Maff Potts is one of the team members behind Wallingford Winter Blues and Jazz Weekender Friday 14th – Sunday 16th February
Wallingford Winter Blues and Jazz 14-16th February 2025
Hi Maff… what is the Wallingford Winter Blues and Jazz Weekender?
Topline – it is a weekend of live Blues and Jazz music to brighten up the winter months. Music for every age group and hosted at over 14 venues in Wallingford. It encourages a love of music, accessible to all and supports our local hospitality businesses. And the best news is that 80% of the events are FREE.
Why should readers come along?
The top billing must go to the Grandfather of UK Jazz – Art Themen. He’s the one who was gifted Ronnie Scott’s tenor saxophone! This year for Valentine’s night you don’t need to go to Ronnie Scott’s as he will be at our local Wallingford Corn Exchange, performing with local Jazz legends Fleur Stevenson and Denny Ilett. At a ticket price of only £20. These tickets will make a very hot date – and at that price will go very quickly. Book your tickets here (https://www.cornexchange.org.uk/whats-on/my-funny-valentine/).
This venue is not the only one featuring high-end, world-class musicians. You will find them performing gutsy raw blues and smooth jazz in your favourite pubs, clubs and restaurants, as well as theatre style in the much-loved Corn Exchange and Masonic Hall. Find the full schedule of events and venues here – https://wallywinterbluesnjazz.co.uk/.
Who will enjoy the events?
Simply everyone – who doesn’t love live music and especially Blues and Jazz. The event is running over 3 days, and it aims to be all-inclusive for the broadest of audiences. We even have gigs for the teens – including Conrad the 19 year old HipHop star playing at the George Hotel, and I’ll be leading Sousaphone Madness for kids in the Market place on Saturday morning.
What is so special about this three day weekender of live music events?
The music is as wide and broad as we can make it, using community spaces throughout town and even the church is offering jazz by candlelight with the renowned Vintskevich Kershaw Trio.
Times may be hard but 80 per cent of the gigs are FREE. So where else can you see top talent like Art Themen for £20 and Rachel Caladine or Jon Amor for a tenner. It also combines supporting our wide range of local hospitality venues.
How did it start..and who runs it?
This is the second year of running and it promises to be even bigger and better.
The idea was originally initiated by a Wallingford Town Councillor who saw an opportunity to promote the town and support local businesses. The Crowmarsh Jazz Club were approached to see if it was something that they could organise and run, and from those initial conversations, the first Wallingford Winter Blues and Jazz Weekender was successfully launched in February 2024.
It is now run by a small team of hardworking music loving and performing organisers, and a team of energetic volunteers. All the ticket money generated at the paid for events is used to contribute to the musical talent at the other venues. Enabling us to offer 80% of the events for free.
What would you say personally to encourage our readers to come along?
During the pandemic, I realised how important music both as a listener and a player was in my life. Simply put, I can’t live without it. The pandemic took live music away for a while, and as a result I hope we all appreciate it even more. A great local post pandemic success story was the creation of the Crowmarsh Jazz Club – where every gig has sold out from the beginning. As a consequence, we now have this amazing Wallingford Winter Blues and Jazz Weekender 14th– 16th Feb offering the opportunity of seeing top talent at very accessible prices within venues throughout our local community. A ray of positive sunshine in the winter months. What is there not to love. Come along – I guarantee you will keep coming back for more.
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