Hexham Jazz Festival - Friday 12 May 2023

Friday 12th May 2023

Tickets: £25

Doors: 6.00pm

Show: 7.00pm

Hexham Jazz Festival 2023 in partnership with Hampstead Jazz Club Present top musicians, both local and UK wide, to perform in Hexham Abbey on Friday and Saturday nights. National headliner – Claire Martin OBE will close the festival with a finale performance on Sunday night at Queen’s Hall Arts Centre.

The venue for this event is:

Hexham Abbey, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3NB

Evening Hosted by Nigel Williams – Jazz FM

7pm – Ushaw Ensemble

Paul Edis (piano/MD), Andy May (Northumbrian pipes), Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugel), Graeme Wilson (tenor sax/bass clarinet/flute), Emma Fisk (violin), Rob Walker (drums), Paul Susans (double bass).

Led by virtuoso pianist, Paul Edis, this superb septet is made up of some of the finest musicians in the jazz world. Mixing up an infectious stew of jazz, contemporary classical and folk music, the Ushaw Ensemble received a rapturous reception when they first started performing together.

After a headlining slot at the prestigious Manchester Jazz Festival five years ago, they recorded their first studio set, the aptly titled Volume One. In 2021, Edis released his critically acclaimed solo album, The Still Point Of The Turning World, on London-based jazz label, Lateralize Records, which was described as the missing link between Bill Evans and Claude Debussy. The following year he was commissioned to compose a new suite of music inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels, which was given its world premiere by the group in an unforgettable performance on Holy Island as part of the Art Of Words Festival.

8:30pm – An Evening with Rachel Sutton

Rachel Sutton (vocal), Roland Perrin (piano), Andy Champion (bass), Steve Hanley (drums)

Rachel Sutton’s rich, emotive voice and theatrical stage presence make her one of the finest interpreters of classic jazz standards and contemporary music. Somehow managing to make each song she sings sound as if it’s a page lifted from her own diary, her debut studio album, A Million Conversations was dubbed ‘a revelation’ by the highly respected London Jazz News. Together with her top-notch trio, she will be performing a selection of her own compositions alongside a generous helping of ageless Great American Songbook classics.

Please note seating for both events is unreserved.

Venue

Hexham Abbey
Beaumont Street
Hexham
Northumberland
NE46 3NB

Showtimes

Doors: 6:00 pm | Show: 7:00 pm