Keswick gets down to all that jazz
Last updated 19:39, Thursday, 08 May 2008
KESWICK’S Market Square will be ablaze with colour tomorrow when the town’s jazz festival parade masses there for its annual tour of the streets.
This year it will be lead by Dave Brennan’s Jubilee Brass Band from Yorkshire.
The town will turn into a mini New Orleans for the day, with hundreds of jazz fans brandishing their spectacularly-decorated umbrellas as they join bands in a procession.
Last year hundreds of fans joined in the procession to the shores of Derwentwater.
This year’s event, the 17th, is sponsored by Jennings and is based at the Theatre by the Lake, with other venues throughout the town.
Following the success of last year’s event, which attracted jazz fans from all over the world, it is being held over five days, starting on Wednesday and ending on Sunday.
Tomorrow’s parade is the traditional highlight, but the festival will see nearly 150 jazz events at 19 venues including the Castle Inn, the Braithwaite Institute, Southey Street Methodist Church, the town’s Labour and Conservative clubs, the Masonic Hall and St John’s Church.
Admission to all but a few events is by stroller pass only and tomorrow sees performances by dozens of artists, including the Jazzin’ Babies from Norway, Duke Heitger, Jim Fryer, Jeff Barnhart and Shirley Alexander from the USA.
Artists performing on Sunday include Spats Langham and his Hot Combination, Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers and Martin Bennett;s Old Green River Band who will pay at a jazz Songs of Praise.
