Media Centre

All aboard the jazz train

07 May 2008

For music fans travelling to Newark Jazz Festival by train the fun begins en route.

The Karl Hird Trio will perform exclusively for passengers travelling to Newark on Saturday May 17th on two East Midlands Trains services at Newark Castle Station and will welcome National Express’s East Coast Main Line passengers on Newark North Gate Station.

Festival director, Peter Duncan said: “We are expecting 10,000 people to attend events over the Festival weekend with many coming from Lincoln, Nottingham, Grantham and many other locations along the train routes. This brilliant jazz trio will get revellers in the mood en route and we are encouraging visitors to travel by train. Many of the concerts take place in pubs and restaurants making leaving the car at home even more appealing.”

The Karl Hird Trio will be playing on two East Midlands Trains services on Saturday May 17th. These are the 11.24 Nottingham to Newark and 12.31 Lincoln to Newark. The Jazz Train tickets can be obtained in the usual way - on line from www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk, by phone from 08457 125678, at the Nottingham, Lincoln ticket offices or any local ticket office. They will also be performing on Newark North Gate Station to welcome passengers on the National Express East Coast train from London, which stops at Grantham and arrives at Newark North Gate at 1.27pm.

Emma Knight from East Midlands Trains said: “We are delighted to welcome the Karl Hird Trio onto our trains and we look forward to playing our part in the popular Newark Jazz Festival. As a company we’re always looking for new ways to be involved in the community and the music trains to Newark are certainly a good way of bringing more people to the railway.”

This is the first time that the festival has been supported by National Express East Coast, which began operating services along the East Coast Main Line route and took over the running of Newark North Gate station in December 2007.

Alan Hyde, its head of communications, said: "We are delighted to support the festival, which attracts growing numbers of music fans to Newark and delivers more trade for the town."

The Festival will feature 70 performances at 30 venues including pubs, cafes, restaurants, churches and shops. Entry to most events is free of charge, giving visitors the opportunity to try a wide range of jazz music.

The weekend of May 16th - 18th, is already attracting some of the biggest names in jazz including Guy Barker and David Newton, despite only being in its third year.

Award-winning vocalist Claire Martin and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett will perform an intimate cabaret-style concert titled ‘When lights are low’ at Newark Palace Theatre on May 17th followed on May 18th by The Big Chris Barber Band, one of Europe’s most successful jazz and blues bands . Brimming with explosive energy, the current holders of the BBC Jazz Album of the Year, The Neil Cowley Trio, will be appearing. The young and talented Victoria Hart returns on the back of her success at last year’s festival, while Gospel singer, Shirley Alexander from the home of jazz, New Orleans, gets the weekend underway with Brian Carrick and his Algiers Stompers in a showcase concert that also features the premier of Nathan Bray’s entertaining Newark Suite funded by Awards for All, featuring the highly regarded East Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra.

There will also be a one-off concert, Celebrating Grappelli, featuring violinist, Tim Kliphuis with his trio and acclaimed pianist, David Newton, marking the 100th anniversary of Stephane Grappelli’s birth.

The weekend culminates on Sunday night with Andrew Hall’s amazing New Orleans All star lineup at Ann et Vin, Castlegate, from 9.30pm.

Festival tickets are available online from www.newarkjazz.co.uk. They are also being sold at Stray’s Book and Coffee shop, Ann et Vin, The Music Shop, The Palace Theatre and Newark Tourist Office.

For more information contact:
Media Centre
t: 0845 059 3988 or 0845 059 3494
e: media.centre@nationalexpress.com