Glasgow Jazz Festival has unveiled its programme for 2023, with shows taking place over five days in June.
And some of the biggest names in jazz, blues, soul, funk, R&B and world music will be appearing at the 37th edition of the much-loved annual event, with 30 events being staged between Wednesday 14 – Sunday 18 June.
Venues include St Luke’s and Drygate in the east to The Griffin, Nice n Sleazy and The Old Hairdresser’s in the city centre.
The Glad Café and The Rum Shack in the Southside and Frets in Strathaven, and the West End’s Òran Mór and The Hug & Pint, and for the first time, The Mackintosh Church, are all places to enjoy live music.
Pianists, Scottish musical force Fergus McCreadie (Scottish Album of the Year Award winner) and Iceland’s breathtaking talent Sunna Gunnlaugs, will perform a double headline show for audiences at Mackintosh Church on the Friday night.
Award-winning
Marco Mezquida Trio who, fronted by award-winning Spanish pianist and composer Marco Mezquida, alongside Martín Meléndez and Aleix Tobias, will perform at St Luke’s on Thursday 15 June.
Marco has toured the world extensively and has recorded more than 50 albums in his illustrious career, but this year marks his Glasgow Jazz Festival debut, giving Scottish fans a rare chance to catch him live.
Friday night will see visionary Nigerian-born, London-based nu-jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader and innovator Camilla George take to the stage at St Luke’s.
Known for her unique sound inspired by African, Western, hip hop and jazz music, Camilla’s third studio album Ibio Ibio was released to critical acclaim in September 2022.
Elsewhere, acclaimed Scottish funk outfit Federation of the Disco Pimp will bring their energetic live set to Òran Mór on Friday night.
Radiohead Reimagined will see Radiohead’s iconic discography re-imagined, rearranged and performed by a ten-piece band of musicians from Glasgow's own vibrant jazz scene.
We’re so excited to be able to bring all of this to the city and to welcome music fans from across Scotland and further afield to celebrate the music that brings us all together.
Jill Rodger
Musicians from Fat-Suit, Tom MacGuire and the Brassholes, Dreaming of White Horses, and many more, will team up to help pay tribute to their musical influence across the genres at Òran Mór on Thursday 15th June.
Many more acts and performances are included in the full programme that is now available online.
Jill Rodger, Director of Glasgow Jazz Festival, said: “We’re so excited to be able to bring all of this to the city and to welcome music fans from across Scotland and further afield to celebrate the music that brings us all together.
“We’re delighted that the Late Night Jam Sessions have been saved and can remain free to attend for all, it’s so important to us that live music remains accessible.
“This year’s programme is a true international celebration, and we also have some unique showcases taking place paying tribute to some musical inspirations – it’s shaping up to be a fantastic festival.”
Clare Hewitt, Music Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Spanning Glasgow’s southside, west end and city centre, Glasgow’s 2023 Jazz Festival programme celebrates jazz as an international artform where Scottish musicians are making a stellar contribution.”
Fergus McCreadie said: “The festival is a great event in the calendar and I’m really excited to be doing a solo show at Mackintosh Church this year, which will be completely improvised.
“The space is amazing, acoustically it’s great, so I’m looking forward to improvising and seeing what comes out on the night.”
The festival is funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
