Was the 2010 Marlborough International Jazz Festival the busiest and best ever?

The sunny streets of Marlborough were wonderfully crowded this weekend, for what seemed to me to be one of the busiest and best Jazz Festivals ever.

On a grey day like today it’s hard to believe that the sun and fun of the weekend were just a few days ago.

My festival was kicked off with gusto by Swindon Youth Jazz who drew the crowds to the tables outside Pino’s in New Road. After lunch we took in local favourites Kennet Vale Brass, then saw vocalist Zoe Schwarz absolutely going for it in Azuza with The Baddest Blues Band Ever. The Jive Aces sounded good from outside the Priory Marquee- we couldn’t get it- and we enjoyed a quick blast of Paddy Milner and Big Sounds at the same venue.

The parade in the High Street was colourful in every sense of the word, and The Kremlinaires brought wonderful character to the brand new Marlborough New Zealand Bandstand in Old Lion Square.

When we took a brief break for some dinner further out of town  it was wonderful to hear distant music and laughter travelling up from the High Street, like the happy hubbub you hear during the mop fairs, but instead of “come on riders, scream for speed!” the distant voices and laughter were accompanied by jazz music.

For the second year in a row my Saturday drew to a close with the wonderful Laye Sowe Quintet at the Africa Bandstand, which was packed this year.

On Sunday Blues in Truth were the perfect band for a chilled Sunday morning in The Priory. In the afternoon six bands battled it out in UK Jazz Radio’s Young Performer of the Year, 2010 at the Fire Station, and The Artesan Hall Stompers were the lively, free act in the Lamb.

Meanwhile legendary crooner, Buddy Greco and his Trio were show stopping in The Priory. This man is a born entertainer who is 100% relaxed with his audience. The 84 year old charmed the pants off me within seconds of coming on stage. It later emerged that he has literally charmed the pants off more than a few women in his time. His wife- the beautiful, silky voiced Miss Lezlie Anders- joined him on stage and joked with him about his numerous marriages.

The rest of the audience seemed equally charmed by Greco, one of the last remaining members of the “Rat Pack”, as he worked his way through classics like “I’ve Got You Under my Skin”, and “That’s why the Lady is a Tramp.” Wonderful.

Some highlights for other people, which I missed, included Ray Harris & the Fusion Experience, “Superb”, and New Tricks were “A real experience.”

Roger Coghill, a Saxophonist who travelled from South Wales to check out Marlborough International Jazz Festival, said that Don Rendell of New Tricks had played at his college’s May Summer Ball in 1960, and that the band are some of the best jazz musicians in the country. What did Roger think of the festival itself?

“Best festival I’ve been to this year.”