Hull Jazz Festival

July 28 to August 3 2008

Now in its 16th year, Hull Jazz Festival has developed into one of the leading events of its kind in the country, attracting around 8000 attendances each year. Hull’s “strengthening jazz festival” (Jazzwise) is among the highlights of the UK jazz summer and the headline stars announced for 2008 include Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson, Gilad Atzmon Orient House Ensemble and the Sigamos String Quartet, Liane Carroll, Jacqui Dankworth and Sara Colman, Courtney Pine Band, Nu Troop Tribute to Miles Davis and Jazz Jamaica.

Ticket events

Stacey Kent
Blue Note in Paris has signed US jazz singer, Stacey Kent (right), to an exclusive worldwide recording deal. Her debut album with Blue Note, ‘Breakfast On The Morning Tram’, is produced by Stacey’s husband, tenor saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson, whose latest album, ‘The Lyric’, featuring Stacey, won Best Album at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards.

The Passion
The three-part harmony group The Passion (left) features singers Jacqui Dankworth, Liane Carroll and Sara Colman. The truly unique group released an album last year called One Good Reason, featuring the fabulous piano work of Liane Carroll and intricate, soulful three part harmonies of contemporary and original repertoire that features the individual and combined talent of three of the top vocalists in the country. Liane Carroll won the BBC best jazz vocalist and BBC best album award in 2005, the only artist to win two awards in the same year. Sara is Birmingham based and received one of the inaugural Birmingham Jazz Awards in 2007.

Gilad Atzmon
Jazz Jamaica
Nu Troop
Courtney Pine

Gilad Atzmon
"Charlie Parker with Strings" is one of the best-selling records in the history of Jazz. In summer 2008 the outstanding jazz saxophonist Gilad Atzmon (winner of BBC Jazz Award) will be touring a new performance of Parker’s legendary music. Featuring the acclaimed Gilad Atzmon quartet (sax, piano, bass, drums) plus string quartet (two violins, viola and cello), the performance will include adaptations of tunes from Parker's original 1950's Verve recordings, plus specially composed new works. The combination of Atzmon’s unparalleled bebop virtuosity with stunning string arrangements promises to create a powerful and unforgettable performance.

Courtney Pine
No one better embodies the dramatic transformation in the British Jazz scene over the past twenty years than Courtney Pine. The saxophonist heads a new generation of exciting and innovative musicians who have chosen to turn their talents to the demanding requirements of jazz music, in all its shapes and forms. Courtney Pine was winner of Best Jazz Act in the 2007 Urban Music Awards.

Nu Troop Tribute to Miles Davis
Nu Troop is the incredibly talented quintet featuring New Orleans jazz trumpeter Abram Wilson. He takes centre stage with his quintet to pay tribute to Miles Davis in a special performance of the icon's classic album, Kind of Blue.

Jazz Jamaica
The award-winning Jazz Jamaica return with a brand new set - Tighten Up! raising the roof with the formidable power and sheer exuberance of this all-star band and rocking the world with their special blend of rock steady, ska, jazz, and pumping reggae grooves. Tighten Up! returns the band to their Jamaican roots paying tribute to some of Jamaica’s greatest artists and record labels and playing some of your best-loved tunes of all time in the process - Skatalites classic, Guns Of Navarone, Prince Buster’s Al Capone, Harry J All Stars’ Liquidator, and Myrna Hague’s classic lovers rock, What About Me, to name but a few.

All headline events take place at Hull Truck Theatre and are now on sale from the box office by telephoning (01482) 323 638

The full jazz festival 2008 programme featuring free outdoor shows, club events and educational activity is available to download as a PDF below.