First acts announced for Ushaw Jazz Festival

The first acts for this year's Ushaw Jazz Festival in Durham have been announced this week. The festival will take place between 25th - 27th August and further acts will be announced shortly.


The three events announced so far show a large ensemble theme and it's shaping up to a showcase of Northern jazz talent.

25th August - Early Bird Band & Paul Edis Sextet

26th August - Buck Clayton Legacy Big Band & Lady J

27th August - Tom Sharp Jazz Orchestra

Keep an eye out for further information on the Ushaw website and make a note in your diary!

Ushaw Jazz Festival, August 26th - 28th

Pianist Paul Edis is working as hard as ever in the North East, this time turning his hand to festival directing as the first ever Ushaw Durham Jazz Festival takes place in Durham between August 26th and 28th.

A weekend of events that celebrate the vibrant North East scene and beyond, the festival will feature discussions, workshops and jam sessions alongside the performances.

Day tickets are available for each day (Firday - £8, Saturday - £25, Sunday - £20) as well as tickets for individual events.

The schedule is listed below but for more information on all the acts involved, visit the Ushaw College website.

Ushaw Durham Jazz Festival Programme

Friday 26th  -  6.00pm -  Northern Monkey Brass Band - in the theatre - £5
Friday 26th - 8.15pm - Zoe Gilby - £5

Saturday 27th - Early Bird Band - in the bar - FREE
Saturday 27th - 1.00pm - 2.15pm - Durham Alumni Big Band  - £7
Saturday 27th - 2.30-3.30pm - Workshop / Talk led by Paul Edis
Saturday 27th - 4.00 - 5.30pm - Alyn Shipton & Alan Barnes - "What is Jazz?" - £5
Saturday 27th  - 6.00 - 7.00pm - Mark Williams and Joel McCulloch Duo - £5
Saturday 27th - 8.00 - 10.00pm - Alan Barnes & Bruce Adams with the Paul Edis Trio - £10
Saturday 27th - 10.00pm - Jam session in the Francis Thompson Room with the Peter Gilligan Trio

Sunday 28th - 1.00 - 2.00pm Square One - £5
Sunday 28th - 4pm - New Century Ragtime Orchestra - £10
Sunday 28th - 8pm - Nigel Price Trio - £7

St Cuthbert's Suite premiere - March 18th & 19th

Pianist Paul Edis has written a new suite of music inspired by St Cuthbert, a saint of the Northumbrian church and widely considered to be the Patron Saint of the North.

The music was commissioned by Ushaw College and has elements of jazz, classical and folk and will be performed by ensemble that features Graham Hardy (trumpet), Graeme Wilson (woodwinds), Rob Walker (drums/percussion), Paul Susans (double bass), Emma Fisk (violin), Alice Burns (Northumbrian pipes) with piano and MD duties from Paul himself.

The suite will be performed twice in March - at Ushaw College on March 18th and then at Durham Cathedral on March 19th. (The cathedral being where St Cuthbert's body was laid to rest after 7 years fleeing the Vikings.)

For more information on Paul's music, visit his website.