CONTEMPORARY JAZZ, JAZZ-ROCK, UK JAZZ

Friday 13 August 2010

Brecon again

An amazing long weekend. The jazz festival is plagued by the Fringe Festival which is probably far bigger in that it has more events and is probably what draws the biggest crowd. The Fringe is mainly local rock bands and it attracts large numbers of young people who go to "have a good time" which means getting off their faces. We camped in the Rugby Club. First night was a nightmare with loud drunken yobbish behaviour going on until 4 am. It seemed to be that cock, or hen, that crowed the loudest got the most points. The town centre was also full of drunks too with police around but not doing much.

The jazz was great and so we will probably go again. Brecon is beautiful too, set in the hills and valleys of the Brecon Beacons. I saw Dave Stapleton 5tet again. Fantastic. Definitely my current favourite band. Ben Waghorn was substituted this time but the sub was a fabulous player.

Saw the National Orchestra de Jazz play songs of Robert Wyatt. Fantastic arrangements although they played so loud I could not hear the solos properly. It was bloody cold in the marquee too. 10 Piece band so pretty much a small big band. Check out the album on emusic.

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