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This year’s Wigan International Jazz Festival will swing into action in
spectacular fashion with an opening night gig that proves the event
touches every area of the Borough and beyond.
The ideally-suited Lowton Civic Hall has been chosen as the launch-pad
for this year’s festival and it will host the first headline concert on
Saturday 15th July. The hall on Meadow Lane, Lowton, will be jumpin’ to
the sounds of big band jazz courtesy of one of the country’s finest, the
Pete Cater Big Band.
Lowton is one of a number of new venues to be added to the festival
roster this year but it already has a reputation as an excellent
performance space with excellent sight lines to the main stage and good
acoustics. Last year the hall hosted the acclaimed theatre production
‘Once Upon A Time In Wigan’ about the life and times of the Wigan Casino
and is also a regular meeting point and performance venue for the Wigan
Jazz Club.
Wigan International Jazz Festival Director Ian Darrington, says, “We are
really excited about Lowton Civic Hall as it makes its festival debut
this year. We wanted to let everyone know that the jazz festival isn’t
just something that takes place in Wigan town centre but is something
that reaches out to the entire community. Lowton is a fantastic venue
and one we would like to make more use of in future years.”
Of course any opening night needs a special headline act… they don’t
come any better than the Pete Cater Big Band. The 16-strong ensemble
brings a modern twist to the traditional swing genre and is a past
winner of the ‘Best Big Band’ trophy at the British Jazz Awards.
The engine room of the band is drummer and founder Pete Cater who has
been hailed as Britain’s best behind a kit. A born musician, by the age
of two Cater had already appeared on TV in his native Lichfield soloing
in 5/4 time!
He’s been mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Buddy Rich and
has played alongside a diverse range of artists including Tom Jones,
Jamie Cullum, Ronnie Scott and John Dankworth.
Ian Darrington, says, “The Wigan International Jazz Festival has always
prided itself on the quality and calibre of the big bands we bring to
the Borough so we are delighted to have secured Pete Cater for the
opening night. It really is going to be one of this year’s hottest
tickets and a fantastic spectacle. We know that the people of Lowton and
the surrounding areas will come out and support their local civic
hall…they’re in for a great night if they do!”
The Pete Cater Big Band play Lowton Civic Hall on Saturday July 15
starting at 8pm. Tickets priced £16/£14 are on sale now and are
available from Wigan Tourist Information Centre on 01942 825677.
The Wigan International Jazz Festival runs from Saturday July 15 until
Saturday July 22. Festival brochures are available on request from the
Tourist Information Centre. For regular updates visit the official
festival website: www.wiganjazz.net. All artists appear at the Wigan
International Jazz Festival by arrangement with Ernie Garside
Productions.
The Wigan International Jazz Festival’s main sponsor is Manchester
Airport and is co-ordinated by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, Wigan
Council and Wigan Jazz Club. Other sponsors and supporters of the
festival are: Marketing Manchester; Nuttall Construction Ltd; Arts and
Business; Greenberg Glass; John Smith’s Ltd; Modus; Arts Council
England; AGMA; JJB Stadium; Lancashire Life; Cell Creative; Rotary
International; Wigan and Leigh College; The Galleries Shopping Centre;
Lesiuretec and Executive Chauffeurs.
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this news release please
contact Chris Dunbar, on 01942 486937 or at
c.dunbar@wlct.org, or Phil
Green on 01942 827369 or at p.green@wiganmbc.gov.uk. For more
information on the Wigan International Jazz Festival visit the official
festival website at www.wiganjazz.net. Images and artist interviews are
available by arrangement.
The full line-up of celebrity concerts at this year’s Wigan
International Jazz Festival is: Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Big Band;
Dankworth Dynasty; Monty Alexander Trio; Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy; We
Remember Clifford; Roy Hargrove Quintet; Lynne Arriale Trio; Pete Cater
Big Band and Georgina Bromilow Big Band.
The Wigan International Jazz Festival will reach a crescendo in a 'Super
Saturday' of jazz, on 22nd July, in the heart of Manchester, in
collaboration with the Starbucks Manchester Jazz Festival. A series of
lively events have been scheduled for the day, beginning with an
open-air performance in St Anne’s Square and culminating in a headline
appearance by Jamaican piano legend Monty Alexander at the Royal
Northern College of Music.
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