Masterchef judge Jay Rayner to play piano at Buxton jazz night

Top jazz musicians and singers will be performing in the relaxed setting of Buxton’s Pavilion Cafe as part of the town’s festival programme.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Jul 2015, 11:48 BST
Jay RaynerJay Rayner
Jay Rayner

Renowned violinist and vocalist Lizzie Ball, together with a stellar jazz trio led by the formidable James Pearson, will pay tribute to the combined genius of Grappelli and Shearing. Their performance on Friday, July 17, will use new arrangements taken from their classic 1972 album The Reunion, featuring some of the most-loved jazz classics.

A thrilling concert from the Chetham’s Jazz Ensemble takes place on Saturday. July 18, led by the 2014 winner of the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award, saxophonist Alexander Bone, with Jonathan Ford (saxophone), Jack Found (guitar), Oren McLoughlin (kit), Toby Comeau (piano) and Peter Hartley (bass).

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The renowned restaurant critic, Masterchef judge and sometime jazz pianist Jay Rayner comes to Buxton on Thursday. July 24, with an ensemble of top­-flight musicians performing 90 minutes of tunes from the Great American food and drink songbook. There will be standards from the likes of Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Blossom Dearie and Dave Frishberg, alongside anecdotes from his life being paid to eat out on somebody else’s dime, and stories about growing up with his mother Claire Rayner, who was a sex advice columnist. Jay will appear with the singer Pat Gordon Smith, bassist Robert Rickenberg and saxophonist Dave Lewis.

Following last year’s 100 Years of Jazz in 99 minutes, take another musical trip on Friday, July 24, July with the festival’s multi­-instrumental jazz virtuosi, from New Orleans to Be Bop, Swing to Latin, Hot to Cool, from Chicago to New York and around the world, interspersed with fascinating stories from jazz history.

Join Georgina Jackson, Pete Long and their fabulous musicians on Saturday, July 25, for classic swinging songs and melodies from Irving Berlin and Burt Bacharach with some of the good stuff in between! Songs include Blue Skies, Change Partners, Wives and Lovers, I’ll Take Romance, The Man I Love, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, King of the Swingers, This Girl’s in Love with Youand many more.

Jazz performances start at 9pm. For further details on the packed programme and to book tickets visit www.buxtonfestival.co.uk or call the Opera House Box Office Tel: 01298 72190.

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