincoln Centre organisation), I'm not really a fan of repertory big bands...

Jazz definitely the poor cousin in Arts Funding terms

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It is an interesting topic, funding of high and ahem, so called low art, but I didn't particularly like the tone of the article with its quaint view of jazz being somewhat still suffering from a perception of it all being Aker Bilk/Trad jazz. I am pretty much sure, that besides a few decrepid moldy-figs, that anyone in the UK considers jazz from the perspective of two-beat Fire House Five Good Time jazz.

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I'll be happier if I hear that the money taken from Tommy Smith was going to other jazz organisations in Scotland, but somehow I doubt it. He has done a great job promoting the SNJO. I've seen them a few times most recently with Makoto Ozone guesting. The SNJO was bursting with talent but I'm yet to be convinced by the arrangements Smith produces. They just don't get into my soul.

Edited by Clunky
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I'll be happier if I hear that the money taken from Tommy Smith was going to other jazz organisations in Scotland, but somehow I doubt it. He has done a great job promoting the SNJO. I've seen them a few times most recently with Makoto Ozone guesting. The SNJO was bursting with talent but I'm yet to be convinced by the arrangements Smith produces. They just don't get into my soul.

Pretty much how I feel about Tommy Smith generally since I like him and the good work he's doing as an educator, ambassador and a player. His records I can appreciate, but I seldom love them...

You're right though the money will go from jazz alogether and though its not my thing I'm sure the SNJO is a great incubator of talent.

Plenty of music out there for Moldy-Figs with Chris Barber tonight...

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There's a number of clearly very skilled and adventurous UK players who I feel the same way about. Can't help but admire Smith and

Tim Garland...But their records leave me with little memory of what's been played or need to rush a replay.

Edited by A Lark Ascending
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