In addition to the long list of impressive headline acts, the Festival hosts over 20 free performances from several popular bands, including Cleveland Watkiss Quartet, RipRap and The Gravy Train, all bringing a fresh blast of jazz and funk to Cambridge.
On the penultimate day of the Festival, Saturday 26 November, winner of the London Jazz Awards for Best Vocalist in 2010 and voted Wire/Guardian Jazz Awards best vocalist for three consecutive years, Cleveland Watkiss (pictured) is joined by some of the region's finest musicians.
Dubbed the “Sonny Rollins of the human voice” (Time Out) and hailed as Britain’s best jazz singer, Cleveland’s rare ability to improvise like any instrument makes him a true frontman, but he is also able to incorporate his sound melodically, harmonically and rhythmically with bass and drums in a way that both complements and extends the musical dimensions of the conventional jazz quartet format. This event is not to be missed. [Earl of Beaconsfield, Saturday 26 Nov, 9-11pm]
On Friday 25 November, those haunting and atmospheric cool cats RipRap explore some less common modes of composing and open-ended improvisation, working with spoken word in the form of readings with contemporary poets. Encompassing the freedom that typified the early period of the original Beats, they take their inspiration from the Beat Poets, with their freewheeling lateral association. [Mumford Theatre, Friday 25 November, 1-2pm]
Local band, The Gravy Train perform their intense and powerful jazz/funk with just a hint of soul-jazz about it at CB2 on Friday 18 Nov, 9-11pm. The band comprise of guitarist Justin Dwyer, organ grinder Hugh Birkenhead and drummer Ian Griffith. Justin describes his guitar as ‘screaming’, Hugh’s organ as ‘filthy’, while Ian’s drums are just ‘noisy’. With track titles from their album like ‘Funky Ass Tea’ and ‘Meat Juice’ audiences can expect a powerful musical trip.
Other must-see FREE performances include:
· Three Step Manoeuvre are an exciting new organ trio of young musicians, specialising in hard-grooving funk music with their debut album out this year. [Flying pig, Thursday 17 Nov, 9-11pm]
· Daphna Sadeh Quartet + Q3. The acclaimed double bass player, Daphna Sadeh performs with new and exciting Balkan -Jazz compositions. Q3, who play mostly original compositions of contemporary modern jazz, with jazz, funk, Latin and fusion elements, will also be playing. [Flying Pig, Saturday 19 Nov, 8-11pm]
· The Dead Swingers are a Quintet of Cambridgeshire based jazz musicians playing tribute to the great Jazz Male Vocalists such as Mel Torme, George Shearing, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Cy Coleman. [The Anchor, Sunday 20 Nov, 12.30-2.30pm]
· Tara Minton & Ed Babar duo. Australian harpist/vocalist Tara Minton and UK bassist Ed Babar team up for a rare performance. [The Willow Tree, Bourn, Sunday 20 Nov, 7-10pm]
· The Andy Bowie Quartet have an appetite for dusting off and performing rarely heard jazz standards as well as performing well-known and loved ones. Influences include everyone from the mainstream to modern jazz tradition, from Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster, to Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. [The Tram Depot, Sunday 20 & 27 November, 8-10pm]
· Major Swing are a Cambridge-based Gypsy Jazz band, led by violinist Gabrielle Sutcliffe. Their main inspiration is the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. [The Grapes, Tuesday 22 Nov, 8-10.30pm]
· Django’s Tiger is Cambridge's hottest gypsy jazz manouche band (guitar, clarinet, double bass & violin), playing Django Reinhardt compositions and burning hot jazz standards from the roaring 20s, 30s and 40s. Includes a performance by Old Dog. [The Flying Pig, Thursday 24 November, 8-11pm]
· Cath Coombes and the Awesome Soul Collective. Fronted by local soul singer Cath Coombs, this exciting eight-piece band plays soul classics guaranteed to get you dancing and singing along. [CB2, Friday 25 Nov, 9-11pm]
· Awesome Leaves + Roslin Russell Quartet. Soulful and bluesy jazz standards with a contemporary vibe. [12a Club, Friday 25 Nov, 8.30pm-midnight]
· The Finkel Brothers are a Cambridge-based acoustic instrumental guitar duo specialising in popular jazz standards and finger style guitar. Includes performance by CBT. [The Flying Pig, Saturday 26 Nov, 8-11pm]
Becky Burrell from Cambridge BID, one of the sponsors of the Cambridge International Jazz Festival, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Cambridge Jazz Festival for the second year running. It’s a truly fantastic, city-wide event that showcases local, national and international talent – be it established or emerging. We are committed to supporting the city’s night-time economy and the Jazz Festival is an important part of this.”
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Further information about the Festival can be found here: www.cambridgejazzfestival.org.uk
You can also follow the Cambridge Jazz Festival for updates on Facebook and twitter
www.facebook.com/cambridgejazzfestivaluk/ Twitter: @CamJazzFest #CJF2016
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