Press Release

Best of music set for Derry Jazz event

April 06th 2005

With only three weeks to go until the biggest May Day bank holiday music festival in the country kicks off in Derry ~ Londonderry, tickets are being snapped up for a range of top class events.

Thursday 28th April Sandino’s Bar will see a performance from the legendary Henry McCullough

The line up for the 4th City of Derry Jazz and Big Band festival will welcome some of music industry’s biggest names to the City for the four-day event. A pre-festival event on Tuesday 26th April will kick off the feast of music with a special performance by Ernie Payne in Sandinos Bar, in association with Moving on Music.

The festival kicks off in earnest on Thursday 28th April with the first of two exclusive performances from Van Morrison in the Millennium Forum. Tickets for this show are completely sold out with only a handful of tickets available for his gig on the 29th April.

Also on Thursday 28th April Sandino’s Bar will see a performance from the legendary Henry McCullough, who has become a real festival favourite over the past number of years. Tickets for this show are priced £7.00 and are available on the night.

The music continues on Friday 29th April with an incredible line up of music, which will be a treat for lovers of world-class jazz. Celebrated jazz duo, Ellen Demos and Michael Nielsen will give the first of two performances with a special lunchtime concert at the University of Ulster, Magee Campus (admission £3.00). They will also perform later that evening at Café Nervosa (the Nerve Centre) and will be joined by renowned saxophonist Julian Arguelles for this concert. Tickets priced £3.00 are available at the door on the night of the performance.

On Friday 29th April the Playhouse Theatre will welcome back the Tommy Halferty Trio to the festival. Voted Irish Musician of the Festival 2004 he is renowned as one of Ireland’s finest jazz guitarists. Tickets priced £5.00 can be purchased for this show at the festival box office, located in the Millennium Forum, or from the Playhouse Theatre.

Paddy Cole will bring his All Stars to the Tower Hotel on Friday 29th April for his inaugural appearance at the festival and indeed his first performance in the North West in 20 years. Ticket’s priced £10.00/ £8.00 are available from the Tower Hotel or from the festival box office at the Millennium Forum.

The festival continues to swing with a number of unmissable performances including the Grammy award winning Blind Boys of Alabama who bring their show to the Millennium Forum on Saturday 30th April. Tickets priced £9.50 - £25.00 are currently on sale from the Forum box office.

An evening of sophisticated entertainment is planned for the Everglades Hotel on Saturday 30th with a performance from jazz vocalist Elaine Delmar and her trio. Admission is £8.00 and tickets are available from the Everglades or from the festival box office in the Millennium Forum.

Rounding off the weekend, tickets are now also on sale, priced £8.00, for the Festival Finale Swing Party night in Da Vinci’s Hotel on Sunday 1st May. Featuring The Jive Aces and Perfectly Frank this evening is sure to be sell-out so get your tickets early.

Other events

The annual Jazz Cruise will take place on Sunday 1st May, featuring an afternoon of top class music with Johnny Quigley, June Grant and R. Paul. Tickets can be reserved by telephoning (028) 7136 2857.

Other top class performances at this years event include a series of dance events hosted by local dance promoters Celtronic featuring Bellcrash (Sandinos, Friday 29th April), Paul Daley (Nerve Centre, Saturday 30th April) and Jazzanova (Sandinos, Saturday 30th April).

Cool Discs Music will also present the excellent BellX1 in the Waterside Theatre on Saturday 30th April as part of the festival. Additionally, Red Organ Serpent Sound will bring their eclectic show to the Nerve Centre’s festival finale show on Sunday 1st May.

Programmes are currently available at venues around the City as well as Derry City Council offices on Strand Road and the Tourist Information Centre on Foyle Street.

To request a programme click on www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com or telephone (028) 7137 6545.

The City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival is brought to you by Derry City Council in association with the Northern Ireland Events Company. The GUINNESS Free Jazz Trail is brought to in association with Diageo Northern Ireland.

Ends

For additional information contact:

Press Office

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