The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Hundreds treated to al fresco jazz at festival
Music lovers flocked to Aberdeen yesterday as the sound of jazz echoed through the streets.
Bands took to stages across the city centre for an afternoon of free concerts as part of Jazz on the Green.
The one-of-a-kind outdoor event promised a party atmosphere and crowds of all ages were treated to a wide mix of blues, big band, rock and Motown performances.
Hundreds were entertained by groups taking to the event’s two outdoor stages on The
Green and the St Nicolas Shopping Centre Roof Garden.
And others sought refuge from the drizzle by enjoying music in the Carmelite and
Douglas hotels, Tunnels and Aberdeen Art Gallery.
The event was part of the wider Aberdeen Jazz Festival, which has events planned at venues across the city until Sunday March 22. Organiser Fiona Alexander said the day had been a “fantastic success”, and helped to challenge people’s longheld misconceptions of the genre.
“Jazz on the Green is a chance for us to show people what our music can sound like,” she said.
“People say they don’t like jazz, but it is a very wide church.
“There’s a fantastic array of talent here and it goes across all styles of music.
“We’ve had music of all ranges and ages, and all shapes and sizes, but it’s all been jazz and bluesrelated.”