Guitar greats play opening concert at jazz festival

Apr 10 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

John Williams, World-famous classical guitarist _320

GUITAR giants John Williams (pictured) and John Etheridge will open this year’s Southport International Jazz Festival.

Coincidentally, the same pair played the closing concert at last year’s Wirral International Guitar Festival.

Classical guitarist Williams and jazz guitarist John Etheridge have worked together for some time and have a joint interest in world music.

Together, they will play the opening concert on May 29 at the Southport Arts Centre which will herald what is claimed to be the resort’s biggest-ever jazz festival.

Over four days there will be 65 concerts at 25 different venues involving 175 musicians. And 80 per cent of the events will be free.

“The combination of John Williams and John Etheridge is set to be a particularly exciting event and I am sure that the festival will have something for everyone to enjoy,” says Peter Sandman, Sefton’s events manager.

Making her festival debut will be 19-year-old Victoria Hart, a singer who became known as “the jazz singing waitress” after her former occupation was revealed and who apparently wowed George Clooney, Brad Pitt and other A-List artists on board a yacht in Cannes last year.

The blonde Ms Hart interprets swing, jazz and blues material in her own unique fashion as she will reveal at her concert on June 1 at the Southport Theatre.

At the Southport Arts Centre, performers will include the Bacalao Salsa Dance Party, Wigan Jazz Club Big Band, acid jazz group Down to the Bone and the Jazz Idol talent contest final.

The festival runs between May 29 and June 1. More information on www.southportjazz.com