Southport Jazz Festival Set To Return For A 13th Year at The Atkinson, Southport

The Atkinson, Southport’s state-of-the-art new venue has announced it will be home to the 13th annual Southport Jazz Festival, which will run from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 May 2013.

The festival has firmly established itself as one of the regions premiere music events and will feature a whole host of internationally acclaimed artists from the world of Jazz. The line-up includes James Morton’s Pork Chop, James Morrison with the Swingshift Big Band, MOBO Award winners Kairos 4Tet, Joe Stilgoe Trio and up and coming talent including Go Go Penguin.

Southport Jazz festival is to be one of the first events to be hosted at the brand new Atkinson venue, a cultural jewel in the crown of the seaside resort. It is a long-awaited £17 million development of the old Southport Arts Centre, Atkinson Art Gallery, Botanic Gardens Museum and the central Library and is due to open early May 2013.

Emma Lloyd, Marketing, Programme and Visitor Services Manager said “The 2013 Southport Jazz Festival is different to the past events, as this year there are headlining jazz gigs taking place throughout the 3-days so we are able to offer a range of weekend, day and session tickets to encourage people to stay in the town that little bit longer.

We have worked really hard to ensure that the programme is diverse and has something for everyone, from the contemporary to the big band jazz, from the well-established names to the new soon-to-be stars of the jazz circuit. This year we are delighted that CAMRA have come on board to run a beer festival as part of the festival – we know this will add to the festivities.”

The full programme of events will see performances from the world of Jazz playing throughout the day and night at The Atkinson, it all kicks off on the Friday with Sheffield-born vocalist from the Nicola Farnon Quartet, who the legendary late Humphrey Lyttleton described as “A class act who should be on every jazz festival in the land...a sure fire hit!” The Al Wood Nine take over early evening with selection of bebop and swing from the multi-talented group and will perform some special arrangements as well as their classic set.  Friday evening will also feature charismatic altoist James Morton leading his band Porkchop through a collection of funk, soul jazz and gospel sound.

Go-Go Penguin makes their return to the SJF to start Saturday’s proceedings, following their huge success at last year’s festival. They are one of the most exciting contemporary instrumental groups working today.  Saturday will also feature The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band, an all-star group comprising of Alan Bateman (trumpet/vocals), Ian Bateman (trombone), Trevor Whiting (clarinet), Craig Milverton (piano), John Day (Bass), Steve Rushton (Drums) and Maggie Reeday (vocals). Their special guests for the Festival are Enrico Tommasso and Spats Langham.  Also part of Saturday’s big line-up is Gabby Young and Other Animals.  The 7-piece band, are the ringmasters of Circus Swing, a musical genre that fuses Swing Jazz, Eastern European beats and English Folk created with horn, wind and percussion instruments.  Closing Saturday is Sector 7, made up of seven talented musicians, amongst them, award-winning vocalist Sarah Ellen Hughes. Having only being on the jazz scene for two years they have already taken the musical world by storm, recording and releasing their EP, gaining critical acclaim, and being invited to perform at prestigious events and festivals across Europe.

Sunday starts in great style, music and film lovers of all ages will enjoy Terry Seabrook’s band Milestones performing a new film score at this year’s festival. Inspired by the Miles Davis soundtrack Lift to the Scaffold, Seabrook has written his own full-length jazz soundtrack, for Buster Keaton’s 1924 film Sherlock Jr. Milestones will perform live as the film is screened. Making their first appearance at the Southport Jazz festival are the award-winning Kairos 4Tet, a band born out of a desire to explore times past, present and future via music. Winners of 2011’s MOBO award for ‘Best Jazz Act’, they make a welcome addition to Sunday’s line-up.  The chart topping sensation the Joe Stilgoe Trio take the festival into Sunday evening, as one of the world’s finest singer-pianists Stilgoe released his critically acclaimed second album ‘We Look to The Stars’ last year.  Closing the festival is Australian musical virtuoso James Morrison, besides the trumpet, this multi-instrumentalist also plays trombone, euphonium, flugelhorn, tuba, saxophone and piano. Morrison has performed gigs in the world’s most famous jazz clubs, been commanded by royalty and political leaders, and has been awarded The Order of Australia for his services to the arts. James will perform with the Swingshift Big Band for the festival finale.

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) will be running a beer festival alongside the three-day jazz event, showcasing a selection of real ales and perrys for the public to sample.
The Southport Jazz Festival for 2013 encompasses The Atkinson - Headline Gigs, The Jazz Festival Village at the Town Hall Gardens and The Fringe Festival across the town.

Follow all the latest festival news on the Southport Jazz Festival on twitter #southportjazz and facebook/The Atkinson


EVENT LISTINGS



Friday 10 May

The Nicola Farnon Quartet                                2.30pm

The Al Wood Nine                                               7pm

James Morton’s Porkchop                                 10pm



Saturday 11 May

Go Go Penguin                                                   11am

The Bateman Bothers Jazz Band                     2.30pm

Gabby Young and the Other Animals             7pm

Sector 7                                                               10pm



Sunday 12 May

Milestones Play to the Silent Screen                  11am

Kairos 4tet                                                               2.30pm

Joe Stilgoe Trio                                                       5pm

James Morrison with Swingshift Big Bang         8pm



HOW TO BOOK 

Southport Jazz Festival

Dates: 10-12 May 2013

Day and Weekend Festival Tickets are now on sale.

01704 533 333* or online at www.seftonarts.co.uk*

*Subject to booking fee.

