This year’s Wood Street Jazz Festival in aid of Challengers is fronted by leader of the Ronnie Scott’s Big Band Pete Long on alto sax and trumpeter. Ryan Quigley with “1960’s Soul Jazz- The music of Horace Silver and the Adderley Brothers“ , plus Redtenbacher’s Funkestra featuring guest Jana Varga, and an opening set from The Somethin' Else Big Band and special guest Martin Shaw.
Plus support acts featuring up and coming local talented jazz musicians, a superb Indian meal, a licenced bar and free parking.
EVENT INFO
We're looking forward to an amazing afternoon of live music on Wood Street Village Green, from 12.30pm to 5pm (Gates open from 12pm)
Depending on the weather, please bring sunblock, hats, plenty to drink, or brollies! There are also a few spaces available if you want to bring your own gazebo (please contact Challengers to confirm).
There's plenty of on-site parking, disabled toilets and a bar. Feel free to bring a picnic if not ordering an Indian meal, or buy fish and chips from the van on site, and please bring picnic chairs/rugs. There are details at the bottom of the page on how to find us.
Every penny raised at this event supports disabled young people to access play and leisure at Challengers. Thank you very much for your continued support, we look forward to you joining us for an afternoon of Jazz on the green.
Well behaved dogs are welcome on a lead.
Our Sponsors
If you would like to sponsor the Festival, please contact us by emailing info@guildfordjaz.org.uk
With grateful thanks to our previous sponsors, Surrey County Council, Rydes Hill Preparatory School and Nursery and Ultimate Stream, Surrey's Hi-Fi Music Streaming Specialists
Also to the huge generosity of the Shaheen Tandoor Restaurant for donating ALL the proceeds from their delicious Indian meals. Thanks also to David Pibworth Stage Hire for the staging inside the marquee.
TICKETS
Tickets booked in advance are £25 (£22.50 for Guildford Jazz Members), or save 10% with a group booking for 4 people for £90 (£80 Guildford Members). Under 18s free
Tickets will also be available on day at £27.50 (£25 for Guildford Jazz Members), or £95 for a group booking (£85 for Guildford Jazz Members)
Don’t forget to book a slot if you want to bring a gazebo or camper van
There will also be the chance to pre-order food again with a choice of chicken tikka masala or vegetable tikka masala both with sag bhaji, onion bhaji, pilau rice, naan bread & pickles. We are very grateful for The Shahin Restaurant for donating all of the curries to the event.
WHO'S PLAYING?
1960’s Soul Jazz- The music of Horace Silver and the Adderley Brothers
16:15-17:30 MAIN STAGE
Lineup: PETE LONG alto sax. RYAN QUIGLEY trumpet, SAM WATTS piano, MARIANNE WINDHAM bass, ROD YOUNGS drums.
The early 1960's were a particularly good time for those who liked their jazz visceral, melodic and swinging.
Pianist Horace Silver was one of the prime movers in this cause, leading to a genre which critics would later dub “Hard Bop”. His urgent, rhythmic piano style was complemented by his great ear for a catchy tune. Most of his compositions have become core jazz standards, and a few, such as ‘Song For My Father’ have become iconic. Suspended over a panoply of the most infectious groves, it is no surprise that his output has been a rich source of material for any self-respecting Club DJ’s sample bank too.
The show is a whistlestop journey through the amazing output of pianist Horace Silver and the hits of the great Adderley Brothers, all served up with a sizzling degree of heat! Except gems such as Song for My Father, Room 608, Ecorah, The Jody Grind, and The Preacher.
Leader of Ronnie Scott’s Big Band PETER LONG (alto sax) and RYAN QUIGLEY (trumpet) front this exciting salute to the legendary team of jazz brothers; dazzling virtuoso alto saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and ingenious soul-jazz architect and cornetist Nat Adderley.
Sam Watts is a pianist and composer specialising in Brazilian music and Jazz. He has recorded and performed with artists including Jean Toussaint, Jason Miles, Jason Marsalis, Abram Wilson and Judi Jackson. In 2017 he released his debut album “Mime Music” on the SPARK! Label. He has also appeared on numerous album recordings and is in demand as a pianist around the UK and Europe. As a composer he has written and performed numerous scores to silent films. His compositions have been broadcast on BBC radio 3 as part of the BBC proms. His playing style is rooted in Jazz, but draws influence from traditional Brazilian music and Classical music.
