Glasgow Jazz Festival survives funding scare to offer eclectic line-up

A legendary American saxophonist, award-winning young Scottish musicians and singers, a jazz take on the Black Sabbath songbook and groups from Vietnam and Japan... Glasgow Jazz Festival director Jill Rodger may have had to drum up this year’s programme (19-23 June) at unnervingly short notice, after having to re-submit her funding application to Creative Scotland and with no other backers forthcoming, but she has compiled a fascinating cross-section of contemporary jazz in the process.

Notable names across the five-day programme include esteemed senior saxophonist Bobby Watson at St Luke’s on the 22nd. A one-time musical director of the hugely influential Jazz Messengers, Watson, appearing with bassist Curtis Lundy, pianist Jordan Williams and drummer Victor Jones, can boast a collaborative CV that includes such giants as Max Roach, George Coleman and Branford and Wynton Marsalis.

Watson was the festival’s artist in residence 30 years ago, an anniversary that strikes a wry chord with Jill Rodger. The fact that this is her 35th year of involvement with the festival and her 20th as director invariably provides food for thought and memories of the “glory days”, such as Glasgow’s 1990 Year of Culture, when guests included such titans as Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

Bobby Watson PIC: Shannon Finney/Getty Images

Her first year as director, 2005, saw the festival flourish with generous private sponsorship that enabled a free stage plus the Spiegeltent in George Square. Glasgow City Council ceased funding the festival in 2019 and currently its only real support comes from Creative Scotland. “Back in the glory days of 1990, with Miles and Dizzy, these people were still alive. There are some really big jazz names back out there again but sadly we can’t afford them anymore.”

Rodger has now applied to Creative Scotland for three-year multi-funding, but won’t know until October whether she has been successful. In the meantime, however, despite everything, she has assembled an intriguing bill. Perhaps the most exotic element is the jazz-bán đįa – “indigenous jazz” – performed by Vietnamese saxophonist Quyền Thiện Đắc and the ensemble Đàn Đó. As well as playing in the Mackintosh Church Hall on the 19th (bamboo mats are promised for listeners) the ensemble, with their indigenous instruments, are collaborating with Scottish musicians – saxophonist Sue McKenzie, drummer Tom Bancroft and piper and whistle player Ali Levack – in a residency at Resolis on the Black Isle in conjunction with the Gaelic agency Fèis Rois – a culture shock, one imagines, for all concerned.

Also from East Asia come Kyoto Jazz Massive (Òran Mór, 21st), pioneers of Japanese club jazz, featuring Shuya Okino and Yoshihiro Okino, two influential DJs and artists from the Japanese music scene.

Providing a culture shock of their own, meanwhile, at Nice ’n’ Sleazy on the 20th are Black Sabbath Mode, comprising nu-jazz duo Bigheadmode (Robbie and Ewan Moore) and powerful-voiced singer and multi-instrumentalist Plumm, who promise the essence and energy of the heavy-metal heroes, rather than performing mere jazz “covers”.

In a more traditional vein, esteemed Scottish pianist Brian Kellock accompanies Marianne McGregor, current Scottish Jazz Awards vocalist of the year, in an evening of swinging classics at the Griffin on the 22nd. Another Glasgow-based award-winning vocalist, kitti , performs her Caledonian Songbook at St Luke’s on the 21st, with an ensemble directed by Seonaid Aitken.

Average White Band founder member Hamish Stuart leads his band at Òran Mór on the 22nd. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, guitarist Jim Mullen has had to cancel his billed appearance with organist Pete Johnstone and drummer Alyn Cosker.

There is, however, further new wave fusion from the groove-driven Nimbus Sextet at Nice ’n’ Sleazy on the 23rd, while yet another award-winner, pianist Fergus McCreadie and his trio, play the Mackintosh church on the 21st. And, still talking awards, the current BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Edinburgh-born pianist Ben Shankland, plays an afternoon concert at St Luke’s with his trio on the 22nd.

For full programme and tickets, see www.jazzfest.co.uk