Bios - Events
For more detail on the artists involved with the events
Friday 22nd August
 Li Harding
6pm Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard £8
Fabulous jazz and blues vocalist whose concert will include many jazz and swing standards from the Great American Songbook including gut-wrenching driving blues numbers, some soul and a little gospel thrown in. She will be accompanied by the Gary Phillips Trio.
 The James Campbell Quartet
7.30pm Café Celf, Fishguard £17.50
This price includes a two course buffet and tickets can be purchased from West Wales Arts Centre, telephone 01348 873867
Relax whilst listening to some great jazz provided by this very talented quartet. Their wide ranging repertoire features accessible music with the accent on melody and swing.
 The Amigos
9pm Memorial Hall, Letterston £10.00
You will probably never hear such a wide range of music as you will at an Amigos concert, all played with virtuosity and buckets full of passion. Their lively and varied repertoire includes Gypsy Jazz, Hot Club Jazz, Hungarian, Yiddish, Russian, Latin, Spanish, Tex-Mex. (There will be a bus from Fishguard that will leave at 8.00pm and return at 11.15)
 Bridget & The Big Girl’s Blues
9pm The Pendre Inn, Fishguard FREE
Lead vocalist Bridget recreates the spirit of the 1920s and 1930s blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday with great passion and a powerful voice. She is joined by Andy Wood on guitar and Syd Greenfield on upright bass.
 The Hoochie Coochie Band
9pm Rugby Club, Fishguard FREE
Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates talent and enjoys good blues/rock music. Mojo Morgan leads this entertaining blues band who play timeless classics such as St James’ Infirmary, Stormy Monday and, of course, Hoochie Coochie Man.
Double Bill Skazz, Wonderbrass & Claude Deppa with DJ Gareth
9pm Sports Club, Goodwick £10
 Skazz
Playing a skandalous mixture of Jamaican Ska, Reggae and Latin, this band from County Clare in Ireland have built an international reputation after rave reviews in several festivals, including Cork Jazz Festival last year. Their following keeps on growing in leaps and bounds. SKA! SKA! SKA!
 Wonderbrass
The biggest, funkiest jazz band in Wales. They are bigger, bolder and brassier (pun intended) than ever before. Wonderbrass are constantly evolving and exploring musical challenges. Expect an intoxicating mix of jazz, Latin, ska and soul. Wonderbrass are always seeking to thrill audiences in their unique style that once heard will never be forgotten. They will be accompanied by Claude Deppa on trumpet.
 Claude Deppa
South African born trumpeter and composer who can turn his hand to Afro-jazz, soul, funk, Afro-Cuban and many other sub-genres. Claude has worked with many bands and been on stage with top stars like Miriam Makeba, Manu Dibango, Tony Allen and Andy Sheppard. He has also developed his own three special projects – African Jazz Explosion, Horns Unlimited and Five Funky Fellas. Aberjazz are delighted to welcome Claude back to our festival.
Saturday 23rd August
Jazz In The Park With Skazz
1pm Lota Park, Fishguard FREE
As part of the Carnival Aberjazz are joining with The Round Table to present Jazz in the Park. Skazz will entertain the carnival crowds while the floats and procession arrive at Lota Park.
Young Musician’s Performance
6pm Theatre Gwaun, Fishguard FREE
Come and see the Young Musician’s performance as part of their Workshop in the morning.
 The Dave Price Duo
7.30pm Café Celf, Fishguard £20
This price includes a two course buffet and tickets can be purchased from West Wales Arts Centre, telephone 01348 873867
As a pianist Dave is comfortable with early and contemporary jazz styles and has accompanied many British and visiting American musicians. Dave will be joined by double bassist, Wayne Warlow, doyen of the Welsh Jazz scene. Wayne has worked with numerous jazz instrumentalists including John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton and Phil Woods.
Double Bill Mojas and Skazz
9pm Sports Club, Goodwick £10.00
 Mojas
Lively jazz band and very accomplished musicians playing many jazz-inspired numbers and also world music. The band members are Pete Stacey who plays soprano and tenor sax, flute and whistle, Cenfyn Evens on trumpet and mellophone, Aijio on bass, Paul Uden on guitar and percussion, Rachel Hargrave on Congas and djenbe, Bongo Clive on bongos and percussion and Aled Richards on drums. A must for jazz fans.
