This February, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival presents Sing, Sing, Sing – a weekend celebrating vocal mastery, spanning jazz and blues from the early days of the music to the here and now.
From 16 to 18 February, eight events will take place at the St Bride’s Centre in Dalry, catering for audiences aged 5 to 105.
The weekend begins with a celebration of Burt Bacharach. After sell-out success at EJBF23, Laura Macdonald returns with her homage to his music with a special guest appearance from rising star singer Laura Ohagbon.
Friday night closes with an unmissable concert for funk, soul and R&B fans as Scottish jazz-funk guitarist Aki Remally is joined by a great band featuring long time collaborators Rob Harrison (keys), Tom Wilkinson (bass), Jamie Graham (drums) and Johnny White (tenor sax). Opening the gig, Grace & The Flat Boys are an Edinburgh-based five-piece playing their own fusion of jazz, R&B, rock, and soul.
On Saturday afternoon, Edinburgh-based Phoenix Choir will bring their uplifting sound to St Bride’s. With a range of music from old-school gospel to soul, R&B, Motown, neo-soul, and contemporary tunes – audiences can expect an upbeat set of songs which kick a groove and pack a punch. The afternoon kicks off with short set from the St Bride’s community choir.
On Saturday evening, two of Scotland’s brightest talents present an exciting double bill. Glaswegian singer/songwriter kitti is a name on the rise. For this special set, she celebrates American jazz singer Blossom Dearie. Recently awarded Critics Choice Award at the Scottish Jazz Awards, Rachel Lightbody will be backed by her band of Thomas Gibbs (piano), David Bowden (bass) and Alyn Cosker (drums).
Sunday afternoon sees a celebration of the divas of the blues from some of Scotland’s top musicians. Jed Potts and Nicole Smit always wow with powerful performances drenched in the blues. With exceptional knowledge of history of the music, they trade lead vocal duties, sing harmony, and see where the music takes them. Opening the afternoon, Liz Jones mixes blues, Americana, folk and jazzy roots music providing the perfect backdrop for her powerful smoky vocals and compelling guitar.
The weekend closes with a trip back in time. Scotland’s top trio of close-harmony singers The Vintage Girls take us back to the Golden Age of Jazz. Backed by their band, they present a show packed with charisma and classic tunes. In the second half, vivacious singer Ali Affleck serves up irresistible New Orleans musical magic. A sensational performer, hugely knowledgeable about early jazz and blues, Ali sings music straight from the red-hot roots of jazz.
Sound Explorers will make its debut on Sunday morning in the St Bride’s centre Cafe. This interactive show for 5–9-year-olds is led by saxophonist and educator Sue McKenzie (Jazz for Kids) who is joined by her co-explorers Esther Swift on harp and Jose Rojas on percussion for a journey from jazz music to sonic creation using some crazy instruments and fun props.
Finally, the Edinburgh Youth Big Band will play a concert on Sunday morning in the St Bride’s Centre auditorium. Made up of students for P7 to S6, the repertoire will include a wide range of recognised big band standards.
The full programme is live now at www.ejbf.co.uk and live on social media Twitter | Facebook| Instagram
