The Neil Cowley trio appearing at the Nerve Centre, drummer David Lyttle’s trio featuring ex-Sting keyboardist Jason Rebello, and Irish jazz guitar legend Louis Stewart are some of the highlights in the extensive line-up at this year’s Derry jazz and big band festival. With nearly 300 events held over the early-May Bank Holiday weekend, the festival also plays host to the Guinness Jazz Trail with mostly free events adding to the wider atmosphere. Also for Derry are Soul Rebels from New Orleans, The Puppini Sisters, Pink Martini, The Dark Energy Trio, the Paul McIntyre Trio with special guest Richie Buckley, John Leighton, and local jazz icon Gay McIntyre all make an appearance at the festival, held from 2-6 May.

The Cowley Trio, who just ahead of the festival on Monday 29 April are to release their latest album, a combined DVD affair, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, more at http://www.marlbank.net/post/47765671068/neil-cowley-trio-to-release-live-montreux-dvd, will also during a run of Irish dates play an earlier club date at the Black Box in Belfast with a village festival in west Cork also on their itinerary in May.

But Derry is the big one, with Cowley artist-in-residence at the city celebrating its prestigious UK city of culture status this year. In this very special year for culture in the north west of Ireland the festival will also host a radio broadcast to be recorded by BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up show presented by pianist Julian Joseph, with a concert to take place at the Tower Hotel in Derry on Monday 6 May. Artists to take part in the broadcast are to include saxophonist Trish Clowes with a band featuring Troyka guitarist Chris Montague, bassist Calum Gourlay, drummer James Maddren and The Impossible Gentlemen’s Gwilym Simcock on piano. Local Radio Ulster presenter trumpeter Linley Hamilton’s Saxtet will also appear on the broadcast.
Tickets and more at www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com

Puppini Sisters, top and Neil Cowley above