Jazz Preview: Village and visitors get into the festival swing

This is the time of year when rucksacks give way to riffs in the hiker-friendly village of Marsden as the Pennine hideaway plays host to its annual jazz festival.

It's the 19th festival to be precise and over the next three days 7,500 visitors are expected to listen to music at more than 20 indoor and outdoor venues.

The programme is typically eclectic, ranging from senior figures like Acker Bilk and Stan Tracey to rising stars such as Phronesis and Tommy Evans, who premieres his new piece The Green Seagull.

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The imperishable Acker is 81 and still gives 60 shows a year despite a brush with throat cancer 10 years ago.

That glorious clarinet tone will be heard with the Paramount Jazz Band at Marsden Mechanics tonight.

Tracey, 83, has made a huge contribution to British jazz, with all its vagaries, during the past 60 years and remains a key figure. His longstanding trio – bassist Andy Cleyndert and drummer Clark Tracey – will be joined by saxophonist Simon Allen tomorrow afternoon at the Mechanics.

The lustrous Jacqui Dankworth sings tomorrow night and Jason Yarde plays with the Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra on Sunday afternoon.

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Sprinkled through the weekend are the emerging talents of Kit Downes, Dice Factory and Jenni Molloy's Bach Reloaded.

The star of the show, however, is Marsden itself. For 48 hours or so the village heaves with jazz not only in the main hall, but in pubs, clubs and the streets as regional performers and school bands air their considerable talents.

Great stuff, and a lot of it is free!

October 8, 9, 10. www.marsdenjazzfestival. com 01484 846969.

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