IS the funeral band about to start up to signal the death of the Brecon Jazz Festival?

A hard-hitting report, commissioned by Brecon Town Council, has concluded the event that has been staged every August since 1984 has reached the end of its life.

A meeting is expected to be arranged shortly by the Brecon Jazz Stakeholders group to find a way forward for the famous August event.

Consultant Nod Knowles has suggested relaunching the event as a wider cultural festival, possibly in time for this August, or focussing on music created "by and for young people".

He said a new festival could be run on similar lines to the Fringe Festival that has run parallel to the jazz with any willing promoters able to promote a variety of events as part of the festival.

Brecon’s Theatr Brycheiniog, which ran a Jazz Futures showcase of new acts at last year’s event, is, according to the report, enthusiastic about establishing a new type of festival focussed on "young music and audiences".

The report was commissioned in late 2015 when Cardiff-based media and events company Orchard said it no longer wished to run Brecon Jazz under a contract with the Arts Council of Wales. The company said it was no longer able to sustain losses running the event.

A smaller scale Brecon Jazz Weekend, organised by the Friends of Brecon Jazz, Brecon Jazz Club, Theatr Brycheiniog and Brecon Cathedral, was eventually organised for August 2016.

Mr Knowles attended the event as part of his study and said though the town was "much quieter than usual on festival days" it "retained some semblance of festivity" but found: "Overall the weekend’s jazz offer was limited and not of a range or diversity that would be likely to attract an audience from further afield to return year on year."

His conclusion said: "Brecon Jazz Festival – the  major  jazz  event  that has graced the town for the past 30 years – has come to an end.

"Its essential identity has been lost and its support and audiences have declined as costs and expectations have risen."

Brecon Jazz significant events

1984: The first Brecon Jazz festival was held on August 17th 1984 with limited funds but boundless local enthusiasm. George Melly, who had a house at Scethrog, was the first artist engaged and remained a regular highlight and prominent supporter until his death in 2007.

Cardiff’s Adamant Band and Mike Harries Jazz Band (now Root Doctors) played in the first year and remained popular favourites while the Krukke Band travelled from Holland and did so every year until 2003.

2001: The festival went ahead despite the uncertainty of foot and mouth disease.

2003: Jamie Cullum made a breakthrough appearance at his first major festival appearance at the festival that was organised by Theatr Brycheiniog.

2004: Another year and another new star featured, this time up and coming 21-year-old Amy Winehouse

2008: Financial troubles meant the jazz festival almost collapsed. The festival was hit by torrential rain and significant ticket cancellations following the tragic death, two months prior, of Swedish Jazz Pianist Esbjörn Svensson.

Main funder, the Arts Council of Wales, said it believed the event should take a year out and re-start in 2008. A number of potential operators stepped forward and Hay Festival organised the event from 2009 to 2011.

Among the acts to feature during the Hay Festival’s tenure were Femi Kuti, Buena Vista Social Club and New Orleans pianist, composer and producer Allen Toussaint.

2012: The jazz festival was again thrown into doubt when the Hay Festival pulled out but Cardiff-based company Orchard stepped in to run a slimmed down event in 2012 with Dionne Warwick one of the headline acts.

Other notable performers from 2012 to 2015 included Jools Holland, Burt Bacharach and Gregory Porter though Gospel legend Mavis Staples was forced by ill-health to cancel her scheduled 2014 headline slot.

2015: Orchard announced it would no longer run the festival as it is said it was unable to sustain its losses.

2016: After months of uncertainty the Brecon Jazz Club, Friends of Brecon Jazz, Brecon Cathedral and Theatr Brycheiniog announced they would work together to stage a Brecon Jazz Weekend.