About Aberjazz

Aberjazz & Pembrokeshire Jazz 'n' Blues Festival

Aberjazz is a group of Pembrokeshire jazz enthusiasts who joined together in May 2002 with the aim of promoting jazz, blues and new music in Pembrokeshire. It has gradually evolved into an active community group who aim to bring live music and exciting musical opportunities to the people of Pembrokeshire, as well providing lively and high quality entertainment to visitors during the festival weekend, and to jazz fans from far and wide who like to enjoy their music in beautiful surrounds.

For the first two years, Aberjazz organised concerts and gigs on a bi-monthly basis at Theatr Gwaun, West Street, Fishguard, with the kind support of theatre manager Melanie Lucking. The first ‘Fishguard Jazz Festival' was held in October 2004, and the festivals have been taking place annually ever since.

This year it was decided by the organizing committee to broaden both the title and the aims of the festival, making it more accessible to more people. Hence the new ‘Pembrokeshire Jazz ‘n’ Blues’, run by Aberjazz, which is currently in the process of gaining charitable status.

The Pembrokeshire Jazz n Blues Festival 2007 takes place in and around Fishguard, Pembrokeshire - an extremely picturesque town in one of the UK's most breathtakingly beautiful counties and the only coastal National Park area in the country.

This year the festival is being held over the end of August bank holiday weekend (24th-26th). Aberjazz felt that more locals and tourists alike would be able to benefit from the fun if it happens over a national 3-day holiday! And, as the new Rough Guide to Britain has placed Pembrokeshire coast path walking as the UK's 2nd top tourist attraction, holiday-makers may wish to combine attending festival gigs with enjoying this spectacular National Park coastline.

The festival, now in its fourth year, is part of a jigsaw that is bringing renewed optimism to the area as the enthusiasm and talents of the community are blended with the experience and expertise of top quality performers far and wide. The rich programme embraces all that is good about jazz and blues in the UK, bringing notable performers to this unspoilt corner of Wales, not only to perform to our highly appreciative audiences, but also to work alongside the community in a series of workshops catering for musicians of all ages and abilities.

Work with young musicians is at the core of the festival's aims. Last year's pilot study of running exciting workshops for young people was such a success that Aberjazz has decided to make the "Young Musicians' Day" an integral part of the festival. Once again we have booked musicians and composers who are not only innovative and dynamic in their own right, but who can enlighten, inspire and lead aspiring young musicians to a broader and more adventurous musical future.

2007 Festival Events Summary

Friday will be a special day for young people who want to try out their voices in a beat box workshop, find out how to rap with our local hero and rap-artist Llew Jones, or learn how to improvise on their instruments with our two award-winning jazz pros Byron Wallen and Tony Kofi.

Having recently finished a world tour to huge acclaim and been nominated for two prestigious BBC Jazz Awards for Best Album and Best Band of the Year, these stars will also be head-lining the festival with an exciting performance on Friday 24th August in Theatr Gwaun: Byron Wallen's 'Indigo' performing their new album ‘Meeting Ground’. Based on Byron’s musical and spiritual journey through Morocco, it is an experience not to be missed!

Later on the Friday evening down in Goodwick Sports Club, a friendly venue with a late licence for those who want to drink and dance the night away, we have our favourite London visitors to Pembrokeshire- ‘The Soothsayers’- Anglo-African Jazz Funk at its very best!

On Saturday 25th August we have 2 Wonderful Workshops planned for people of all ages and abilities, so come along and bring your friends, your grandparents and your children to Samba Drumming with Felix Gibbons (straight from Rio, Brazil!) or to a voice masterclass delivered by our 3-times Wire/Guardian Award-winner, world-class male jazz singer- 'best in the UK'- Cleveland Watkiss. And attendees of Cleveland's master class qualify for a free ticket to his gig at the theatre in the early evening!

Also on the Saturday evening in our intimate venue Theatr Gwaun, we have the lovely sultry Julia Biel, winner of the Perrier Award for Best Vocalist of the Year 2000, and nominee for the BBC Jazz 'Rising Star' BBC Jazz Award 2006, with her raw silk voice singing her own beautiful new compositions. Come and see 'the next Amy Winehouse' in a cosy setting off the beaten track while you still can - her reviewers say she is about to hit the Big Time!

As well as new jazz at its most creative and innovative, this year Aberjazz are collaborating with Fishguard and Goodwick’s Round Table on their family-fun Carnival Day (Saturday 25th August) which will be delighting audiences in Lota Park with the award-winning Goodwick Brass Band, Bongo Clive, and Pembrokeshire's greatest Jump Jive Swing band ‘The Numbers Racket’.

On Saturday evening The Keith Little Band, a wonderful Welsh Traditional Jazz band direct from Brecon International Jazz Festival will perform early jazz swinging numbers, Dixieland and Shuffle to crowds in The Railwayman’s Club. Pembrokeshire's top blues band- the ‘Tyler Brown Blues’ will also be playing in the Hope & Anchor, Goodwick on Saturday afternoon, and it’s just bound to be a good crack!

On Sunday, Pembrokeshire sculptor Gareth Williams will show his short film 'Jazz Deconstruction' at Theatr Gwaun, and musicians will have a jamming session at the Hope & Anchor in Goodwick.

Jazz Art Exhibition

We also have an Art Exhibition running in Fishguard Town Hall for the month of August so do take a peek between gigs! The exhibition is titled "Crossing Oceans" - Wales, slavery and its music, and will run from August 1st to 30th in the library Gallery in Fishguard Town Hall. This has been kindly organised by our Pembrokeshire County Arts Officer to tie in with Pembrokeshire Jazz n Blues Festival and the bicentenary of the end of the slave trade. It is an exhibition of 7 images of Contemporary Jazz Singers including Dame Cleo Lane and Humie Webb from Cardiff with interpretative panels relating to Slavery and Women.

Let Art Be Me

A site specific installation will be on display at Goodwick beach during the weekend from Saturday 24th August.

Sculptor and Community artist Valerie Bartlett represents the theme 'Crossing Oceans/Slavery' with a visual experience of wind and willow. Small flags for sale for children on the beach.

Also in Fishguard...

Also in Fishguard Town Hall will be a spectacular display of jazz poster designs by graphic design students from Pembrokeshire College. The winning poster design will be up around town!

Aberjazz hope that you enjoy the Pembrokeshire Jazz 'n' Blues Festival 2007 as much as we have enjoyed organising it. Anyone who wishes to become a member of the community group Aberjazz, please contact Carmen Power on 01348-874015.