By the time the Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival 2023 finished on Monday night, the Kino outdoor stage and other fringe venues had seen some forty hours of really excellent music from over thirty acts, many of which had travelled from miles away to take part. The logistics of organising, arranging and setting up something so huge would give most people nightmares but Ian Bowden and his team are professional, caring and exceedingly good at what they do and for the eleventh year in a row they have created an amazing, vibrant event that saw the streets of Rye rocking to the sounds of jazz and blues.
The audiences loved it and their smiling faces and enthusiastic applause summed it up. At one session the crowds gave Ian and his team three cheers which were so well deserved. The comments ranged from, “Wow, what a night!” to “Can’t wait for next year!” One couple told me that they had come from the Netherlands and had been four times to the festival and could not rate it highly enough. From toddlers to senior citizens the enthusiasm and enjoyment were palpable. The festival draws in a large number of folk from all around and definitely helps put Rye on the map.
A big thank you to all those in the audience who posed for photos and enabled me to show how much you all loved it. As promised here are your photos: your ten seconds of fame.
A selection of photographs of the performers can be viewed at www.ktbruce.co.uk
Image Credits: Kt bruce .