Branford Marsalis, Kurt Elling & Ambrose Akinmusire set for Wigan Jazz Festival

If you've not done so already, add these dates to your diary; the 2017 Wigan International Jazz Festival will run from 6th July til 9th July. This will be the 32nd WIJF and with a hugely successful 2016 festival under his belt, director Ian Darrington had announced another impressive line-up.

Currently, rover tickets are not on sale but they'll be available soon and you should act fast because they'll be sold out for sure.

Below are details of the headline acts appearing at the festival; the full programme will be announced shortly.

Keep an eye on the Wigan Jazz Festival website for further information popping up soon.

Thursday 6th July - Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

Friday 7th July - Branford Marsalis Quartet with Kurt Elling

Saturday 8th July - Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet plus the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra

Sunday 9th July - The Reunion Dreamband (directed by John LaBarbera)

31st Wigan International Jazz Festival

Tickets went online today for the 31st Wigan International Jazz Festival with Ian Darrington at the helm. A number of acts have been announced including headliner Georgie Fame and saxophonist Eric Marienthal.

The four day festival will run from Thursday 7thth July until Sunday 10th July, opening with a performance by vocalist Georgie Fame and the Guy Barker Big Band.

Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra celebrates their 40th birthday this year and they'll be celebrating in style with a special concert featuring US sax star Eric Marienthal.

There will be also be a performance by NATO's official musical representative, the SHAPE Orchestra ( Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe).

All of this and more in a packed festival - audiences are advised to get their tickets early to avoid missing out. Tickets can be purchased on the online box office and more information can be found on the Wigan Jazz website.

NJ Advent Calendar - Summer Jazz Festivals part 1 (December 19th)

                                                                 Cleethorpes in summer

With less than a week to go until the big day, we look behind door number 19 to some of the jazz festivals taking place in the summer in the North.

Cleethorpes Jazz Festival (late June)

Grimsby Jazz promoter Gill Wilde also runs this weekend festival in Cleethorpes each year. It runs over a weekend at the end of June and is a celebration of British Jazz. It all takes place at McCormacks Bar and the line-up for 2016 features Alan Barnes, Dave Newton and Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra amongst many others. Tickets go on sale on January 2nd!

Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival (early July)

Set in the picturesque surroundings of Burton Agnes Hall, this is another weekend festival. You can camp out at this one and make a holiday out of it! This is another one that focuses mainly on UK artists with people like Paul Baxter, Alan Barnes and Digby Fairweather making appearances regularly.

Buxton Beer & Jazz Festival (early July)

Buxton might be pushing it a bit in terms of North of England but it's Christmas so we'll relax the rules a bit! Buxton's beer and jazz festival is a weekend of traditional and dixieland jazz and of course, beer. Last year's festival had performances from Spat Langham's Hot Fingers, The Wabash Jazzmen and the Incredible Bibbington Limeburners.

Wigan International Jazz Festival (mid July)

We recently reported on the good news that Wigan Jazz Club has taken over the running of the Wigan Jazz Festival. 2016 will be in it's 31st year and it's bound to have a good programme. There's a good focus on Big Bands with groups like Echoes of Ellington and Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band making appearances last year.

Good news for Wigan International Jazz Festival

                                Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra at Wigan International Jazz Festival

 
 We hear that celebrations are in order in Wigan as it has been announced that Wigan International Jazz Festival will go ahead in 2016 after some uncertainty.

Wigan Jazz Club will now take over the management of the festival with Ian Darrington MBE as the new Festival Director and plans are now underway to programme the 4 day festival for its 2016 edition.

Well done to all involved and we look forward to a packed festival being announced in the coming months!

Wigan International Jazz Festival, 9th-12th July

It's the 30th birthday of the Wigan International Jazz Festival this year and they've programmed a ton of live jazz from small and large ensembles between 9th and 12th July to celebrate.

Vocalist Andy Prior and his big band open the festival on Thursday 9th, paying tribute to Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller (audiences beware; there's a rugby game on so get to the gig in plenty of time!). In fact, a whole host of large groups and big band perform across the weekend including Echoes of Ellington, Rob Fowler's Gerry Mulligan Jazz Band and the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra featuring Ryan Quigley and Paul Booth. Festival director Ian Darrington has put together a dream big band as a birthday celebration featuring the likes of Andy Greenwood, AJ Brown and Georgina Jackson.

The festival has teamed up with some partners to host special small group performances includign Simon Read Octet (in partnership with Jazz North) and Johnstone, Jarvie and Lowrie (in partnership with Edinburgh Jazz Festival).

Tickets can be booked online and a full festival programme is available on their website.