Marsden Jazz Festival

This weekend, it’s the annual Marsden Jazz Festival.

I’ve never had much luck taking photos of bands on stage. These were taken during the 2009 festival. The originals were poor quality so I posterized them. I think they look a lot better this way. It’s a technique I want to explore further.

The band in the top photo was Orchestre DC Dansett. They were one of my favourites, several people playing African Inspired music. I saw them a few times at a number of festivals. I can’t find any trace of them today.

I don’t go to the Jazz Festival anymore (even though I live in Marsden). It’s just too busy, too successful. Back around 2009 you could easily see a band in a pub or club by getting there half an hour or so before the start time. The bands in pubs and clubs were always free (and as far as I’m aware, they still are). Soon after that the pubs started to get a lot busier, to get a decent view you needed to be there and hour or more before the start.

The last time I visited the festival was just before Covid. I was with my wife; we soon gave up and went for a drink outside the village.

The photo below was taken in the Riverhead on the Sunday lunchtime. I remember standing at the bar, supping a few pints, taking a few photos. I have no idea who the band was.

The photos below are of a band preforming at the Hey Green Hotel. All I remember is the Didgeridoo. Again, I have no idea who the band was, I can’t even remember when they played.

The photo below was an original, and apart from correcting the perspective was unaltered. I think the ones above are much better.