Supreme US drummer Rod Youngs is one of the most expressive and adept musicians in the music arena today. His approach to music is intuitive, emotional and all embracing but soundly rooted in the jazz tradition. Whether playing mainstream jazz, world music, or urban contemporary, Rod seamlessly moves from one genre to another, always preserving stylistic conventions whilst bringing creativity and individuality. His journey in music began in his youth and has blossomed into a distinguished career that has spanned over two decades, becoming the drummer of choice for a formidable array of artists and groups including, Gil Scott-Heron, Lee Konitz, Sia, Courtney Pine, Jon Hendricks, Hugh Masekela, Carleen Anderson, Craig Handy, Natalie Cole, Bennie Maupin, Mica Paris, Denys Baptiste, Abdullah Ibrahim, Juliet Roberts, Julian Joseph, BBC Concert Orchestra…
“Pete Long is a national treasure” - OBSERVER
Redtenbacher’s Funkestra fet. JANA VARGA
14:10-15:25 MAIN STAGE
Slovak born vocalist and flautist Jana Varga joins the fantastic lineup of Redtenbacher's Funkestra to lay down some serious funk and soul grooves!
Jana Varga - vocals & flute, Pete Billington - piano, Carter Arrington - guitar, Stefan Redtenbacher - bass, Mike Sturgis - drums
About REDTENBACHER’S FUNKESTRA!
The London based, multi-national, Redtenbacher’s Funkestra is the brainchild of bassist, composer and producer Stefan Redtenbacher. This original and mostly instrumental wall-to-wall Jazz Funk Collective of world class players has about 20 releases to their name - ‘The Hang’ being the latest one, currently number one win the weekly top 50 Funk album chart according to the Roots Music Report.
They have recorded with the 'who's who' from the international Jazz Funk and Fusion scene including legends like Fred Wesley, Alfred ‘Pee Wee’ Ellis from James Brown, Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka, Lee Thornburg and Lenny Pickett from Tower of Power, Cory Wong (Vulfpeck), Eric Krazno (Lettuce), Stanton Moore (Galactic), drum virtuoso Benny Greb, Elliott Randall and Keith Carlock (Steely Dan), titanic saxophone players Rick Margitza (Miles Davis Band), Chris Hunter (Gil Evans Orchestra), Andy Snitzer (Paul Simon), Prince’s New Power Generation horn section (aka ‘The Hornheads’) and horn players from Incognito, Brand New Heavies and many more. their records have been released on Wooden Hat Records (USA), Pedigree Cuts/Universal (UK) and Stefan’s own label RSB Records. In the last 5 years they have clocked up an impressive 6.5 million+ plus (and rising) streams on Spotify only and their music has also been publicly performed by Big Bands in USA, Austria, Germany, Holland, Denmark and the UK.
Over the past few years the Funkestra rhythm section has also served as the studio house band for ‘The Masterlink Sessions’ and have fully embraced a broader range of styles, not least supporting a range of noted international vocalists. The has resulted in 100+ videos and several album and EP recordings with US Grammy winner Mike Farris, Hamish Stuart (Average White Band, Ringo Starr), Rumer, Sarah Jane Morris, Connor Selby, Jo Harman, Mutya Buena (Sugababes), Mim Grey, Orphy Robinson MBE, Australia's Georgia van Etten, Mike Mayfield, Jana Varga, Jade Like The Stone, Portugal's Diana Silveira, Jools Holland vocalist Louise Marshall, Hollie Rogers, Helena May, Laura Evans, Jazz Morley, Sam Tanner and many more.
The band has morphed, somewhat organically, into a zeitgeist equivalent of the legendary studio bands from Motown (Funkbrothers), Stax Records (Booker T & The MGs/Mar-Keys) and Muscle Shoals (‘The Swampers’) respectively, and are the studio/production house choice for very many respected artists at the elite end of the music business. With this, the band, whilst continuing to make their own successful records, has evolved into a highly respected mini-Nashville production house in the Surrey Hills, UK - a set up that seems destined to continue on an even larger scale as we move further into the new decade.
