We are pleased to announce our 3rd Jazz festival on the 25th, 26th & 27th of June 2010

A great weekend of music - Not to be missed!

We are delighted to announce that the Great American Soprano and Clarinet player, Bob Wilber, will be our headline act this year.

A full programme with many of the UK's finest musicians from Friday night to Sunday Night means that this year's Festival will be really special.

Programme

Friday 25th
7.30pm - The Frank Toms Trio with Willie Garnett (sax) & Ronnie Hughes (trumpet)
9.30pm - The Enrico Tomasso Swingtet incl.Karen Sharp, Colin Good & Jerome Davies

Saturday 26th
11.00am - Open Jam Session for all levels of musicianship led by Billy Bottle with Martine Waltier
2.00pm - New Orleans Umbrella Parade led by Al Fresco’s Four Plus One followed by a set in the Marquee featuring Al Fresco with Eileen Ford (vocals)
4.00pm - The Frank Toms Trio with Jim Hart (vibes)
7.00pm - Second set from The Frank Toms Trio and Jim Hart
8.30pm - The Bob Wilber Quartet featuring the Jazz Legend Bob Wilber (soprano saxaphone and clarinet)

Sunday 27th
10.30am - Morning Service with music inc. Billy Bottle & Martine Waltier
12.00 - Bring your lunch to the Marquee to hear Martin Litton (piano)
2.15pm - Jack Honeyborne Trio with Roy Williams (trombone) and John Barnes (reeds)
4.30pm - The Gary Potter Quartet
7.00pm - Second set from The Gary Potter Quartet
8.30pm - The Mick Collins Jazz Orchestra – 16 magnificent musicians

Clothing optional - Real Ale Tent & Bar - Café & Fast Food Stall - Covered Heated Swimming Pool - Sauna - Woodland Walks - Camping pitches available

About the festival

The third Annual Jazz Festival will take place on the 25th, 26th and 27th June 2010. The exciting news is that in addition to many of our favourites making welcome reappearances we will be having first time appearances from some of the jazz greats.

On the Saturday evening we will have legendry American Bob Wilber, master of the clarinet and soprano saxophone. Bob will be aged 84 when he plays for us, accompanied by his usual UK Trio. At the age of 3 Bob heard Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” and his love for jazz was born. As a teenager he joined forces with Dick Wellstood and Ed Hubble to form a band “The Wildcats”. He studied under Sidney Bechet whose soprano playing was so amazing that few took it up as their main instrument. Bob also studied classical clarinet and with modern jazz players such as Lennie Tristano. He emerged with his own voice and rapidly became one of the most sought after players. He was the natural choice for the aptly named Worlds Greatest Jazz Band and later formed a famous partnership with Kenny Davern “Soprano Summit”. Bob is also the first choice of Wynton Marsalis to play with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in New York and last year featured in the 100th Anniversary Benny Goodman Tribute. It is a tribute to the reputation of our Festival that Bob has agreed to com e a play. Bob has a home in the UK with his wife, the fine jazz singer Pug Horton. It is likely that Bob’s backing trio will include  Richard Busakiewicz on piano and Dave Green on bass.

The First two Festivals were got off to a tremendous start by Gary Potter. Gary will be in France on the opening night this year, starring at a Festival devoted to Django Reinhardt but will be playing the last set on the Sunday afternoon and the first set in the evening. We do have a fine line-up for the Friday evening, starting with Ronnie Hughes the great Welsh trumpeter and veteran of the Ted Heath Orchestra and Willie Garnett on alto sax, arguably the most knowledgeable sax man in the UK. They will be supported by the resident Frank Toms Trio. The second set of the night will be by the Enrico Tomasso Swingtet including the great Alan Barnes on reeds playing mainly small band swing music from the 30s and 40s. If you don’t know what swing is you will after the Friday night.

Saturday kicks off with an umbrella parade let by the augmented Al Fresco indoor Four who will then return to the Marquee to be joined by the ever popular Dagenham Diva, Eileen Ford. We want as many of you as possible to participate in the parade and there will be a prize for the best decorated umbrella both adult and child. The afternoon concludes with a set by the magnificent Jim Hart on Vibes and the Frank Toms Trio. They will start off the evening’s entertainment before The Bob Wilber Quartet round off what should be a fantastic day.

Sunday lunch time entertainment will be provided by a master of jazz piano, Martin Lytton , so prepare to take your lunch into the marquee for Martin’s trip through the history of jazz piano. Take a look at the many clips of Martin’s virtuosity on You Tube. The afternoon session features the superb Jack Honeybourne Trio with one of the great UK jazz partnerships of Roy Williams, trombone, and John Barnes, reeds. Roy and John were in the Alex Welsh and Humphrey Lyttelton bands and soon established an international reputation. They are playing as well as ever and we are privileged that playing for us at the Festival. Look forward also to a combination of Jack’s dry sense of humour and John’s sense of fun as well as some great playing. The Gary Potter session follows and as usual the Festival is concluded by the tremendous Mick Collins Jazz Orchestra – 16 of the finest big band musicians.

The real ale tent will again be near the marquee with a fine selections of beers and ciders, to add to the facilities of the Jubilee Bar and Cathy and Les will provide their usual mouth watering selection of meals and snacks.

I would like to thank all who have helped make the Festival such a success, especially those unsung heros who give up time helping visitors getting sited with their vans and tents.

Let’s hope for some more fine weather and for another highly successful Festival.

About last year
Jazz In The Buff - 50 Acres Of Naturist Jazz

The second annual Founders Jazz Festival was a great success on all fronts. The weather was as wonderful as the music – apart from one brief, but dramatic rainstorm on Saturday evening. Right on cue, it brought pea-size hailstones that beat a crazy jazz rhythm on the marquee roof to the tune of "Stormy weather"...

Click here to read more about the 2009 festival »