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Expo Funding promotes Scottish jazz
27/05/2009
This year's Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival will premiere a unique collaboration of home-grown and international jazz and blues stars thanks to the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.
Expo funding of £100,000 will present The Scottish Jazz Expo as well as supporting a specially commissioned arrangement honouring Robert Burns from acclaimed jazz pianist David Milligan. It will also see the formation of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra, uniting 16 Scottish, European and American musicians for the first time.
Culture Minister Michael Russell said:
"Scottish jazz musicians are playing some great music right now and The Scottish Jazz Expo raises the profile of our jazz and blues music throughout the world.
"The Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra will present both new pieces and classic arrangements in this ambitious and exciting project that can only strengthen the interest in Scotland's vibrant music scene from international fans, venue bookers and artists. The return of the Scottish Jazz Expo Award also highlights the exceptional calibre of musician that our festivals continue to attract. 
"It is wonderfully fitting that Scotland's greatest jazz export, Joe Temperley, is making a true Homecoming journey this year as he returns to mark his 80th birthday and perform the arrangements of Duke Ellington, who he had the privilege of playing with. This year's Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival promises to be a true music sensation."
The Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra will be made up of eight Scottish-based musicians with eight more from the USA and Europe. They will play two concerts, both with a strong Homecoming connection. The first is led by saxophonist, Joe Temperley, from Cowdenbeath, who has been the only non-American member of Wynton Marsalis' internationally renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in New York for the last 20 years.
The second is a new Festival commission for pianist David Milligan who is writing music inspired by Robert Burns, one of the key themes of the Year of Homecoming. The Orchestra will be joined by the folk singing group of Annie Grace, Corrina Hewat and Karine Polwart.
Brian Fallon, Chair of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, said:
"The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival is delighted to announce the launch of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival Orchestra - a long cherished ambition of the Festival. The funding from the Scottish Government via the Expo Fund means that the Orchestra will perform at the highest level. The Expo also supports a thrilling series of concerts by Scottish-based jazz musicians."
The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival is the biggest and longest running Jazz Festival in the UK, attracting audiences of over 50,000. The Scottish Jazz Expo Award will be presented at a reception during the Festival.
The Scottish Jazz Expo programme will include international collaborations between: Tommy Smith who will play with the Swedish pianist, Jacob Karlzon; Ken Mathieson of the classic Jazz Orchestra will play with English saxophonist, Alan Barnes. Phil Bancroft will present a new multi-media show called "No Place Like Home" and Tom Gordon and Konrad Wisniewski will all present new bands.
Other performers appearing include: Brass Jaw; Stu Brown's Raymond Scott Project; Colin Steele's Stramash; Tom Gordon's Mirror Image; Alyn Cosker Trio; Ryan Quigley Sextet; Phil Bancroft; Fat Sams Band; Melting Pot and Tam White.
The Expo fund is available to all 12 Festivals in Edinburgh to support the development of Scottish-based work. The planned expenditure for the Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund is £6 million over three years (2008-09 to 2011-12).