Their most recent project celebrates the songs of Joni Mitchell. The ‘Both Sides Now’ show is playing in the UK and Europe and is accompanied by their latest album ‘Both Sides Now (an homage to the songs of Joni Mitchell)’ as well as the forthcoming all instrumental Jazz Funk album ‘The Colours of Joni’. https://redtenbachersfunkestra.com/
Meet JANA VARGA…
Jana’s debut album ‘Foreigner Face’ was released in 2022 shortly before her UK tour supported by the grant from Help Musicians UK. The album was called ‘The stuff Carnegie Hall shows are made of ' by FATEA magazine and rated ‘One of the classiest records I’ve heard all year ‘ by Paul Sexton (BBC, Billboard). Jana’s musicianship is founded in the years of classical training and fused with her love of folk, gospel and jazz. These rich influences result in a broad stylistic range.
Jana was born in Slovakia and comes from a family of classical musicians - she studied flute and piano in Slovakia, Austria and France. She was a flautist in a Slovak prog rock band ‘Persona Grata’ selected to perform at ‘Progressive Nation At Sea’ 2014 festival in Miami, USA organised by Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. Later that year, she was to become a member of Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in Czechia when she decided to pursue the career of a singer songwriter and moved to London.
Besides classical music, Jana cites folk influences such as Janis Ian and James Taylor, jazz and fusion. Her sense of harmony and melody comes from building on tradition while constantly looking for surprise and disrupting musical expectations. Having to ‘settle’ down in several countries throughout her life, her lyrics often reflect struggles and challenges when starting from zero in a new environment, creating new bonds and finding a community to belong to.
Something’ Else Big Band
12:30-13:20 MAIN STAGE
Nigel Winter, Rob Cossins, Matt Nash, Graham Varley – Trumpets
Sue Coulson, Sue Williams, Steph Hinson, Martin Hinson, Sam Parker, Neil Clift – Saxophones
Steve Powell, Roland Knight, Nat Daw, Andrew Butcher – Trombones
Ed Kinsella (Piano), David Ward (Guitar), Marianne Windham (Bass), Dave Evetts (Drums) – Rhythm
Chris Green – MD
Now in its 12th year, the band draws players from all over Surrey, Berkshire and Southwest London playing a mixture of modern, swinging straight ahead jazz to Latin to Funk. We are delighted to have been invited to this year’s festival and very excited to be sharing the stage with our guest this year, Martin Shaw, one of the UK’s top horn players .
Alongside some top arrangements from Mike Tomaro, George Stone and Harry South the set features what we believe might be a world premier as we pay our own mini homage (to whet your appetite for the main event) to the big band music of Horace Silver playing some arrangements from his Blue Note “Silver n’” albums of the 1970s. Sincere thanks go out to Jay Glacy, Dave Lambert, Dave Evetts and David Ward for all their help in bringing these charts back to life - we sincerely hope you enjoy.
ACOUSTIC STAGE SUPPORT
Noah Chiriari Quintet
13:40-14:10 ACOUSTIC STAGE
The Chiriari Quintet is formed of students who met whilst studying on the Jazz Course at ‘The Purcell School for Young Musicians’. Since the band’s creation in late 2021, the group have started emerging onto the scene in and around London, with varying performances from regular jazz nights in pubs, to playing in highly acclaimed jazz venues such as the Jazz Centre UK and Pizza Express Live. From Jimmy McHugh and Thelonius Monk, to Kurt Elling and Roy Hargrove, the band enjoy listening to and performing a range of styles that they hope you will enjoy too! The group is made up of Noah Chiari on Baritone Sax, Zaki Osahn on Bass, Freddie Garner on Drums, Djordje Jovanović on Keys and Ted Porter on Trumpet.
Emily Windham Quartet
15:45-16:15 ACOUSTIC STAGE
Actress, singer and performer Emily Windham is a versatile and skilled vocalist with an engaging stage presence,. She studied at RADA and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and since graduating she has toured shows across the UK and Europe and worked in feature and short films. With piano (tbc), Maxim Lavrov - bass, Ollie Woods - drums,
DIRECTIONS
The address is Wood Street Village Green, GU3 3EU
There'll be marshalls on site to direct you to the parking area at the far end of the Green.
Gates open from 12pm
SEATING
Please bring your own picnic chairs/rugs.
Some seats will also be provided inside the marquee.