BRECON Jazz Festival has an iconic, worldwide appeal. This year, the programme is being organized by a local team which runs alongside street music, the Fringe Festival, outdoor stalls, activities and family fun.
Brubeck is a legendary name in the jazz guidebook. Dave Brubeck, one of the most famous musicians of jazz – a pianist – formed his quartet in 1951.
Probably the best-known jazz number and its spine-tingling solos – on drums, sax, piano – is Take Five, a tune composed by Paul Desmond, then Brubeck’s alto sax player. It was released on an album, Time Out on Colombia Records in 1959, and some claim it was the biggest selling jazz single ever when it came out later on its own. The name is a reference to the time signature of the piece.
But famous as he was, Dave Brubeck, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet never played Brecon Jazz! Many legendary names of jazz did – Sonny Rollins, Betty Carter, Sun Ra, Gerry Mulligan, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcheson.
Dave did play in Wales – and jazz fan David James recalls hearing him at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, “He was very popular in the 1960s, and the quartet toured a lot, he came to Britain and also played in Wales more than once. I didn’t miss many of the shows. Take Five was featured after it had just been released”.
But Dave Brubeck did not play ‘Brecon’. It’s a gap. Fortunately, Brubeck has a son – Darius. Darius is also an internationally-famous jazz pianist. He has a quartet. He has never played Brecon Jazz. And so the invitation was sent – and accepted. We are therefore delighted to host the legendary Darius Brubeck Quartet to headline this year’s Brecon Jazz Festival. Lineup: Darius Brubeck, piano, Dave O’Higgins, tenor sax, Matt Ridley, double bass, Wesley Gibbons, drums. Hear them on Saturday, August 12 at the Guildhall, 7.30pm. Tickets (£18) are already selling well.
As one legend is renewed, another is being made. As part of our commitment to younger jazz musicians, we are also profiling a star of the future. Hannah Vivian-Byrne is a Bridgend-born and raised Welsh jazz vocalist of very special calibre. She was spotted by the BBC even before she graduated and did a headline tour last year. Whilst still a student, Hannah formed a wonderful trio, with two very talented co-students, Ayo Vincent, a young pianist from London, and Linus Fenton, a double bass player who tours with pop act Ward Thomas.
Together, they are extraordinary, and we invite anyone who loves jazz, likes instrumental and vocal music, and enjoys some note bending, to take a look at this Trio. Be one of the first to celebrate these fresh young legends of jazz. Hannah Vivian-Byrne Trio perform Brecon Jazz Festival 2017 in the Guildhall on Sunday, August 13 at 5.30pm. Tickets £10, performance 75 minutes.