This year’s Darlington Jazz Festival will be held from Thursday 27th April until Sunday 30th April. Since its launch in 2012 the festival has gone from strength to strength providing a platform for both local and regional talent, including musicians from Newton Aycliffe. Newtonian Abbie Finn will appear on the Saturday afternoon with her own quartet at The Quakerhouse, Mechanics Yard as will Rick Laughlin with his locally based trio. Drummer Abbie a former Durham County Youth Big Band player has successfully studied jazz at the Leeds College of Music and recently secured a place at Trinity College, London to continue her studies and musical career.
Pianist Rick Laughlin returned to his home town last year having played professionally for a number of years on the London jazz scene and West End venues. The festival begins with a jazz work shop on the Thursday evening at Darlington’s Crown Street Library followed by The Matt Roberts Sextet playing at Voo Doo Café on the Friday Aycliffe Musicians in Darlington Festival night. Saturday includes various daytime events around Darlington town centre with a spectacular night of big band swing music at The Majestic Theatre from 7.15pm. The award-winning Durham Alumni Big Band directed by Shaune Eland will be performing with special guest and internationally renowned saxophonist Dave O’Higgins. On Sunday 30th April, the festival continues with a jazz brunch from 10.30am at The Hash Bar, Coniscliffe Road to the sounds of gypsy jazz music from Emma Fisk and James Birkett.
The afternoon session at The Quaker Meeting House provides music from The Vocal Collective and Locomotive Rhythm who will play new music to celebrate the railway heritage of north east England. The festival concludes on the Sunday evening back at Hash Bar with a ‘Roof Box’ jazz club session from jazz fusion trio Laughlin, Peberdy and Ellerton. Tickets for the Saturday night are available from the Majestic Theatre Box Office Tel 01325 482848. For further admission and venue details visit www.darlingtonjazzfestival.co.uk
