The Isle of Wight Jazz Weekend is back for 2022.
The popular event has been absent for two years due to Covid but organisers have announced they are coming back in September.
From September 15-18 Newport will be alive with the sound of great musicians playing at various venues in an event sponsored by Red Funnel and the Isle of Wight County Press.
Event director Jim Thorn said “Plans for 2020 were well underway when the world shut down. It is only now that we are returning to a sense of normality and we took the decision to put the event back to September for this year only so that we could review how things were returning to normal.
"Music events since the pandemic have been well attended and there is a clear audience demand for a return to live music.
"This will be our tenth year and we have a great line up ready and we extend our thanks to our sponsors the Isle of Wight County Press and Red Funnel.”
Venues lined up include the Apollo Theatre, Quay Arts and Newport Methodist Church, with a number of fringe events are planned around the town.
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The event sees the return of Liane Carroll who wowed the audience when she headlined at the 2017 weekend.
It also sees the return of vocalist Sara Dowling who, after a hugely applauded appearance here in 2018, went on to win best vocalist in the 2019 British Jazz Awards.
Others making a welcome return leading their own bands include Karen Sharp, Nigel Price and Alan Barnes, who brings an 11-man big band including trombonist Mark Nightingale and sax player Robert Fowler and a songbook that is likely to include numbers written by artistes as diverse as Henry Mancini and Duke Ellington.
David Newton makes a piano duo appearance with Euan Stevenson, who was awarded Best Instrumentalist at the 2021 Scottish Jazz Awards.
Trad fans are well catered for with the appearance of It’s Trad Dad, whose members cut their musical teeth with the trad era greats of Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball, while elsewhere Nat Steel brings us his tribute to the modern jazz quartet,
Jim Thorn said: “I am very excited by the line up and there is something included for all tastes.
"I am looking forward to welcoming jazz fans, old and new, back to the Island for a weekend of great musical entertainment.”
Full details of the line up to include timings, venues and ticket prices will be announced shortly.
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