Ipswich Jazz Festival 2021 is dedicated to the memory of local jazz enthusiast, guitarist and Ipswich Hospital consultant haematologist, Dr Nick Dodd (27/6/1950–19/9/2020).
Jimbino Vegan and the Swing Barbarians
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
The band will be playing traditional New Orleans swing and jazz fronted by the show-man Jimbino Vegan on clarinet and soprano sax. Jimbino plays with passionate intensity whether it is a gut-bucket early blues or a gentle love song from the 20s and 30s. The band will also be playing some of his original jazz compositions which vary between Tom Waits and a Dixieland feel. His performance is full of energy and if the spirit takes him, he is known to throw in acrobatic dance routines. Jimbino lived in New Orleans for 5 years and has performed all over the world.
He is joined by Matt Webb on contrabass and tenor guitar who also has a lovely voice which brings magic to the love songs. Ed Hicks on banjo and vocals is the founder of the Trad Academy school of English folk music and brings his expertise in music hall songs to the show. Mattia Corda is a brilliant musician and multi-instrumentalist appearing on trumpet and piano.
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Motuz Group
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Motuz Group is a great example of the exciting new style of jazz being created by young musicians, with a ground-breaking and inspirational quartet. The artistes met while studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Notable influences are contemporary dance, classical music, jazz and free jazz improvisatory formats.
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Alina Hip Harp
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Internationally renowned harpist Alina Bzhezhinska has a strong reputation for innovation. This time she creates a unique sound on the harp with effect pedals and electronics, supported by Mikele Montolli (bass), Adam Teixeira (drums) and Joel Prime (percussion). Through a combination of original works and covers, she pays homage to some of jazz, funk and hip-hop’s greatest innovators. Her quartet draws from a variety of influences, including the likes of Dorothy Ashby’s ‘Afro-harping’, Alice Coltrane’s spiritual outputs and Sun Ra’s free-form jazz experimentation; as well as 90’s Triphop and Kuti-esque Afrobeat rhythms.
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Byron Wallen’s Four Corners
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Byron Wallen has been playing trumpet in various contexts, live and on record, alongside legendary musicians such as George Benson, Andrew Hill, Chaka Khan, Ingrid Laubrock, Hugh Masekela, Courtney Pine, Mulatu Astatke, Red Snapper, Jack Dejohnette, Jean Toussaint, Cleveland Watkiss and King Sunny Ade. He is also an acclaimed writer and producer whose original scores have been commissioned by the Science Museum; PRS, the BBC, Jerwood Foundation, Southbank Centre, National Theatre, Arts Council, FIFA and Sage Gateshead.
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Tina May, Enrico Tomasso and the Chris Ingham Trio
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Introduced by our guest compere Stephen Foster.
Featuring Tina May (vocals), Enrico Tomasso (trumpet), and the Chris Ingham Trio with Chris Ingham (piano), Arnie Somogyi (bass), George Double (drums).
As a truly international artiste and lyricist, Tina May continues to give performances in China, Australia, Singapore, the US – as well as Europe, teaming up with musicians all around the world resulting in packed theatre and club performances in festivals worldwide.
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Derek Nash’s Picante
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Introduced by our guest compere Stephen Foster.
We open on Sunday with a really lively gig led by one of the UK’s top saxophonists. Taking Latin flavours from Buena Vista Social Club, Sergio Mendes, Stan Getz/Astrid Gilberto, Spyrogyra and the Gypsy Kings, Picante’s music makes you feel like tapping your feet from the first bar with their unique compositions in mambo, salsa, samba and bossa nova styles.
A brilliant line-up of jazz players: Derek Nash (baritone, tenor, alto & soprano sax), Dominic Ashworth (guitar), Neil Angilley (piano), Andy Staples (double bass), Marc Cecil (drums) and Satin Singh (percussion).
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Xhosa Cole Trio
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Introduced by our guest compere Stephen Foster.
Playing the music of Thelonious Monk with some contemporary arrangements in the style of 1960s Sonny Rollins, Xhosa was winner of the 2018 BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year award and of the 2020 Jazz FM’s Breakthrough Act of the Year. Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in Birmingham. Having grown up in Handsworth and first played the Tenor at Andy Hamilton's Ladywood Community Music School, he's now among a long legacy of Birmingham saxophonists including Soweto Kinch and Shabaka Hutchings.
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Rosina Hepburn Band
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Introduced by our guest compere Stephen Foster.
Led by the really fine singer Rosina Hepburn, with a sound and style that conjures up the golden age of jazz, Rosina and her band pay homage to the divas who packed Carnegie Hall, Mister Kelly’s and the Village Gate, celebrating the Great American Songbook immortalised by Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Chris Connor, and Anita O’Day. With her unmistakable voice and vintage glamour, Rosina breathes new life into standards, whether fiery swing, heartfelt ballads or the coolest jazz and blues. Enjoy!
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Kansas Smitty’s
St Peter’s by the Waterfront, College Street, Ipswich, IP1 1XF
Introduced by our guest compere Stephen Foster.
You’ll never hear Kansas Smitty’s play the same show twice. Theirs is a joyful, spontaneous jazz rooted in swing and blues that keeps the shows fresh and the crowds faithful.
Described by Jamie Cullum as ‘”one of the hottest live acts on the UK jazz scene”, the band originally began in 2014 as resident musicians of London’s hippest jazz bar, Kansas Smitty’s. As the bar grew, so too did the Band’s fame: residencies at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, twice-sold-out headliners at London’s iconic Ronnie Scott’s, as well as the acclaimed release Broadway 2018 culminated in a nomination for UK Jazz Act of the Year in the Jazz FM Awards and a win at the British Jazz Awards for ‘Best Small Group’ in 2018.
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Concessionary tickets
We can offer a limited number of tickets for just £1 each to any of our ticketed gigs. You can buy up to two concessionary tickets if you are a full time student living in Ipswich or you live in Ipswich and you also receive at least one of the following benefits: Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment & Support Allowance, Carers Allowance, Pension Credit, Income Support or Housing Benefit.
Select the concessionary tickets option when buying if you fit into one of these categories. We want to make jazz available to as many people as possible.
Ipswich Jazz Festival. Registered Charity No: 1189033.
The Venue
Ipswich Jazz Festival would like to thank our sponsors for their support:
