Location: WHELLEY EX-SERVICEMEN'S CLUB, VAUXHALL RD, WIGAN, WN1 3LU
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Location: WHELLEY EX-SERVICEMEN'S CLUB, VAUXHALL RD, WIGAN, WN1 3LU
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JANUARY 29th JAZZ CLUB - PICTURES ONLINE
Our first Jazz Club of 2012 saw a big turnout on a cold January Sunday and they were rewarded with a top-rate double bill from bassist/vocalist NICOLA FARNON's QUARTET (featuring Dean Masser on tenor sax) and the first performance at Jazz Club by WYJO under the direction of their new MD, Dave Little. Nicola and her group gave an inspired performance which combined virtuosity with great entertainment. WYJO's performance showed their excellent progress and left us in no doubt that their future is in safe hands with ex-WYJO bass trombonist Dave at the helm. Pictures from the concert can be viewed by clicking here.
FORTHCOMING CONCERTS updated Feb - May 2012 On the 26th February former WYJO member and rising star A.J. BROWN will be performing with the SWINGSHIFT BIG BAND in a "Salute To The Great Vocalists" (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble, Bobby Darin & Matt Monroe). There is a change of programme for our March 25th session - Andreas Varady will not now be appearing. Instead our own WIGAN YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA will share the bill with vocal group MAINSTREET and trio. April 29th brings a great double-bill with one of the north's favourite bands, THE SHADES JAZZ ORCHESTRA, making a welcome return to Wigan. They are joined by another ex-WYJO star - saxophonist SAM RAPLEY has been making quite a name for himself recently, and he leads his quartet in our April session. Our guest on May 27th is multi-instrumentalist AL WOOD with his new nine-piece band 'BE-BOP SWING AND ALL THAT JAZZ'. The full lineup of the band is on our What's On page. June 24th gives a Wigan debut to trumpet and flugel player LINLEY HAMILTON and his recently formed quartet. WIGAN YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA complete a great double bill. For full details, including notes on the artists, links to their websites, and prices, go to our What's On page. NB For 2011-12 we have held our membership prices once again - at £7 for individual membership and £12 for couples. To renew or join see our membership page. Admission prices will, wherever possible, be kept at our base rate of £9 (£8.50 concessions, £8 members), although occasionally the cost of the artists may necessitate a higher charge.
CHRISTMAS JAZZ CLUB - PICTURES
Christmas Jazz Club featuring all three of Wigan's youth bands has become a great seasonal tradition, providing a showcase for the young talent as well as a wonderful afternoon's entertainment. This year's concert attracted our biggest ever audience at Whelley, with members, parents and friends packed into the Club. The bands did not disappoint, from the youngsters of the Swing Band (many of whom were making their first appearance in front of an audience) to the 'seasoned performers' of WYJO. The afternoon was also notable for the contributions of two fine young vocalists. A.J. Brown showed once again just what a great singer he is becoming - whether in front of a big band or with just the piano accompaniment provided by his father. Kim Smith, singing with both the Wigan Youth Big Band and the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, sang with confidence and style - tackling a range of material superbly. Thanks to all the parents and family members who came along to support the performers. The full set of pictures from this event can be seen by clicking here - you may even see yourself if you were in the audience!
FORTHCOMING CONCERTS updated The first concert of 2012 is on 29th January and features the vocalist and bassist NICOLA FARNON in a quartet which also includes our recent guest DEAN MASSER on tenor. WIGAN YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA complete the January bill. On the 26th February former WYJO member and rising star A.J. BROWN will be performing with the SWINGSHIFT BIG BAND in a "Salute To The Great Vocalists" (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble, Bobby Darin & Matt Monroe). There is a change of programme for our March 25th session - ANDREAS VARADY will not now be appearing. Instead our own WIGAN YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA will be joined by a GUEST ARTIST (tbc). April 29th brings a great double-bill with one of the north's favourite bands, THE SHADES JAZZ ORCHESTRA, making a welcome return to Wigan. They are joined by another ex-WYJO star - saxophonist SAM RAPLEY has been making quite a name for himself recently, and he leads his quartet in our April session. For full details, including links to artist websites, go to our What's On page. NB For 2011-12 we have held our membership prices once again - at £7 for individual membership and £12 for couples. To renew or join see our membership page. Admission prices will, wherever possible, be kept at our base rate of £9 (£8.50 concessions, £8 members), although occasionally the cost of the artists may necessitate a higher charge.
On Sunday November 27th our guests were the JOE STILGOE TRIO. Joe has appeared at the Jazz Festival but this was his first visit to Wigan Jazz Club. Joe certainly lived up to the reputation that preceded him - a piano virtuoso and a great vocalist, playing a wide range of material from classics to pop to his own varied compositions. He was ably supported by bass player Chris Hill and drummer Ben Reynolds, both masters of their instruments and working superbly as a trio. The Wigan audience was entertained, amused, amazed, charmed and awed - sometimes simultaneously. For those present it was an afternoon to remember. Find out more about Joe here.
The full set of pIctures from the show are now online - to see them click here.
OCTOBER 30th JAZZ CLUB - PICTURES
On Sunday, October 30th, we were delighted to welcome the Steve King Big Band back to Wigan Jazz Club. The Midlands-based band are celebrating their 40th year - and very few British bands can match that. The large audience were soon made aware of just why this band has such a formidable and consistent reputation, with two sets that highlighted their versatility and musicianship. American-born Lynn Dawes handled the vocals with confidence and class. The full set of photographs from the concert can be viewed here.
OCTOBER 2nd JAZZ CLUB - PICTURES
The first of our two October Jazz Club sessions featured local tenor star Dean Masser, with Richard Wetherall on piano, Ed Harrison on bass and Marek Dorcik on drums completing this highly talented quartet. This long-overdue appearance by Dean attracted a good audience who reacted enthusiastically to the band. WIgan Youth Jazz Orchestra opened the session, with several new members replacing those who have moved on to university etc. - showing that the 'production line' continues to develop the calibre of musician for which WYJO are renowned. To see the full set of photos from this concert click here.
SEPTEMBER 4th JAZZ CLUB - PICTURES
Our 2011-12 season began earlier than usual, with our first session on Sunday September 4th. Despite an enforced change to our advertised programme (caused by the withdrawal of the Paul Towndrow Quartet at short notice), the show went on. Former WUJO player Lee Hallam assembled his SLIDE BY SLIDE group for their TRIBUTE TO JAY & KAI. Lee and Brian Archer took the part of the two trombone maestros, ably supported by Andy Dressler (piano), Dave Lynane (bass) and Bob Howard (drums) for two great entertaining sets. The session had begun with a set from WIGAN YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA (conducted by Ian Darrington). WYJO have recently returned from a successful visit to the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, and the benefit of the tour was apparent from the standard of the ensemble and solo playing. To view the full set of pictures from this concert click here.
A.J. BROWN VIDEO - WATCH IT NOW You can hear and see our own rising star A.J. Brown singing "You Just Don't Love Me Anymore" in his latest video - now on youtube - click here to view it, then spread the word.
WIGAN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Well the 26th Jazz Festival has been and gone and, despite all the fears and misgivings caused by the current economic climate, we were delighted to see so many people enjoying four full days of high quality jazz in a hall that came to feel like home - the arrangement of tables rather than rows certainly created a more sympathetic atmosphere, and the stage, lighting and sound were of a very high standard. As Ian reminded audiences each day, none of this could have happened without the support of our sponsors, nor without a lot of hard work from all concerned. Above all, the Festival only exists because of the audiences who turn up to see it. Many of you who attended will have completed questionnaires, but feel free to email your comments and suggestions to wigan.jazz@virgin.net and they will be passed on to the relevant people.
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM CELEBRATION HALL CONCERTS.
WYJO news will be updated soon.
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF W.J.C. - OUR 2010 - 2011 SEASON Photos from the 2010 - 2011 season can now be found with our other archived photos - click here to see them. The montage below offers a reminder of another year in the history of Wigan Jazz Club.
We are pleased to provide a link to the website of Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues. The site contains full details of membership, gigs, festival etc. If any other jazz-related organisations wish to provide such mutual links please email www.wiganjazzclub.uk with details. All such links appear on our Links page.
If you wish to receive our email updates, you can subscribe to our Emailing List by contacting wigan.jazz@virgin.net . If you wish to unsubscribe, email the same address with the word 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.
LINKS & CONTACTS Our Links & Contacts page has contact details for Wigan Jazz Club, WYJO, WJCBB and Wigan International Jazz Festival. In addition, there is now a growing list of links to local, national and international jazz-related websites, as well as online jazz radio stations. We welcome your suggestions for suitable links to add to the list - email them to wigan.jazz@virgin.net (Please note that we are not responsible for the content of external websites).
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