Gig Preview: Dennis Rollins & Durham Alumni Big Band at Darlington Jazz Club, 2nd July

Darlington Jazz Club are hosting a Summer Gala Concert this Saturday, 2nd July, featuring the incomparable Dennis Rollins with the Durham Alumni Big Band.

Dennis teamed up with the big band for the Darlington Jazz Festival and went down a storm to a sell out crowd so this one is sure to be a concert to remember. The band will perform a selection of big band material spanning from the 1950s to the present day.

Raised in Doncaster, Rollins was a member of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association before moving to London. Now based back in the North, he is a core member of the DYJA team and the North is lucky to be able to hear him perform regularly.

Venue: Hummersknott Academy, Edinburgh Drive, Darlington 
Date Sun 2 July 

Doors open at 5:45, music from 6:30. Tickets are £6 on the door. Audiences are advised to get there early to ensure they get a ticket!

Darlington Jazz Festival Fundraising Campaign

Darlington Jazz Festival takes place over a weekend between 21st and 24th April this year. The festival is now 5 years old and continues to grow both in popularity and in size. This year, the festival team want to expand further and offer a range of free to attend events during the festival, bringing jazz to places across Darlington to attract new audiences. In addition to this, a large scale concert is planned which features choirs and big bands at St Cutherbert's church.

In order to fund these additional activities, they have set up a crowd-funding campaign with hopes of raising £1,000. The campaign runs until 26th April 2016 and contributors can donate whatever amount they choose.

You can find out more about the campaign and the festival through their Fundrazr page.

NJ Advent Calendar - Spring Festivals (December 11th)

As the wind howls and days get ever colder, let's open door number 11 and look at all of the jazz festivals we can look forward to in spring...


Gateshead International Jazz Festival (early/mid April)

Starting off the festival season is Gateshead's annual weekend festival at the Sage. This festival is run by Ros Rigby and her team and is produced by Serious so expect big name acts from the UK and abroad. The line-up for 2016 has already been announced and will feature performances from Gregory Porter, Evan Parker and a special large scale performance by Phil Meadows' Engines Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia, amongst many others. Everything takes place under one roof too, which is pretty handy.

Darlington Jazz Festival (late April)

Running over a long weekend, this festival presents performances across Darlington. There's a strong focus on Northern artists and last year they had acts like Durham Alumni Big Band, Al Wood, Matt Roberts and Jamil Sheriff. There's a great tradition of jazz education and big band playing in this area and it's reflected in the festival programming.

Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festival (Bank Holiday weekend, May)

A 5 Day Jazz Festival with over 40 bands, 350 musicians, a blues stage, a soul stage, lots of free music in pubs, a picnic in the park and a Saturday Street Party - what better way to spend your bank holiday monday. Geoff Jackson and his team run this festival annually and are always looking for volunteers (see the website) to help out. 2016's programme includes headliners like Ben Crosland, Ray Gelato and Courtney Pine.

Keswick Jazz Festival (mid May)

Set in the picturesque Lake District, this festival is a celebration of traditional, New Orleans and Mainstream jazz. The programme showcases a wealth of UK talent and as well as many live performances, there are also talks and dance classes. Expect artists like Roy Williams, Enrico Tomasso, Keith Nichols and The Basin Street Brawlers.

All Change in Darlington

This week marked the end of an era in Darlington, as Darlington Jazz Club held their final gig at the Forum, the venue that has played host to the club for many years. Darlington Big Band played at the Forum for the final time earlier this week.

But the jazz community in Darlington shouldn't worry as the Jazz Club will re-emerge on April 12th at a new location, the Quakerhouse pub in Mechanics Yard which will be one of a few venues used to host events. And of course, later in April will see the annual Darlington Jazz Festival take place, using Quakerhouse and other jazz-friendly venues to showcase the wealth of talent in the area.

Information on Darlington Jazz Festival.

Darlington Jazz Festival

The 4th annual Darlington Jazz Festival takes place over the last weekend in April (24th-26th) at venues across Darlington. The festival features a mixture of youth groups, local bands and musicians returning to Darlington after spending their formative years there.

Friday 24th April

 8pm - Matt Roberts Sextet Plays Fats Navarro (Voodoo Cafe)

Saturday 25th April

Street Bands perform in Joseph Pease Row and High Row.

1pm until 5pm - A showcase of small combos featuring Dean Stockdale & Will Howard (Quakerhouse, Mechanic's Yard)

7.15pm - 10pm - Big Band Evening with Al Wood and Durham Alumni Big Band with support from Durham County Youth Big Band (Central Hall, Dolphin Centre)

10.30pm until late - Festival Jam Session (Quakerhouse, Mechanic's Yard)

Sunday 26th April

5.30pm - Simon Read Octet (St Augustine's Parish Centre)