Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival set for stars

Tia Fuller is excited about appearing in Edinburgh and plans to visit the city ahead of the Jazz Festival to soak up the atmosphere. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Tia Fuller will join Jools Holland, pianist Champian Fulton and the 30-strong Texan collective Snarky Puppy for the 35th annual showcase of jazz, funk and blues.

The centenary of the birth of Muddy Waters will also be marked at the event with a concert by his eldest son Mud Morganfield.

New venues include the introduction of the Tron Kirk as the main festival hub and the relaunch of the old Forest Cafe in Briso Place, in addition to the flagship 1,900-capacity Festival Theatre.

Elements this year include Cross the Tracks, a new strand that throws the spotlight on contemporary, underground music influenced by jazz, which organisers expect will be popular with newcomers to the genre.

Fuller, 37, was in Edinburgh yesterday to promote the festival ahead of its 19-28 July run.“I haven’t been to the festival before but I love this city already,” she told The Scotsman, as she explored the Royal Mile ahead of her debut this summer.

“The energy of the city is incredible. You can see Edinburgh as a city is open to all sorts of artists, poetry, music – it’s not judgmental. It’s quaint, beautiful and alive at the same time.”

Fuller once played with the jazz legend Ray Charles, portrayed by Jamie Foxx in the Academy Award-winning hit Ray, and has played at some of the largest arenas with Beyonce.

However, she said she relishes the opportunity of performing to more intimate audiences.

“With larger audiences – tens of thousands – there is a great energy, but I really enjoy the intimacy of smaller venues, where you really connect the people there.

“I’ll be getting here a few days before so I can explore the city and hear some of the great acts.”

The opening weekend marks the launch of the festival season in the capital, with the Mardi Gras in the Grassmarket attracting 8,000 spectators last year, and the Carnival in Princes Street Gardens more than 15,000.

Despite the economic downturn, ticket sales were up 5 per cent to around 22,300 in 2012, and musicians from across the globe attracted a further 25,000 at non-ticketed events.

Roger Spence, the festival’s producer, said acts such as Ms Fuller and Champian Fulton, a young pianist and vocalist from New York, were opening up the event to new audiences.

“There is a new trend with young people playing vintage jazz in very smart clubs in London, Berlin and New York, and we want to ensure we can offer that as well.”

Organisers say they have also managed to drive down ticket prices and offer audiences the chance to see top acts for around £10 at many venues.

Steve Cardownie, festivals champion, added: “There is an exciting mix of household names and up-and-coming new talent which should appeal to a broad range of tastes.”

Highlights

Tia Fuller

Queen’s Hall

Festival debut for super-charged American saxophone star with her big swinging, bop–based, all female band. A young lion on the New York jazz scene, a long time member of Beyonce’s band, and now musical director with Esperanza Spalding. Fuller’s band play some of the most exciting music on the current US scene.

The California Honeydrops

No.3 Bristo Place

Free-spirited San Francisco group playing a musical gumbo of soul, blues, gospel, second line New Orleans Jazz, and early R&B.

Snarky Puppy

Queen’s Hall

Not many bands can combine raw funk with sensitive dynamics, relentless groove and lyrical melodicism, lush harmony and soulful simplicity, and most importantly, composition and improvisation in perfect balance. They have quickly moved from underground secret to headlining festivals all over the world.