Rye’s International Jazz and Blues Festival starts Thursday night (August 27) with Theo Jackson opening up the Spectrum Jazz Lounge – in a very heavily disguised Community Centre on Conduit Hill from 8pm – but with curtain-raisers at the Standard Inn from 7pm and La Maison Wine Bar from 7:30pm – though a tiny question mark hangs over the latter (see below).
However jazz conspicuously comes to town on Saturday (August 29) as the Fat Tuesday 2nd Line Band (pictured above) will be roving the streets between 2 and 6pm. Martin McNeill’s Bottleneck Blues are also due by the Landgate (Saturday, 3-6pm), and the Butter Market (under the Town Hall in Market Street) features various artists between 4:30 and 6pm Saturday, 1-3 pm and 4-6pm Sunday, and 1-3pm Monday.
Other places to drop into and lurk (having bought a drink) include the Queens Head Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 pm, and on Sunday Simply Italian (from 3pm), La Maison (also at 3pm), Cafe Zara (4pm) and the Standard again (at 7pm) ; and on Monday the Old Borough Arms (3-6pm) and the Ship (4-6pm).
The festival is supporting life-saving charity the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance , so expect bucket collections Sunday and Monday. Major events are taking place in Lamb House, the Milligan Hall and St Mary’s . For more information and tickets, visit www.ryejazz.com.
La Maison du Vin (mentioned above) recently disappeared from the White Vine House and reappeared in the former Craft Magic shop at the top of Conduit Hill (next to Adams and under Cafe Zara) – but is now mainly selling antiques and gifts, and no seating was visible on Tuesday. However they say the jazz events are apparently still going ahead Thursday night and Sunday afternoon though, in the absence of a licence, drinks may be complimentary.
Photo: Ray Prewer