Tag: jazz knights

Andy Fawthrop

All That Jazz – Nice!

D-Town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to providing a vibrant and varied music scene.  It seems that just about every taste is catered for, whether it be blues/ rock (regular gigs at Long Street Blues Club), covers bands (Three Crowns), indie/ blues/ rock/ prog/ folk (Southgate), to say nothing of regular singer/ songwriter gigs at The White Bear (Sunday afternoons) , and The Pelican  (Saturday afternoons).  New, regular gigs are promised at The Fold (in The Lamb) on Friday nights. We’ve got two opera companies (White Horse Opera and Devizes Musical Theatre), to say nothing of musical theatre productions. Whatever floats yer boat, it’s all there for you….

Well, I say everything, but I’ve moaned on here several times (don’t we know it! – Ed) before that the one thing that’s missing is something for the jazz-lovers amongst us.  Apart from occasional (like once or twice a year) special concerts as part of Devizes Arts Festival (Swing From Paris was this year’s only jazz-related offering), and a one-night pop-up at The Wharf (Pete Allen’s Big Jazz Band) there’s no regular venue or club in town to feed our little musical habit.

So, as a service to Devizine readers, we set out a little further afield to see what’s on offer reasonably nearby.  Welcome to our guide – All That Jazz – to lead you towards something a little different.  Here’s what we found:

Bradford-on-Avon

• Mount Pleasant:
  • Second Sunday Jazz (every second Sunday afternoon @ 2.30pm);
  • There’s a house band to support a range of solo and small group Jazz artists. This new approach allows them to offer a wide range of Jazz styles and performers at affordable cost by limiting the transport needs of visiting acts.  Many of the players in the house band are familiar to local Jazz followers from other bands.
  • £10 entry fee;
  • Licensed bar/ tea & coffee/ cake & snacks;
  • Website www.swingjazzjive.uk/
  • Facebook link facebook.com/Swing.Jazz.Jive
• Wiltshire Music Centre:
  • Not a regular jazz session, but bookable jazz concerts on specific dates;
  • See their website for visiting jazz artists  www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk/whats-on/
  • E.g. recently there was Samara Joy (6^th July) and Gretchen Parlato Quartet (12^th July)
  • ££ tickets
• The George @ Woolley:
  • Every third Thursday @ 7pm featuring Jazz Factory (a rolling roster of regular local jazz musicians);
  • Free entry + drinks at the bar;
  • Tables for meals are bookable (and the menu looks great);
  • Website link at www.thegeorgebradfordonavon.co.uk/calendar
  • Facebook link: facebook.com/thegeorgeatwoolley

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Bath

• The Bell:
  • Not dedicated to jazz – there are lots of other music genres too, but occasional jazz artists;
  • Free entry/ voluntary contributions to “the hat”;
  • See their Facebook page and website for latest information on gigs throughout the month;
  • Website link thebellinnbath.co.uk/events/category/live-music/
  • Facebook link: facebook.com/thebellinn
• Chapel Arts Centre:
  • Lots of other music genres too, but occasional jazz artists;
  • ££ for tickets, usually seated with shared tables, but some gigs all standing;
  • See their Facebook page and website for latest information on gigs:
  • Website link chapelarts.org/
• Green Park Brasserie:
  • Live jazz every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 6.30 to 9.30pm;
  • Free entry but it’s really a restaurant, so you need to book a table to eat;
  • Website link www.greenparkbrasserie.com/music

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Old Town, Swindon

• The Royal Oak:
  • Every Tuesday night @ 8pm (Jazz On The Corner), featuring regular top-notch visiting jazz artists;
  • Free entry + drinks at the bar;
  • Tables bookable for dinner (two courses £18, three courses £22 for set meals, but there’s also a good range of pizzas and other bar meals);
  • Website link theroyaloakoldtown.co.uk/jazz-blues-live-sessions/

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Trowbridge

• Civic Centre:
  • has occasional gigs e.g. Jeff Kashiwa back in June;
  • Website link: thecivictrowbridge.co.uk/whats-on-trowbridge/trowbridge-events-whats-on/

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Corsham

• Pound Arts Centre:
  • Has occasional jazz gigs, which are bookable for ££ and are all-seated concerts;
  • Website link: poundarts.org.uk/whats-on

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Bristol – too far, too hard, so go and look for yourself!

The bottom line is that if you need a regular drip-feed of jazz music, you need to look to Bradford, Bath or Swindon’s Old Town. Everywhere else it’s a matter of keeping your eyes skinned for individual bookable concerts at the various normal music venues in our region. Your other alternative is to make a weekend of it somewhere nice, and visit one of the UK’s many Jazz Festivals. I’ve been to two this year, Cheltenham in May (lots of free stuff, interspersed with individual expensive bookable concerts), and Swanage in June (weekend “stroller” ticket covers you for absolutely everything).  I can highly recommend both of these, but there’s many others available throughout the year.

Nice!

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