Callander Jazz Festival is set to return for its eighteenth year and organisers say that it will be the biggest one yet.
This year’s offering will include more than 80 live performances across 12 eclectic venues, nine retail outlets and 193 musicians all contributing to the festival’s biggest ever musical extravaganza.
Starting on Thursday, October 3, through to Sunday, October 6, the busiest weekend of the year in Callander will offer up a magic mixture of jazz, blues, rock, swing, jive, country pop and rock ’n’ roll.
Only three out of the 12 venues require a ticket to enter.
The festival features a host of acts – from chart topping 80s band The Korgis, to recent Channel 4 The Piano finalist, Alice Faye.
Organisers have also added a new venue this year with restaurant Nick’s at Port of Menteith – run by TV chef Nick Nairn – joining the party, along with a return to the festival of the Dreadnought Hotel and Callander Golf Club.
This year’s amazing line-up features musicians from as far afield as the USA, Italy and Spain, as well as top artists from England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, including many recently nominated and award winning jazz and blues performers.
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The Korgis’ music has been described as ‘timeless’, and perhaps that’s what makes it seem just as fresh today as when they first hit the charts in 1979.
Kyla Brox is widely regarded as one of the best soul-blues singers the British Isles has ever produced.
She is also winner of the UK Blues Challenge 2018 and the European Blues Challenge 2019, voted Best Female Vocalist in the 2019 European Blues Awards and semi-finalist in the International Blues Challenge 2019 and 2020, blues and soul become inextricably entwined when singer-songwriter Kyla performs.
The Tenement Jazz Band are a traditional jazz band comprising musicians with a shared love of New Orleans trad jazz, ragtime and blues music.
Voted the Best Band at the Scottish Jazz Awards 2022, the band are bringing their interactive Cabinet of Musical Wonders show to Callander this year, which has been produced especially for children, showcasing a fun introduction to early jazz and its many instruments.
The Terraplanes Blues Band are recent winners of the Emerging Blues Act Of The Year in 2023 at the national UK Blues Awards and are a musical group from Bristol with a fine blend of finger pickin’ country blues and high energy raw R’n’B.
Rose Room have been voted ‘Best Band’ twice at the Scottish Jazz Awards and are Scotland’s leading ensemble influenced by the Gypsy jazz genre.
Max De Bernardi and Veronica Sbergia passionately play roots, blues, ragtime and gospel with an Italian flavour and often quite humorously.
The Rachel Duns Quintet features powerful tenor saxophone sounds as well as delicate vocals and soaring flute melodies, backed by a dynamic rhythm section.
Xago Banet’s technique and approach to performance have captivated crowds across the UK and Spain.
Other top artists playing Callander for the very first time are Ben Hemming, Jimmy Regal & The Royals, Toby Walker, Alice Faye, Fargo Railroad Co, Big Wolf Band, Sam Braysher Trio, STAN the BAND and Calum Ingram.
Festival favourites returning for the event include The Revolutionaires, Gerry Jablonski Band, Andy Taylor Group, Deke McGee Band, Alex Hamilton Band, Bison Hip, Greig Taylor Band, Ali Affleck and That Swing Sensation.
For more information on the festival, go to the Callander Jazz Festival Facebook and Instagram page or visit www.callanderjazzandblues.com.