Thoughts on Jazz 2010… from Ian George, Executive Director

11 months
1 week ago

From Ian George
Jazz Festival Executive Director

To my mind the British Jazz scene (musically) is just as strong as most of its European allies. So if the support were to match the talent then there would be no complaints.

My first time at the EJN (European Jazz Network) in Glasgow last week helped me to understand that we (Cheltenham) are not alone in fighting the good fight for Jazz.

A fantastic gathering of festivals, venues and Jazz industry bods were in Scotland to share and inspire. Engaging audiences both through education and media were firmly on the agenda. I got the impression that this truly was an organisation with a purpose and as its membership grows so does its strength to promote Jazz as a cultural and educational force.

The evenings welcomed a host of great gigs in the historic Fruit Market Hall. Scotland’s thriving Jazz scene stuck out its chest proudly as Tommy Smith’s Youth Jazz Orchestra showed their worth. Though it was the two new wave trios that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I’d heard all about Troyka, and these boys know how to clash their sounds and mould their beats into powerful grooves. Trio VD had the challenge of conveying similar energy into the large market hall. It didn’t stop the drum beats thudding though (Chris Bussey is a mean man with sticks) and in the right venue could raise the roof.

With plenty to ponder from late night discussions with fellow festival producers, I headed across the border with a hunger to bring the young British trios to the heart of Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2010 and shout about it from the treetops.

We’ve tagged this post with Ian George, jazz on Monday 5 October 2009.