Classical and Jazz: Preview - BluesFest
Published: 23 June, 2011
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
THERE’S quite a contingent of leading American musicians playing at the inaugural BluesFest week getting under way on Monday evening.
Festival performances are taking place at Union Chapel in Islington, the Jazz Café in Camden Town, Pizza Express in Soho and the 100 Club in Oxford Street, as well as the Royal Albert Hall and Festival Hall. Among the US visitors are “King of the Blues” BB King; gospel singers The Blind Boys of Alabama; two New Orleans pianists, Jon Cleary and Dr John; and singers Liza Minnelli, Buddy Greco and Al Jarreau.
Home-grown musicians include Ian Shaw in a tribute to Ray Charles; funk band Incognito; Echoes of Ellington Big Band; Scottish troubadour Sandi Thom; and those great survivors from the 1960s, Georgie Fame and Chris
Barber and their respective bands.
A treat at Union Chapel on Wednesday will be provided by US guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola playing with his New World Sinfonia group that he’s formed to play and record his latest batch of compositions.
Hayley Sanderson, famous for her role as lead vocalist in the Strictly Come Dancing television programmes, plays the Jazz Café on Thursday. She has assembled an eight-piece band to deliver an R&B spectacular. Octogenarian US guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli is playing at the Pizza Express on Monday and post-jazz combo Get the Blessing is at the 100 Club on Wednesday.
“The aim of the festival is to offer a platform for some of the greatest exponents of their craft,” says festival director Leo Green.
“After all, America has many of these festivals and there are similar events in Europe.
“But ever since the Capital/ JVC Festival disappeared a very long time ago, I believe there’s been nothing to entice the general public to hear great blues and jazz from an international roster of artists here in London.”
• BluesFest London runs at various venues from June 27-July 3, 0844 209 7331, www.bluesfestlondon.com