The 2024 Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival – coming later this summer – sets the ball rolling early with a special concert with American jazz singer, saxophonist and composer Curtis Stigers at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Saturday, August 3.
The main annual Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival then takes place at the end of August between Friday 23 and Monday 26.
The main annual Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival then takes place at the end of August between Friday 23 and Monday 26.
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MusicTranscript
00:00Good afternoon, my name is Phil Fluitt, Group Arts Editor for Sussex Newspapers. Always
00:07lovely to speak to Ian Bowden. And Ian, you have created something really fantastic in
00:11the last dozen or so years, Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival. And it's coming up
00:17this year, August the 22nd to the 26th. You must feel very, very proud of what started
00:23small and has now become really significant, hasn't it, on the music calendar on the South
00:29Coast?
00:30Oh, thank you, Phil. That's really kind of you to say. Yeah, it's been a journey emotionally
00:36in every way because I'm so invested in and passionate about music and the joy that brings
00:42to people. And we started from very small beginnings, you know, the small acorns, that
00:48classic story. But it is all about building things small. And we are boutique festival
00:54by design, Phil.
00:55Yeah. And you're saying the crucial thing is, is you want to be able to see the lips
01:00move, you want to be able to see the eyes, see the faces in your performance, which is,
01:04as you say, your music has to be delivered and enjoyed in an intimate setting. That's
01:09the hallmark of this festival, isn't it?
01:12Absolutely right. I mean, you know, where we put the, where we present our headline
01:15concerts at Mary's Church, it's almost a thousand years old. It's just absolutely stunning.
01:22Amazing acoustics. You're close up and personal. I mean, it really is such an intimate, special
01:26experience. And that's really, I suppose you could say, the hallmark of our festival, because
01:33it's so intimate and special and people just love that experience. You can watch people,
01:39you can see their lips moving. It's brilliant. And you're so close up and personal.
01:43And you are back and doing well and confident. And anything that survived a pandemic has
01:48done brilliantly, hasn't it? How tough was that?
01:51It was tough. It was tough. It was tough for everybody involved in the arts and music and
01:55hospitality. But there's a sense of like, when you've worked so hard to build something
01:59from nothing, I mean, this has come from a germ of an idea. And you put your heart and
02:04soul, you give everything you've got to something you believe in. That, you know, not going
02:09forward is just not an option. You've got to keep the belief. You've got to keep the
02:13passion because, you know, at some point it's going to turn around and at some point, you
02:18know, that people are going to come back and want to see fabulous live music. So that,
02:22in a way, kept us kept us going.
02:24Plus, you have loyal audiences who understand what it is that you're doing, don't you?
02:29Yeah, absolutely. You know, I meet people in different times during the festivals and
02:33people, many people I've never met before, and they came up to me and they thank me.
02:38And, you know, it's incredibly flattering and such a lovely thing to be, you know, to
02:44be, you know, to be received that way, because actually they're watching the artists which
02:48are who are amazing. But it's just nice to get some recognition. People really respect
02:53and understand what you're doing, which is, you know, it's very heartfelt and fulfilling.
02:57Absolutely. And what you're giving them back is a fabulous line up for this year. Mention
03:02it, mention a couple of the acts that you're particularly pleased to welcome.
03:06Oh, well, we love working with all of our artists. But basically, we've got the the
03:12legendary and highly acclaimed blues guitarist singer songwriter Eric Bibb. He's launching
03:17the festival on Friday, the 23rd of August. And then we've got a series of afternoon and
03:21evening shows at the festival at St Mary's Church. And then obviously headlining on the
03:28Saturday, we have got Tunde, the voice of Lighthouse Family. So he'd be singing all
03:33the hits. He was one of the main songwriters. And then on Sunday evening, we've got award
03:38winning soul singer Mika Miller with her band. She's fabulous. A young artist, we're championing
03:44young artists coming through as well, Phil. And then on the Monday, we've got Omar, very
03:51acclaimed and very well respected and known soul singer as well. We've got in the afternoon,
03:55we've got Monty Alexander, one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. And then on the
04:01Monday, we've got John Cleary from New Orleans. He's doing a special celebration of the music
04:06of New Orleans, which will be quite something. And, you know, everyone's looking forward
04:11to it. It's going to be a brilliant weekend.
04:13Fantastic. That's a fabulous line up. Congratulations on all that you've achieved so far. And very,
04:18very best wishes for this year's festival. Thank you very much indeed. Lovely to speak
04:23to you.
04:24Thanks. Thanks, Phil. Thank you very much.