Join The Atkinson mailing list at www.theatkinson.co.uk 

The Atkinson
Lord Street,Southport

PR8 1DB

Sefton's flagship new arts venue, The Atkinson,reveals opening programme

The Atkinson, Southport’s brand new state of the art multi-purpose cultural venue, can now reveal the eclectic performance programme for its opening season.

Incorporating four established venues - Southport Arts Centre, the Atkinson Art Gallery, Botanic Gardens Museum and Southport’s Central Library, into one regional cultural centre, the Lord Street venue has undergone extensive development and will open in several different phases across the next two years. When fully complete, The Atkinson will comprise two performance spaces, a cafe, TIC and library, plus art galleries, a shop and a museum.

The initial performance programme for The Atkinson features renowned names from the world of music, dance, theatre and comedy plus some top family and children’s entertainment and gives just a taster of the calibre of artists who will be visiting this regional centre for the arts in the future.

The headline acts of the long established Southport Jazz Festival make The Atkinson their home from 2013 onwards, with this year’s festival running from 10-12 May and bringing with it a fantastic line up of acclaimed artists, a great mix of big names and up and coming talent including The Nicola Farnon Quartet, The Al Wood Nine, James Morton’s Pork Chop, Go Go Penguin, The Bateman Brothers Jazz Band Ft: Spats Langham and Enrico Tomasso, Gabby Young and the Other Animals, Sector 7, Milestones Play to the Silent Screen, Kairos 4tet, Joe Stilgoe and James Morrison with Swingshift Big Band.

Aside from the Jazz Festival, The Atkinson has lots of other great music on offer with a wealth of genres represented.

Americana, roots and blues fans won’t be disappointed with the gigs coming up - there’s State of The Union, a masterclass in songwriting from bluesy Americana stalwart Brooks Williams and cult British singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine on 3 May, and the superb I See Hawks in LA, a roots-rock band straight from California on 4 July. Also crossing the Atlantic, this time from Canada, is Romi Mayes on 25 May with guitar demon Jay Nowicki, who together are described as edgy blues electric duo with a dirty bluesy sound.

UK blues artists haven’t been forgotten - British R&B scene stalwarts The Blues Band visit on 4 May, see live rapturous Chicago style rhythm & blues from The Stumble on 31 May and acclaimed London-based blues-rock guitarist Marcus Bonfanti on 18 May.

Folk lovers are also well catered for – one of the most popular duos on the vibrant English folk scene Spiers and Boden visit The Atkinson on 9 May, followed by a return to popular duo performances from two more of British folk’s most accomplished performers Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman on 22 May, the originators of British folk-rock music Fairport Convention on 30 May, and in June not one but two award winning female folk singer songwriters – Cara Luft on 14 June and Heidi Talbot on 22 June.

The Atkinson also has classical music covered. 16 June sees a performance of Reverie – The Life and Loves of Claude Debussy, the fourth biographical programme of composers' words and music to be scripted by pianist Lucy Parham that celebrates Debussy’s 150th anniversary. Angela Hewitt, who the Guardian described as ‘the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time’, performs a concert on 5 May

There’s an exciting double bill of country music and rock from Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes on 6 June, and country fans with also love The Johnny Cash Story starring Roger Dean and The Lazy Boys on 27 July. 70s rock & roll legends Showaddywaddy visit on 24 May, and The Christians, the outstanding, soul influenced group who had hits in the late 80’s and 90’s including ‘Forgotten Town’, ‘Harvest For The World’, ‘Born Again’,‘Ideal World’, and ‘Hooverville’, play at The Atkinson on 8 June in this, their 25th anniversary year. Irish contemporary singer-songwriter Kieran Goss visits on 17 May, this multi-platinum selling artist will perform a selection of his hits.

The Atkinson can also boast a strong comedy programme for its opening season. Hilarious highlights include an evening of observational humour on 2 May from ex-Guardian sports reporter Josh Widdicombe plus Seann Walsh, both regulars on various TV comedy shows. Montana’s Rich Hall brings his renowned, grouchy deadpan style to the Atkinson stage on 8 May, whilst 15 May sees comedian, writer, broadcaster and all-round British institution Arthur Smith’s latest show ‘Exposed!’  On 29 May Monkeypoet performs a double bill of 2 radically different acts - the surreal Murder Mystery bringing some of the literary world’s most renowned figures back to life followed by an hour of radical stand up! On 12 June The Reduced Shakespeare Company will whizz audiences through The Complete Works of Shakespeare in their own inimitable style whilst on 15 and 16 June Torquay comes to the North West with Faulty Towers - The Dining Experience – a dinner show with a hilarious interactive twist! The Lancashire Hotpots – five northern lads in flat caps – round off this rib-tickling season on Saturday 13 July with their rib-tickling blend of music and fun.

World-class dance company Richard Alston, renowned for the musicality of their choreography, will perform three enchanting pieces on Thursday 23 May and for something completely different, Nicholas Collett plays a multitude of characters and recreates the Battle of Britain onstage in Spitfire Solo on 16 May. 

There’s plenty to keep young people and families entertained, too.  Hiccup theatre and Olivier award-winning writer Mike Kenny bring a revamped version of the classic fairytale Rumpelstiltskin on 18 May, Topsy Turvy Theatre effortlessly bring to life the tale of a little duckling struggling to find her feet as she grows up on 29 May with Ruby Flew Too and Andy and Mike’s Tick Tock Time Machine starring Cbeebies’ Andy Day flies into The Atkinson on 2 June. On 14 and 15 June, Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company bring their infamous blend of physical comedy, eccentric puppetry and live music to tell the story of The Enormous Turnip!


For more information and to book tickets visit www.seftonarts.co.uk or call box office on 01704 533333

The Atkinson website will be launched in February, to be added to the mailing list visit www.theatkinson.co.uk