For fans of jazz guitar in Huddersfield it’s the run-up to the most exciting weekend of the year.
Huddersfield Jazz Guitar Festival opens on Friday, July 22, at 8.30pm with a gig featuring one of the UK’s top young musicians, Remi Harris.
Heard on Jamie Cullum’s Radio 2 programme and a runner-up in the British Jazz Awards 2014, Remi is playing with Caley Groves, Gary Potter and Paul Baxter.
This is the second festival of its kind in the area organised by Huddersfield Jazz Guitar Society and offers two days of workshops and free bar peformances at the Rat and Ratchet, Chapel Hill, Huddersfield, as well as lunchtime and evening concerts.
As Adrian Ingham, from the society, says: “One of the best things about the festival is that there’s free music all day long, both in the bar and outside the pub, for people to listen to – and a lot of good people playing.”
The society was founded just five years ago by a group of guitar enthusiasts and hosts regular gigs and meetings for members.
This year’s festival also features a celebration of the life of electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian on Saturday from 8.30pm and a concert by Alan Barnes, a virtuoso clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone player.
Sunday sees Adrian and his group Cookbook in concert supporting guitarist Terry Smith, a veteran jazz musician who hs been playing and recording since the early 1960s.
The Saturday lunchtime concert is by Italian musicians Val Bonnetti and Cristiano da Ros, while on Sunday lunchtime Pat Sprakes will be playing and demonstrating Colin Keefe guitars.
The weekend’s programme of events starts at 2pm each day.
Lunchtime concerts are £5, while tickets for evening events are £11 to £14.
Workshops on everything from gypsy jazz guitar techniques to Latin rhythms are £7.
No booking necessary, pay on the door. For more details visit www.hjgs.co.uk/festival
