The Bath Jazz Weekend returns for 2025

The small (but perfectly formed) Bath Jazz Weekend has announced its programme for January 2025, marking the fifth outing for this unfeasibly successful festival. The three day line-up includes, among many others,  superstar trumpeter Laura Jurd, saxophone legend Larry Stabbins, UK jazz guitarist of the moment Rob Luft and Tomorrow’s Warriors latest piano prodigy Ky Osborne. Tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite.

Why unfeasible? Well conventional wisdom would say that the first weekend after All Those Festivities would hardly be a time to get people to shell out for gig tickets. It might also add that expecting everybody involved, whether performers or crew, to simply take an equal share in whatever profit is made is hardly going to attract the cream of UK jazz talent to sign up. Yet time and again the Weekend has boasted a cracking and diverse selection of top names playing to capacity audiences – and this year promises to be no exception.

The original idea was prompted by Get The Blessing trumpeter Pete Judge who happened to bump into Bath-based jazz promoter Nod Knowles. Pete took the opportunity to thank him for the much missed excellent weekends of international jazz that Nod had formerly programmed for the annual Bath Festival. “They were absolutely brilliant for introducing me and many other musicians to a world of jazz that was wider, more expansive – more European, crucially – than any other festival I had been to in the UK.” Pete recalls telling him. “I just blurted all this out and I think he was quite surprised and touched, and then he said that he had been pondering doing something on a slightly smaller scale.” When they next spoke Nod floated the idea of sharing the financial pot out equally and Pete, enthused, promised to bring Get The Blessing for that first year’s programme. He’ll be back again in 2025 as part of You Are Here, Kevin Figes all-star sextet tribute to Keith Tippett and others.

Looking at the rest of the 2025 programme Pete is impressed: “It’s splendid – Nod has yet again managed to gather a pretty sterling line-up. I’m very interested to see (fellow trumpeter) Laura Jurd. What a spirit! I’m hoping to get a lesson with her at some point.” Like many jazzers who fondly remember vibrant 80s outfit Working Week, he’s delighted that bandleader and saxophonist Larry Stabbins has returned to the saxophone after a ten-year hiatus: “I love his playing. He’s got his own sound and there’s nothing overstated, it’s all rooted in melody rather than just showing off how fast he can play.”  He’s also keen to catch saxophonist Dee Byrne’s Outlines sextet, featuring Nick Malcolm, another trumpeter: “He’s a bit good!” That band includes pianist Rebecca Nash who also appears in her Ribbons quartet project with singer/songwriter Sarah Colman.

The keen eyed will have noticed a lot of locally-based names mentioned so far – perhaps unsurprising, given the limited financial rewards on offer but also reflecting the wealth of national talent that just happens to live hereabouts. There are some impressive visitors, however, including Scotland’s fiery Secret Path Trio fronted by astounding jazz whistle player Fraser Fifield,  Amsterdam-based Ladino singer/pianist Nani Vazana and duo Calennig from Wales who will close off the weekend with reinterpretations of traditional Welsh music celebrating the New Year.

With the world ending 2024 in a bit of disarray, Pete Judge hopes this will help start 2025 on a more upbeat note: “At least we can all hole-up in Nod’s Bath Jazz Weekend and pretend that’s the real world. It’s something positive to look forward to in somewhat bleak times!  The sound is great, the room is great, the audience are lovely – it’s altogether a great thing. Yet again Nod’s created something that’s very much itself.”

The Bath Jazz Weekend takes place at Widcombe Social Club from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 January. Full programme details on the Bath Jazz Weekend website. Single event tickets, day passes and weekend passes can be bought via the Bath Jazz Weekend/All Of The Above page on Eventbrite.