Skazz
(See Friday’s listing for bio)
Double Bill Claudia and the Believers and Virgil & The Accelerators
9pm Railwaymen’s Club, Fishguard £10.00
 Claudia and the Believers
(CHANGE TO THE PROGRAMME)
A blues band who pay homage to the origins of blues, gospel and soul but move it onwards to funk and rock. While playing many funked up blues classics this very talented band also play some of their own original material. This is a very lively and energetic band, so be prepared to get up on the dance floor and shake your tail feathers.
 Virgil And The Accelerators
A sensational blues band, fronted by the extraordinarily talented Virgil McMahon, who blew away a sell-out audience on the final day of last year’s Tenby Blues festival where a punter said of Virgil “He took us through everything from neck-strangling sustain and fast, driving solos to sensitive and violin passages.... “
The UK blues press are unanimously predicting a great future for Virgil, who is being nurtured and backed by the Accelerators.
Sunday 24th August
 The Freewheelers
2pm Pendre Inn, Fishguard FREE
Enjoy some main stream jazz, perfect for a Sunday afternoon, in the company of this fun band, led by Dennis Wheeler, who specifically “play good tunes” They have played at Brecon Jazz and Jazz in the Park, Pontypool many times.
 Kara Tobin
(CHANGE TO THE PROGRAMME)
3:30pm Hope & Anchor, Goodwick FREE
TBC.
Li Harding
4pm Bar Five, Fishguard (See Friday’s listing for bio)
For information about tickets to this event please ring Bar 5 on 01348 875050
 Cottonmouth
9pm Ship & Anchor, Fishguard FREE
Pembrokeshire’s own rock and blues sensation formed in 1997. There have been a few line-up changes along the way, with a major reshuffle in 2008, but front man Brian Rowe just keeps rolling along. With the addition of a keyboard player this exciting five piece band have added Southern Blues Boogie and Rock to their set and ‘the feel-good factor’ and sense of fun they create is as fresh as ever.
Double Bill Gareth Roberts and Claudia & The Jazz Masters
6.30pm Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard £10.00
 The Gareth Roberts Quintet
The quintet, under Gareth’s leadership will perform exciting and accessible jazz in their own unique style. Since the release of their debut album “The Attack of the Killer Penguins” in 2006 their popularity has gone from strength to strength. This year they were one of three bands in the UK chosen to receive a Jazz Services Promoter’s Choice Award. Gareth writes nearly all of the music played by the band himself and describes his main influences as the compositions of Charles Mingus and Blue Note Jazz of the 60s.
 Claudia And The Jazz Masters
Claudia Gunnars, originally from Iceland, is a newcomer to the Pembrokeshire music scene, but is certainly making her mark. When she sings Claudia obviously enjoys every moment of her performance whilst flitting between jazz and blues classics. The Jazz Masters are all wonderful musicians in their own right.
Double Bill Nik Turner Band and Skazz
9pm Sports Club, Goodwick £10.00
 The Nik Turner Band
Nik Turner (ex Hawkwind) plays saxaphones, flute and vocals. He is eccentric, innovative, enigmatic and full of surprises. In Nik’s own words “the band play hot funk, for all youse hipsters, flipsters and finger-poppin daddies, and cool/torrid afro-cuban, latino licks for the ladies, music with a sense of class, like a guy that knows how to treat a dame gotta have, and make ya wanna dance, go wild, rico mambo, get funked up, rock out!!”
Skazz
(See Friday’s listing for bio)
Saturday 11th October
 The Jay Tamkin Band
8pm Ship & Anchor, Fishguard £5/£4
They are an up and coming rock/blues band from Torquay, Devon. Over the last 18 months they have toured the UK and Europe and Jay has been on two tours of the US. They have been snapped up by German label Rokoko/In-akustik and will release a new CD in Feb 09 to coincide with their forthcoming tour with Hawkwind.
Jay Tamkin is a funky rock blues guitarist, influenced by Walter Trout and Hendrix but at 22 years old is a hot shot guitarist on his way up. He learned his craft (six years) with Devon Youth Jazz Orchestra, playing two tours in Europe and with Jools Holland’s band members Dennis Rollins and Pete Long, jazz greats Stan Sultzmann, Bill Waltrous and Ben Clatworthy to name a few. A fresh and exciting player Jay Tamkin is one of the most exciting up and coming guitar players on the circuit.
In the last two years he and his band have opened for the likes of Ian Parker, Ian Siegal, Chris Farlowe, Nine Below Zero, Sherman Robertson, The Blockheads, Roy Ayers, Man, Danny Bryant, Popa Chubby, Chicken Shack and this year toured as support to Spooky Tooth. They are also due to play at Tenby Blues festival next month, so blues fans can get a sneak preview of that event.
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