Entertainment | Music
Jazz in the city
James Blunt, Jason Mraz and James Morrison are just some of the stars who are in town to perform at the 10th edition of the Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival. Here's a low-down on what to expect at the fest
- Xpress
- Published: 00:00 February 16, 2012
February 16
Michael Roach
7pm-8pm
Michael Roach sings and plays guitar in an East Coast style of blues that dates back to the 1920s. After spending several years learning directly from such well-known figures as John Jackson, John Cephas and Jerry Ricks, Roach has developed his own style and is now an exceptional performer. He interacts with his audience and entertains as he plays.
Acoustic Alchemy
8.30pm-10pm
Formed in England in the early 1980s, Acoustic Alchemy have pushed the limits of the acoustic guitar's potential by embracing a spectrum of musical styles ranging from straight jazz to folk to rock to world music and beyond. In the two and a half decades since their earliest recordings, the group has assembled and sustained a vast and loyal following that stretches well beyond their UK origins.
James Blunt
10.20pm-12am
He is hugely popular here and definitely one of the most aired. The English singer-songwriter and former army officer rose to fame in 2005 with his debut album, Back to Bedlam (the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK), which contained hit singles You're Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover - both played ad nauseam by UAE radio stations. Blunt has sold over 15 million albums and has received five Grammy nominations.
February 17
Jimmy Thomas & Samantha Antoinette
7pm-8pm
The former singer of the Ike and Tina Turner Review is among the highly regarded artists in the blues circuit. His connection with the music industry goes right back to Albert King who introduced him to Ike and Tina Turner. In Dubai, he will share the stage with Samantha Antoinette, an exponent of blues, jazz, house, funk and soul.
Jonathan Butler
8.30pm-10pm
Born and raised in Cape Town during Apartheid, Butler started singing and playing acoustic guitar as a child. He began touring at the age of seven when he joined a travelling stage show, and was later signed up to perform on a string of hit recordings, turning him into a local teen idol. His international breakthrough came in 1987 with his Grammy-nominated hit single, Lies. Today he regularly performs at renowned jazz festivals.
Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
10.20pm-12am
He is a composer, pianist, bandleader and broadcaster. From playing pubs in the East End docks as a teenage greaser, to leading his rhythm and blues orchestra and selling millions of records, it is his passion for music that has made Jools Holland into a doyen of the music scene. He was awarded the OBE in 2003 for his services to the British music industry.
February 23
Sandi Thom
7pm-8pm
The Scottish neo-folk-rock singer/songwriter generated publicity and controversy when she landed a major-label record contract on the strength of a three-week live webcast gig series beamed across the internet from the basement of her flat in February 2006. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) remains her biggest hit single.
Spyro Gyra
8.30pm-10pm
Formed in the mid-1970s in Buffalo, New York, USA, Spyro Gyra are an American jazz fusion band. Having released over 25 albums and sold 10 million copies, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the genre. Among their most successful hit singles are Shaker Song and Morning Dance, which received significant play on popular music radio stations, and are still frequently heard nearly 30 years later on jazz and easy listening stations.
Jason Mraz with Toca Rivera
10.20pm-12am
American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz burst into the international arena with the release of the single I'm Yours from his third album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things (2008). The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single besides topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts. Before that, he enjoyed limited success in the US with previous two albums: Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002) and Mr. A-Z (2005).
February 24
The Dirty Robbers
7pm-8pm
With a mix of 50s and 60s classic blues and R&B, with a touch of garage, beat and pop thrown in for good measure, The Dirty Robbers are all about having a good time with the good old rock and roll. Their influences range from Magic Sam to Bo Diddley to Elmore James.
Brett Dennen
8.30pm-10pm
He was named by Rolling Stone magazine as an "Artist to Watch" and, in 2008, Entertainment Weekly called him one of its eight "Guys on the Rise". His music has been featured in several television shows, including Grey's Anatomy, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, among others.
James Morrison
10.30pm-12am
The headlining act of the final night, James Morrison is no stranger to Dubai. He was the main draw last year too. He is described by some as a British Stevie Wonder, however, his music also incorporates elements from classic pop-soul by masters such as Ray Charles, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, and Joe Cocker. Although he hit the charts at the tender age of 22, his husky, soulful voice sounds like it has been around much longer.
More from Music
More from Arts & Entertainment
Entertainment Editor's choice
-
John Cleese: Happily ever laughter
John Cleese brings more than 40 years of experience in making other people laugh to Dubai
-
'Cocktail' stars heading to Dubai
Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan are UAE-bound next month
-
Depp disappoints in Dark Shadows
Johnny Depp reunites with director Tim Burton in this vampire movie
