Guildhall Jazz Festival salutes Ellington, Wheeler

London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama hosts its annual Jazz Festival from 21-27 March, with performances from talented undergraduate ensembles led by faculty professors. The week features two major concerts that pay tribute to Duke Ellington and Kenny Wheeler, with trombonist and conductor Scott Stroman opening things this weekend with Ellington’s Second Sacred Concert re-arranged as a 40–minute Suite for a streamline band with student singers from the jazz department, a jazz ensemble and a first set with the School’s close-harmony Guildhall Jazz Singers (21 March).

Fellow faculty composer and bandleader Ed Puddick directs final-year undergraduates in a 12-piece Guildhall Jazz Ensemble with a celebration of Billie Holiday in her centenary year and new material associated with the iconic singer (22 March). While saxophonist Carlos Lopez-Real also leads the Guildhall Jazz Ensemble with music originally written for his 13-piece E17 Jazz Ensemble (23 March).

Other performances include the Junior Guildhall Jazz Band directed by jazz saxophonist Oliver Weston and pianist, composer and educator Jonathan Taylor performing music written by Marty Paich, Tim Garland, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie and Kenny Wheeler (21 March); a swing ‘Vintage Jazz Night’ directed by saxophonist and Guildhall head of jazz Martin Hathaway featuring music from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt (25 March); and trombonist and composer Sarah Gail Brand leads the Guildhall Improvised Music Ensemble with special guest drummer/percussionist Mark Sanders to honour the music of renowned drummer John Stevens and his free improvisation group the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, (26 March). The festival finale features Stroman leading the Guildhall Jazz Band and Singers on a performance of music of Kenny Wheeler’s Sweet Time Suite (27 March).

Other dates for the festival are: Junior Guildhall Jazz Band (Milton Concert Hall, 21 March); Ellington’s Second Sacred Concert (Milton Concert Hall, 21 March); Tribute to Billie Holiday by Guildhall Jazz Ensemble (Silk Street Music Hall, 22 March); Guildhall Jazz Ensemble directed by Carlos Lopez-Real (Silk Street Music Hall, 23 March); Guildhall Alumni Jazz Ensemble featuring The Tommy Andrews Quintet (Silk Street Music Hall, 24 March); Vintage Jazz Night (Silk Street Music Hall, 25 March); Tribute to John Stevenson & Spontaneous Music Ensemble (Silk Street Music Hall, 26 March); Tribute to Kenny Wheeler by Guildhall Jazz Band & Singers (Milton Court Concert Hall, 27 March).