Artist: Renaud Garcia-Fons
Genre: French double bassist presenting his modern take on Andalusian cante jondo and Maqam.
Live concerts: on 28 and 29 June 2024 in Anstruther, Scotland, as part of the 20th iteration of the East Neuk Festival, a boutique annual international music and arts festival.
Photos courtesy of East Neuk Fest’s official photographer, Neil Hanna.
Text and photos by Fiona Mactaggart
This year’s lavish, multi-venue, ten-day juggernaut of an Edinburgh Jazz and
Blues Festival (EJBF) opened with a bang, with a ‘Mardi Gras’ in Edinburgh old
town’s Grassmarket and an Edinburgh Festival Carnival along the beautiful,
new town Princes Street getting the party started over the first few days. EJBF
has now screeched to a halt while some other festivals Edinburgh is famous for
have taken off, and it feels timely to reflect on some of this year’s jazz festival
offerings.
Bigger than ever this year, EJBF encompassed a wide range of jazz and blues
and prompted the feeling that there may have almost been as many bands
coming from overseas as from within Scotland itself.
De Beren Gieren
Artist: Keyna Wilkins & Jalal Mahamede
Title: Set Me Free
Label: Artist release
Genre: Improvisation and spoken word
CD & Digital release: November 2021
Review by Fiona Mactaggart
Artist: Jemima Thewes
Title: Calling
Label: Last Night From Glasgow
Genre: Scottish avant-folk
Vinyl and Digital Release: July 2022
Review by Fiona Mactaggart
Photo by Vicki Rose Evans
Artist: Evelyn Laurie
Title: My Scottish Heart
Label: Evelyn Laurie
Genre: Scottish jazz/folk from the UK
CD & Digital release: August 6, 2021
Review by Fiona Mactaggart
Paisley, the Scottish town that is famous for its textiles and ‘Paisley pattern’ has over the years produced more than its fair share of creatives, from weaver poet Robert Tannahill, to folk popstar Kenneth McKellar and artist John Byrne. From this rich cultural background Paisley buddy Evelyn Laurie released her debut album A Little Bit of Me in 2018 to a very positive reception, and it is likely her charming follow-up album My Scottish Heart will be similarly popular.
