Forum Topic

The jazz festival that wasn't

This year's Ealing Jazz Festival seemed to contain very little real jazz...I heard a mish-mash of world music, klezmer, "hoedown", latin-type stuff, flamenco-ish guitar, all OK in their way but NOT jazz! A total let-down for jazz fans like me (apart from Vas Xenopoulos's band who were excellent as always).

Jean Waddington ● 3386d3 Comments

I suspect tactless might also be a good adjective.We look forward to any local jazz, and the Drayton Court is a great venue.  Fingers crossed for great weather!

Philippa Bond ● 3371d

Yes, you are right: it's been taken over by our clueless, Thatcheristic, right-wing Labour Council.  But Dick Esmond is back, hopefully without the terrible mullet on his head, for an event at the Drayton Court Hotel

John Pointing ● 3372d

Well, we really enjoyed it.  It was different from previous years in that the organisation had changed but there was still a lot of good music (and we would call it jazz - there are so many different styles).  There were queues to get in on Saturday with Roy Ayers the headliner.  It was packed on both days with families sitting on the grass.The food stalls were greater in number than the last time we went when we thought them disappointing.The waste collection was terrible when you consider that LBE should have building year and year on better separation and collection.  Why when other festivals manage can't Ealing?Best of all though was the weather!  The best we've had for years. Considering that it was disappointing that it was only two days.The Blues festival was good too.Yes there were faces missing and we rather like being able to go after work on the weekdays as well but probably mostly due to good weather people attended.I wonder whether the weather will be mentioned in the report on how successful the change was or whether that will be conveniently omitted..Ealing is and has been home to many musicians. We tend to enjoy the music in the small tent best.  We loved Nerija this year.  www.nerijamusic.com

Philippa Bond ● 3385d