Mumbles Mostly Jazz and Blues Festival
Last updated: 27 April 2009
Ever had a good idea? But then how do you take it further? Huw Rees tells us how the Mumbles Mostly Jazz and Blues Festival began.
But first, the line up for 2009 includes Albert Lee, Hamilton Loomis, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Cubanita and much more.
Direct from Texas comes Hamilton Loomis, whose mentor Bo Diddley said, "You got to put some seasonin' in what you're doin' - and this boy's got the whole salt shaker."
Nearer to home there is talent like the Sean Webster Blues Band, the Dave Jackson Band, FEVERDOGG!, Manchester's Tom Hingley (ex front man of the Inspiral Carpets), and more.
Headlining the 'mostly jazz' sets will be the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
The festival opens with the Snake Davis Band, the Welsh gypsy jazz geniuses Allegria, or Swansea's favourites The Amigos?
Then there's jazz vocalist Tina May, popular Latin ensemble Cubanita, Port Talbot-born pianist Dave Jones and his trio, Mumbles prodigy John Dignam, and Dave Cottle with his trio.
The first Mumbles Mostly Jazz and Blues Festival
It took place over the May bank holiday weekend 2005. Thousands of people turned out at a variety of venues to sample the musical delights on offer at around 20 gigs.
The programme featured saxophonist Ben Castle, the Hennebont Breton Dance Company and Band, New Orleans marching jazz band Adamant, from Birmingham, and local favourites such as The Amigos and The Dave Cottle Jazz Quartet.
It went down really well. We only had seven weeks to arrange it. I knew it would be short notice to get acts, particularly with the budget being low, but I am more than happy with the way it went.
How did it start?
The festival was the brainchild of community group Mumbles Development Trust, which started out in 1999.
Will it, won't it be on? Questions, questions... everything touch and go, till finally the sponsors came on board and we had lift-off.
And so it was that the Mumbles Mostly Jazz & Blues Festival 2006 took flight over the May Bank Holiday weekend, 'shaking off the winter blues' for a second, even more successful year.
Southend Gardens was chosen for the marquee and a lovely, leafy location it was. Other lovely locations were the Victoria Inn, Beaufort Arms and both Mumbles Rugby and Cricket clubs.
These were the blues venues, apart from the Cricket Club, who had the ever wonderful Speakeasy Jazz Band.
The Victoria Inn was full on Saturday night when Mike Markey & Nick Jones did the business. Terry Clarke ruffed up the Beaufort Arms on the Sunday with his mix of country, blues.
On Monday afternoon the Rugby Club was packed and Jack the Biscuit knocked out some great blues classics. The evening saw the marquee have its blues with Brian Breeze & Dave Cottle giving a great night of jazz and rock-tinged blues to a large and appreciative audience, which brought the festival to a close.
Other acts at the marquee representing and mixing many genres of jazz, funk, Latin and just Music with a capital M included Pedalmania featuring Dawn Sandells, Julian Marc Stringle and the Dream Band with Jackie Hicks, Descargo Cubano, Swansea's own Gipsy Jazz and the ever popular Amigos, Oliver Nezhati, Journeymen, The J Word and the remarkable Snake Davis Quartet.
And in what already seems to have become a festival tradition, the Adamant New Orleans Marching Jazz Band promenaded on Saturday afternoon from Verdi's to Oystermouth Square.
Huw Rees
