Jazz legend returns to Marsden for 25th festival

A jazz legend will be returning to Marsden this October to perform at the 25th Marsden Jazz Festival.

Digby Fairweather appeared at the first festival in 1992 and will once again be at the 19th century Mechanics Hall in the centre of the village this year, performing a special show alongside BBC Radio 2’s Paul Jones, their only appearance together this year.

The full line-up of headliners for this year’s festival, which is being sponsored by Yorkshire Water, has now been unveiled, and also includes ten-piece band Jazz Jamaica, Anglo-American supergroup The Impossible Gentlemen, and Jazz FM Awards 2016 nominee Nérija.

The 25th Marsden Jazz Festival will also feature the renowned Saturday street parade, an artisan market in Marsden’s Victorian park and well over 100 hours of live music at 25 venues, including more than 60 free gigs and events.

Festival Producer Barney Stevenson said:

“We’re really excited by the line-up for this year’s festival and it will be great to have Digby Fairweather back in Marsden for his only show with Paul Jones in 2016 to help us celebrate our 25th year.

“The festival has grown quite a bit over the past two and a half decades, and we’re proud to showcase dozens of youth and community bands alongside internationally-acclaimed artists.

“There’s always a unique atmosphere in the village during the festival weekend, and the 25th festival promises to be really special.”

Other headlines travelling to the Yorkshire Pennine village are 20-piece hip hop big band Abstract Orchestra, Montreal trio Trifolia and Lancashire-based swing group The Swing Commanders. A tribute to influential American jazz musician Jaco Pastorius will also be performed by the Ben Crosland Quartet with special guests Martin Shaw and Mick Hutton.

Four acts will be appearing on Marsden’s New Stream stage this year, which features new and experimental jazz. Fraser Fifield and Graeme Stephen; Eskelin, Bourne and Sharkey; the Anton Hunter Trio; and Dave Kane are all performing at the Royal British Legion on the Saturday of the festival weekend.

The artwork for the 25th festival has also been revealed, which will be used on the festival’s posters, brochures and merchandise.

The word art design, which forms the number 25, features the names of headline artists that have performed at the festival between 1992 and 2016, including Humphrey Lyttelton, Marion Montgomery, Stan Tracey, Helen Shapiro, Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk.

Yorkshire Water's Community Engagement Advisor, John Bond, said:

“It's fantastic to be able to be the headline sponsor for this year’s jazz festival in Marsden, where we're investing £5 million in a safety improvement scheme at nearby Butterley reservoir.

“We acknowledge the importance of what is fast becoming a world-renowned event and hope that our involvement will help make this year’s festival the best ever.”

Marsden Jazz Festival was named ‘Outstanding Established Festival’ at the Yorkshire Gig Guide Grassroots Awards 2015, and thousands of music lovers make their way to Marsden by train, bus, car and narrow boat every year.

Festival fans are being given the chance to support the 25th festival by adopting one of the free gigs for £50.

Everyone who makes a donation will receive an e-certificate and have their name printed in the 2016 festival programme. More details are available at www.marsdenjazzfestival.com/adopt-a-gig.

This year’s Marsden Jazz Festival is taking place between Friday 7 and Sunday 9 October 2016.

Tickets are on sale now and can booked online at www.marsdenjazzfestival.com, by calling 0800 6125 649 (10am-4pm, Monday-Friday), or at the jazz festival office in the library at Marsden Mechanics (10am-4pm, Tuesday-Friday).

For more information visit https://www.marsdenjazzfestival.com/