Report On The Abersoch Mini Jazz Weekend (27th & 28th September 2014)

'Small is beautiful' – the weekend was a hit! The sun shone and we all enjoyed a variety of jazz music styles from the four bands in SCYC and some great street music in the village.

The action commenced with the lively, colourful Mardi Gras style Parade on Saturday morning, led by the marshals, the band and not 2 but 4 beautiful Lusitano horses. Two horses with riders and an amazing stunt rider rode the second two bareback. There were some stylish decorated hats and brollies in the 'second line'.

After the Parade, street music resounded around the village from the large group of buskers on the Vaynol patio and the Andy McKenzie/Greg Robley duo. 

The talented, young, local 'Pwllheli Band' were first off in the afternoon at SCYC, followed by the high quality and entertaining 'Jazz Rag'.
There was a full house and standing ovation on Saturday evening for the superb 'Paul Harrison Band', on tour from Denmark: “Such an exciting and exhilarating band – I was exhausted ….and I was only listening”. The great opportunity to hear this amazing band was made possible by some financial support from the 'Night Out' scheme – Arts Council of Wales. 

A rousing Gospel Service was a happy start to Sunday’s sessions. (The repairs to the Chapel roof, that was badly damaged during the January storms, was only completed the week before.)  Canon Ron Cassidy (also a musician and a comedian) led the service with music by the Pwllheli Band, singing by the children from Ysgol Abersoch and the Reading from Yvonne Lloyd-Jones. The collection raised a welcome £145 towards maintenance of the Chapel.
The talented, versatile, award-winning young band 'Jamie Brownfield/Liam Byrne Hot Six' brought the mini weekend of music and dancing to a close on Sunday afternoon.

Jamie of the Brownfield Byrne Hot Six		Liam Byrne - also of the Hot Six		Kevin Grenfell

Paul Harrison from the Paul Harrison Band.

Special treats over the whole weekend were the homemade cakes on sale at SCYC in aid of the local primary school, Ysgol Abersoch. Thanks to the baking skills of the 'young mums' and their enthusiastic and persuasive children, they raised £350. The hard working buskers and the young 'parade bucket shakers' collection added a further £315 to the total for the school.

Everyone enjoyed the new 'mini-jazz weekend in Abersoch' venture, “we left on such a high that we sang all the way back to Devon”, wrote one jazzer.

Organised by the local Traders Association and promoted by SCYC, the event was successful and is highly likely to continue, so provisionally pencil in September 26th and 27th in your diaries for 2015.

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