Two of the biggest names in the UK jazz scene will headline a special gig at Southport Jazz festival 2023 this Saturday evening (4th February 2023).
Pete Long and Georgina Jackson present A Tribute to Peggy, Benny & Duke with a high energy and hugely entertaining show highlighting the music of Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington.
The gig, starting at 7pm, takes place at The Grand on Lord Street in Southport with tickets (£25) available here.
Delivered with expert musicianship and of course Pete Long's own inimitable style and humour this will certainly be a major highlight of the Southport Jazz Festival’s events.
This show came about, as most good things do, largely by accident! Pete had been organising for the last few years the music for the summer Jazz concert at the RAC country club in Epsom. They do like to have a theme with their jazz concerts, and we’d organised for them concerts of, amongst others, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong.
Last year, they were trying to come up with something. Pete had been going around the theatres with his Benny Goodman show, and Georgina had been broadcasting the Peggy Lee songbook with the BBC big band. Having always fancied the idea doing a dedicated Benny Goodman small band show, and as Peggy’s first job was with Benny in the 1940’s, there was a link there to easily include Georgina and to take advantage of all the work she’d put in for the Beeb!
During Pete's Business Studies A-Level back in the 1980’s, and Mr. Griffiths, his teacher, said that for marketing purposes, things were always easier to sell in threes so he figured he’d need another big name on the poster.
In the 1960’s, Peggy worked with the Great Duke Ellington on the movie “Anatomy Of A Murder”, and even co-wrote the dark but intensely groovy “I’m Gonna Go Fishin’. As one of Pete’s great heroes is Duke Ellington, it felt natural to include his big songs in the set and so the show was born.
The show features: Georgina Jackson (vocals / trumpet); Pete Long (clarinet); Nick Dawson (piano); Dave Chamberlain (bass); and Richard Pite (drums).
The 2023 Southport Jazz Festival takes place this weekend with some of the UK’s biggest names in jazz.
Music lovers can enjoy the three-day spectacle at The Grand on Lord Street from Friday 3rd February to Sunday 5th February 2023.
Southport Jazz Festival is being organised for the first time by acclaimed local musicians Jez Murphy and Emma Holcroft, who have taken over from Neil Hughes.
There are 10 performances in total across the three days with people able to attend the show of their choice, or to buy a day pass, or to buy a Weekender Ticket with all 10 shows for just £150.
You can buy tickets and see more details at thesouthportjazz.co.uk website.