After a two-year break, the Cambridge Jazz Festival returns in November with Zara McFarlane, Omar, and Courtney Pine headlining.
Organisers of the seventh Cambridge Jazz Festival have unveiled its 2022 line-up as tickets go on sale.
Taking place from November 10 to November 27, the festival makes a much-welcomed return to a live, in-person programme that showcases local and global talent alongside a celebration of jazz icons.
This year, the festival reaches more places and spaces than ever before and welcomes new venues, such as Jesus College and University Arms Hotel, to a packed roster.
In total, there are 24 venues – from the Cambridge Junction, Bar-OH, and La Raza to the LAB Cocktail Bar, Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden, Essex, and West Road Concert Hall – 44 events and over 150 musicians performing.
As ever, there is a hugely eclectic range of musical styles, including early and modern jazz, Latin, soul, funk, blues, and rock, alongside a series of talks, workshops, jams and live painting.
The most widely anticipated events include performances from multi-award-winning UK vocalist Zara McFarlane, the festival’s artist-in-residence.
Zara is part of the new vanguard of UK jazz masters and can be seen with the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra on Sunday, November 20 at West Road Concert Hall and as a duo on Saturday, November 26 at Frankopan Hall, Jesus College.
The festival concludes on Sunday, November 27 with its main headliner event featuring Omar.
Omar teams up with his decade-long partnership of QCBA, featuring the outstanding trumpet player Quentin Collins and the tenor sax titan Brandon Allen, for an intoxicating musical cocktail of jazz, R&B, funk and soul.
The festival is also delighted to welcome Courtney Pine, the undisputed master of UK jazz.
His 1995 album Modern Day Jazz Stories was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. He also won best jazz act at the inaugural MOBO awards in 1996.
Courtney has received both an OBE and a CBE and, in 2021, was honoured with the Jazz FM Gold award.
Courtney Pine presents Spirituality featuring pianist Zoe Rahman at Saffron Hall on Friday, November 25.
Gil Karpas, the Cambridge Jazz Festival’s co-director, said: “Across the entire festival period, there are days and nights full of numerous fringe events across the city centre; these offer opportunities for people to engage, educate and enjoy.
"We encourage everyone to check out the full programme online. There’s bound to be something that appeals to everyone, no matter what their age or musical interest, and something new to discover.
“As ever, the Cambridge Jazz Festival is about celebrating excellence, diversity (not simply in gender and ethnicity but also in genre), and jazz culture legacies.
"We have also focused on the cross-generational offering with the artists represented and the engagement opportunities for young children, families, through to adults and older generations who love the classics of the big band era.
“Since 2019, we have expanded the board, included new programmers, new directors, new members of the team that reflect both the breadth of diversity in Cambridge and beyond.”
To kick-start this year’s programme, Cambridge Jazz Festival launches on Thursday, November 10 with an exclusive preview night, featuring the stomping powerhouse that is The Brass Funkeys at the Cambridge Junction.
From November 17, a packed programme of events gets under way with two events: Jasper Høiby’s Planet B + Lydian Collective and Julie Campiche.
Friday, November 18 features two further world-class performances at the stunning St Catherine’s College Chapel – The Mattan Klein Duo and Ashley Henry, who celebrate their craft with a beautiful concoction of world jazz music.
Saturday, November 19 has a range of events for all the family, including the Arts Council England developed storytelling performance piece, A Waltz in New Orleans.
Legendary author, musician and broadcaster Alyn Shipton is in conversation for the launch of his new book Alyn Shipton On Jazz. And, of course, there will be music with a performance of Alyn Shipton’s New Orleans Friends.
The evening of Saturday, November 19 sees Jazz FM's Chris Phillips & Jez Nelson: Jazz in The Round featuring Alina Bzhezhinska, Rouhangeze & Tomasz Bura, Ant Law & Alex Hitchcock for a packed billing of the very latest and dynamic sounds during the most intimate of events.
One of the UK jazz scene’s greatest young drummers, Jas Kayser, also hits the city centre at the city’s most iconic subterranean venue, Clare College Cellars.
Sunday, November 20 is all about big bands, large ensembles, and jazz orchestras with three events for people of all ages and at all stages of their career: Schools Big Band Concert, Cambridge Groove Orchestra, and the climax of the opening weekend, CUJO - Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra featuring Zara McFarlane.
Throughout the following week, the festival has Jam sessions, activities for all ages, gigs and more happening across the city.
Thursday, November 24 sees Tim Boniface & Sam Miles 'Remembering Dex and Getz'.
Friday brings us some of the UK’s most loved and celebrated master musicians; Tim Garland & Jason Rebello at Stapleford Granary, and Courtney Pine ‘Spirituality' featuring Zoe Rahman in Saffron Walden.
Saturday, November 26 offers up another packed programme of workshops, including Jazz Improvisation with Tim Garland, and a series of family events, including Groove Baby presents 'Grooving with Pirates'.
The jazz festival also welcomes back artist-in-residence Zara McFarlane for an exclusive duo performance of her award-winning repertoire at the intimate central Cambridge location of the Frankopan Hall, Jesus College.
The festival begins its closing weekend with a return to Jesus College for an all-day session, starring Jazz FM’S Ruth Fisher's Prosecco Brunch with Immy Churchill and Pete Churchill.
For the full line-up of artists, workshops, talks and films, and to buy tickets visit the Festival website at www.cambridgejazzfestival.info
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