Small Town – Big Event . . . The RYE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL 2015

Few, if any, small towns the size of Rye can boast of a four day and five night event that brings together internationally known “A” list stars alongside, perhaps, lesser known but nonetheless serious and quality practitioners in their chosen art form – namely Jazz and Blues – over what is unquestionably the annual major summer weekend of the year – namely August Bank Holiday 2015.

 

Headline acts include the legendary Wilko Johnson of Dr Feelgood and The Blockheads fame and Herbie Flowers the specialist bass guitar, double bass and tuba player from both Blue Mink and T Rex.

Perhaps the most famous surname on this year’s bill is that of Tormé, only in this case it’s James not his more famous father the late Mel Tormé. The son of the famous American 60’s chart topper and writer of such classics as “the Christmas Song” better known by its opening line “Chestnuts Roasting by an Open Fire” who performed, among others, with Jazz legends such as Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Buddy Rich and Judy Garland is appearing at St Mary’s Church on Friday 28th August.

And in case you think James is the “all American” boy, his mother is the British Actress Janette Scott and his even more famous grandmother was the BAFTA Wining actress Dame Thora Hird. What better credentials could an artist have for being one of the headline acts for the Rye festival in such a quintessentially English location!

The world’s most reproduced photograph – that of Argentinian revolutionary Ernesto “Che”   Guevara taken by Alberto Korda in Havana after the Cuban revolution – will also be much in evidence at this year’s event with a performance by the well-known Son Yambu Cuban Salsa Band at the Spectrum Jazz Lounge on Sunday 30th August. With a thawing of relations between the USA and Cuba what better way of sampling the exciting musical traditions of this soon to be even more accessible Spanish Colonial gem of an island?

Johnson, Flowers, Tormé and Son Yambu are all performing at some of the ticketed events at this year’s Rye International Jazz Festival 2015 which “Beside the Sea Holidays” is proud to be a sponsor of and clients of “Beside the Sea” can get a special 15% discount off of tickets by using a booking code RJGN15X

There are also a host of free, often open air, events to enjoy and one of these worth mentioning in particular takes place right outside one of “Beside the Sea’s” favourite local partners “Knoops” Artisan Hot Chocolate shop at Landgate where blues musician Martin McNeill brings his Bottleneck Blues Band to perform on Saturday afternoon 29th August.

There is also a showing of the superb biographical movie about the life of the blind singer, pianist and songwriter Ray Charles, “Ray” which stars Jamie Foxx – in perhaps, one of his greatest performances – at Rye’s unique Kino Cinema on Friday 28th at 8.00pm.

A full list of all that’s happening over this superb 4 days and 5 Nights event can be found online at Rye International Jazz Festival 2015

“Beside the Sea Holidays” is proud to be associated with such a prestigious event in the Rye and Camber area – just more proof that our corner of East Sussex really does punch well and truly above its weight amongst the UK’s holiday destinations!