Bristol Jazz And Blues Festival
16 to 19 March, Bristol: Colston Hall, The Folk House, O2 Academy
The annual showcase returns with more blues and some unmissable guitar performances in store – including an anniversary tribute to the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s legendary debut featuring Guitarist’s current editor Jamie Dickson, as well as alumni Neville Marten and Mick Taylor. Oh, and a fair few other guitar icons will also be appearing throughout the weekend, too. Co-founder, artistic director and guitarist extraordinaire Denny Illet gave us a rundown… After the success of last year, were there any changes you wanted for this year? “We always run an audience survey at the end of each festival and the overwhelming piece of feedback was for more blues. For 2017, we’ve booked Mud Morganfield, son of the legendary Muddy Waters. Doesn’t get ‘more blues’ than that! We also get a lot of feedback asking for more female performers, so we have the magnificent Sari Schorr & The Engine Room featuring Innes Sibun, and Northsyde, a great UK-based blues/rock outfit fronted by vocalist Lorna Fothergill, and featuring her husband Jules Fothergill on guitar.” What are the other potential guitar highlights in this year’s line-up? “We have Robben Ford with us for the first time, which I’m excited about. Also making his debut at the festival is Kirk Fletcher, one of my favourite blues players of the current generation. We have a contingent of Bristol blues maestros, such as Will Edmunds and Joe Wilkins and for jazz fans, we have a couple of the best Gypsy swing guitarists, Remi Harris and Robin Nolan.” What’s inspired the Hendrix tribute? “As a huge Hendrix devotee, I really wanted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release of Are You Experienced, an album that changed everything. As a jazz musician, I wanted to include this for the festival because Jimi had an inherent jazz ‘attitude’ in his playing, which was a huge influence on the evolution of jazz into the 1970s.” Will there be workshops again? “Yes, we have workshops and masterclasses during the festival. For guitarists, Kirk Fletcher’s clinic on solo techniques, rhythm playing and chord substitution is a mustsee! Funk legend Pee Wee Ellis will reprise his band workshop where players of any instrument can come together and, with Pee Wee’s expert guidance, will learn what makes funk funky, along with advice about how to play effectively in a band.” Will you be performing this year too? “I’m playing with my big-band hat on this time round. We have our successful Big Swing, which features my big band playing swing-era classics from the 40s and 50s – which I love because I can pretend to be Freddie Greene! I’m also arranging and curating a show called Sounds For Spies And Private Eyes, which is an 18-piece big band, a 12-piece string section and special guests including Portishead’s Adrian Utley. We’re playing all the great jazz and funk film/TV themes from spy, secret agent and cop shows from the 60s and 70s! I can’t wait to duet on Our Man Flint with Mr Utley and I know we’re going to argue over who gets to play ‘that' chord and the end of the Bond theme!” To book tickets and for more information about the festival visit www bristoljazzandbluesfest.com