Upton Jazz Festival

Monday 29th June 2009

Apart from providing marvellous entertainment, Upton 2009 also disproved the frequently voiced slander that vintage jazz is only played by old men, and badly. 
A whole marquee was given over to aspiring youth, and other venues featured some truly exceptional new players. 
John Petters’ excellent swing band paid tribute to Benny Goodman. And if the great clarinettist had been reincarnated, he’d have quaked in his patent leather shoes at the competition presented by James Evans. 
Hugely accomplished and on creative overdrive he put Sing, Sing, Sing into hyperspace, much aided by rising bassist Heather Birt, and long admired.pianist Martin Litton.  
Evans then tent-hopped to join veteran drummer Sir Alan Buckley.
The title is self-awarded but deserved just for a quality line-up, which allowed the clarinettist to find magical accord with seasoned trumpeter Gordon Whitworth. 
Another young man in a hurry was violinist Ben Holder. Ably supported by older players he played Django Reinhardt tunes at mega- tempos with élan.
More will be heard of him The all ‘mature’ and fun Bill Bailey Jazz broke the youth/age theme. But in a way they didn’t. .To listen - just a metre away - to the glorious threads of improvised anarchy that weave into traditional jazz, was to realise that the music itself can never grow old. 

Derek Briggs