Jazz is considered one of the most influential genres of music. You can feel its rhythm and syncopation across R&B, rock n roll, disco, country, pop, and more.
30 April is International Jazz Day, the world’s largest celebration of jazz music. Established in 2011 by UNESCO and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, International Jazz Day 2024 is now celebrated in over 180 countries worldwide. This year’s host city is Tangier, Morocco, where on an all-star concert will feature Hancock.
Here at Buxton International Festival, Jazz has now become synonymous with our unique music festival of opera, classical music, jazz and book talks. Our very own Jazz series launched in 2022 with great success, is now in its third year.
We’re dedicated to showcasing top-tier jazz talent from the UK and beyond, ensuring a dynamic lineup each summer. Our programme highlights both seasoned pros and rising stars, promising a fresh and diverse experience for our audience.
Celebrating International Jazz Day, we pick out some of the highlights to look out for this summer at our BIF Jazz series:
- Jazz Day Tickets NEW for 2024! Available on 5, 6, 7, 8 July across our red-carpet festival opening weekend, and offering a heavily discounted package, so you can immerse yourself in a full day of jazz in our intimate town centre venues. An all-star cast closes our opening weekend on Monday 8 July, with world-class New Orleans clarinetist Adrian Cox, joined by guest singer Strictly Come Dancing’s Tommy Blaize and a string quartet led by Gabriella Swallow, expect an evening of exceptional musicianship and Cox’s new project, Clarinet Fantasy, inspired by Barney Bigard’s 1940s album.
- Zoe Rahman plays a rare octet gig: Ivor Novello winner Zoe Rahman fronts an all-star 8-piece band, with music from her most ambitious and uplifting recent album, Colour of Sound. Usually performing as a trio, she rarely performs in an octet, so this is one gig not to miss.
- Mica Millar visit BIF on her UK tour: Releasing her debut album Heaven Knows to critical acclaim in June 2022, Mica Millar has quickly become one of the UK’s brightest new soul stars, picking up Jazz FM’s prestigious ‘Soul Act of The Year 2022’ award, alongside a nomination for ‘Breakthrough Act of The Year’, and featuring on the front cover of the iconic Blues & Soul magazine.
- Threeway launch their brand new album at BIF: The band is approaching its 20th anniversary and, to mark the occasion, it is recording an album of new compositions with guitar legend John Etheridge as their special guest. The album will be launched at our event.
- Missed out on Lizzie Ball tickets? Check out award-winning Nishla Smith: She brings her trio and a sparkling string quartet to Buxton for an evening celebrating the best jazz standards of the Golden Age of Song. If you missed out on tickets for Lizzie Ball, this is a must-see.
- Jeremy Sassoon brings his 17 piece big band paying tribute to the music of Ray Charles: Jeremy is one of the UK’s most in-demand singer-pianists, renowned for his distinctive natural soulful voice, his jazz and blues piano style, a repertoire of stunning arrangements, and a charismatic, engaging personality.
- Judi Jackson, Vocalist of the Year at the 2020 Jazz FM awards headlines: From packed London Jazz Café performances and honoured as 2020 Jazz FM Vocalist of the Year, Judi Jackson brings her acclaimed American Songbook live show to Buxton, seamlessly merging soul-infused originals with timeless jazz classics.
- Jef Neve plays a rare gig in the UK: Jef Neve introduces his new album with music that takes you on a journey and makes you smile, from Damien Rice to Marvin Gaye along with their own works. Rarely playing in the UK, we’re thrilled he can join us for our BIF Jazz Series this year.
Click here to see the full programme of opera, music, jazz and books at Buxton International Festival 2024.