Barbados Jazz Festival 2008

Barbados Jazz Festival 2008

The Barbados Jazz Festival 2008 is an annual event which that begins on January 14th until January 20th at various locations across Barbados with performances from international musicians.

January 14th, 2008 – 8:00pm
Sunbury Plantation House, St. Philip – $40.00 US/$80.00BDS.
Bob James / Terri Lyne Carrington

Bob James from the USA has had a long and rewarding career, which has spanned over 4 decades with 36 albums recorded over this period. He is not only a talented musician but also a renowned composer with the theme tune to ‘Taxi’ being just one of the highlights of his career. He plays piano and his genre varies to include jazz and is so accomplished that he has even recorded 3 classical albums.

Terri Lyne Carrington also from the USA has been playing drums since she was 7 years old and had recorded her first album by the time she was 17. Her career has spanned over the last 20 years as a drummer, composer and producer. She has toured with some of the biggest names in the music world including Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. This performance at the Barbados Jazz Festival is a real treat!

The venue chosen for these two outstanding musicians is Sunbury Plantation House, which is located in St. Philip on the south east coast of the island. The original house was built in 1660 and is set in tropical gardens and surrounded by woodland. For more information on Sunbury Plantation House and it’s strong history please click on the link below.

January 15th, 2008 – 8:00pm
Sunbury Plantation House, St. Philip – $30.00 US/$60.00BDS.
John Patitucci / Clifton Glasgow

John Patitucci started playing the electric bass guitar at age 10, and by the age of 12 he was composing and performing. By the age of 15 he was also playing acoustic guitar and piano. His genre of music covers soul, rock, blues, jazz and classical music.

January 16, 2008 – 8:00pm
Heritage Park/The Rum Factory, St. Philip – $25.00 US/$50.00BDS.
Stefan Walcott / Andre Forde

Stefan Walcott from Barbados began playing classical piano when he was 6 and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz studies from the UK, during his time in the UK he became very interested in Latin music and is currently leading the only big band in the southern Caribbean, The Stefan Walcott Big Band. He has performed at many of the previous Jazz festivals and this talented musician is well worth seeing.

Heritage Park is home to the Four Square Rum Factory and is a huge parkland with a superb outdoor theatre, which provides an excellent setting to hear these two fantastic musicians. If you would like more information on Heritage Park then please read the article below.

January 17, 2008 – 8:00pm
Dinner Set: The Crane Resort & Residences, St. Philip – $100.00 US/$200.00BDS.
Vanessa Rubin

Vanessa Rubin from the USA is a classic jazz singer with her voice tuned like an instrument, it is filled with passion and varies in range from a whisper to a bellow that will rock you out of your seat!

She is in perfect harmony with her instrumentalists and has graced with stage with many of the finest jazz artists, which also includes touring with Herbie Hancock.

This event is being held at The Crane Resort as a dinner set. The Crane Resort is a magnificent hotel, which has been welcoming guests since 1887. Located in St. Philip on the south east coast of the island, this resort over looks the spectacular Crane Beach, which is listed as one of the top ten beaches in the world. For further information on the Crane Resort please click on the link below.

January 18th, 2008 – 8:00pm
Farley Hill National Park, St. Peter – $40.00 US/$80.00BDS.
Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu from the USA first performed with her mother, who was an actress at the age of 4 singing and dancing. When she was 21 she graduated from university after studying theatre and then formed a hip hop duo with her cousin, which was then signed to Legacy Entertainment.

Erykah was then asked to support D’Angelo and this led to her signing with the Kedar Entertainment label. Her first album was released in 1997, which went plantinum within a month. Erykah has been compared to Billie Holiday as her performance is filled with old soul, jazz, and hip hop.

The highlight of the festival is when it moves to Farley Hill National Park, in St. Peter in the north of the island for the final three days.

Farley Hill was once the home to the stateliest Mansion House in Barbados. The film ‘Island in the Sun’ was filmed there in 1965, sadly later on that year the house was destroyed by fire.

In 1966 when Barbados gained its independence Queen Elizabeth II officially opened Farley Hill as a National Park. For further information on Farley Hill National Park please click on the link below.

January 19th, 2008 – 12:00 noon
Farley Hill National Park, St. Peter – $30.00 US/$60.00BDS.
Kenny Garrett / Lee Ritenour / The Almond Band

Kenny Garrett from the USA is a world renowned saxophonist and composer giving the festival the ultimate sound of jazz with the saxophone, this coupled with the performance from Lee Ritenour also from the USA will make this a great day out of picnicking fun!

Lee Ritenour is a jazz guitarist with over 30 albums under his belt and a career that has spanned over three decades. He started playing at the age of 16, and was soon backing famous acts like the Mama’s and Papa’s and Tony Bennett. He was a sought after session musician during the 1970’s until embarking on his solo career in 1976. He has performed on over 3000 sessions and worked with Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Pink Floyd.

January 20th, 2008 – 1:00pm
Farley Hill National Park, St. Peter – $30.00 US/$60.00BDS
The Rippingtons / Cuban All Star Jazz Band / David ‘Ziggy’ Walcott.

The Rippingtons have been performing together for over 20 years and have enjoyed success from the outset with their first album being voted the most comtemporary jazz album of all time.

The Cuban All Star Jazz Band are a regular performer at the Barbados Jazz Festival and always a big hit with the crowd, hence they are asked to come back every year!

David Walcott from Barbados has been playing the steel pan since he was 13 in the Pan Revolution Steel Orchestra, which he later went on to become the arranger and Musical Director for the group. He even went on to win gold at the Barbados National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA), with the Kitchener Classic “Pan in A Minor”. As Director of the National Youth Steel Orchestra in Barbados, David is currently molding and grooming young, up and coming players in the rudiments of the steel pan, as they pursue their careers in music.

Tickets for all events during the Barbados Jazz Festival are available on line from www.barbadosjazzfestival.com.