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International Jazz Festival

Nairn has earned a niche as the top venue in the for mainstream jazz concerts. Ken Ramage, the man behind Nairn’s International Jazz Festival, held every August, has no doubt what keeps his audiences and a galaxy of international jazz stars coming back - the location.

"Where could you find a better venue for a concert than the grounds of the Golf View Hotel, looking across the Moray Firth with the setting sun slipping behind the hills of the Black Isle in a late summer’s evening," says Ken as he warms to his subject.

It was 11 years ago that Ken first embarked on his ambitious plan to bring swing bands and singers of international repute to the shores of the Moray Firth . Once he got them here, he had no trouble getting them to come back! Word soon spread among jazz musicians and aficionados that the Nairn festival was an experience not to be missed.

"Many of the big stars of modern jazz have been here," said Ken, “and they just love the place. Often when they are performing in the cities it’s so impersonal. Their flights come in, they get a taxi to their venue, perform and get a taxi back out again. Here they soak in the atmosphere and they’ve told me how they love the informality of our festival, where they get the chance to mingle with the audience.

“The venues include some of our wonderful local castles, hotels and marquees. On a nice summer evening the views over the firth can be quite breathtaking. Many artists comment on our wonderful crisp, clean air and their enjoyment of walking along Nairn seafront, just taking in the sheer beauty of the place where they’ve been asked to perform."

The Nairn International Jazz Festival has an unparalleled reputation for delivering modern jazz of the highest calibre. At the 2001 concert, from August 8-12, over 3,000 tickets were sold. The star-studded cast included David Otswald’s Louis Armstrong Centenary Band from New York and up-and-coming star from the Big Apple, 23-year-old vocalist Jane Monheit, who is being tipped to take the jazz music scene by storm. Piano pyrotechnics were provided by Monty Alexander, a firm favourite with Nairn festival fans. A group from France, The Hot Antic Jazz Band, performed the music of Jabbo Smith and other classic stars of the Twenties.

The BBC’s Big Band, clarinettist Ken Peplowski, pianist Oscar Peterson and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins are just some of the other big names the Nairn festival has to its credit. Nairn has even attracted ’s most famous string bass player, Roy Brown, a former husband of the great Ella Fitzgerald. The event is part funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council.

This year’s August festival is heralded to be even bigger and better than ever.

"My dream is to have concerts at two venues to give our customers more choice,” said Ken Ramage. “We have fans travelling from all over the , not just to enjoy the music but to enjoy a break in a beautiful part of the world. I would like the festival to continue to grow in size but its reputation must not be compromised."

For information on the Nairn Jazz Festival contact 00 44 (0)1309 674221 or visit http://www.nairnjazz.com