Organisers of the seventh International Smokie Blues Festival in Angus expect this year’s event to sell out after confirmation two of the biggest names in the jazz world will be appearing.
Courtney Pine who has been credited with introducing jazz to mainstream audiences in the UK will appear on the festival’s Saturday evening bill with a regular collaborator, the Cuban-born violinist extraordinaire Omar Puente.
The festival will run from September 17-19 at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel, with acoustic gigs also taking place at the nearby Carnoustie Leisure Centre.
Acts confirmed for the opening Friday evening include Wang Dang Delta (Scotland), Dago Red (Italy) and John O’Leary (Ireland/London).
On the Saturday afternoon there will be performances from Papa Mojo (Scotland), Jeremiah Maques And The Blue Aces (London) and Dundee’s own cajun/zydeco outfit Boogalusa.
In addition to Courtney Pine and Omar Puente on Saturday evening there will be sessions from Mama’s Brand New Bag (Scotland) and Glasgow’s Rhumboogie Orchester.
Winding things up on the Sunday will be Scotland’s Wolftrain and Chicago 5, the Juke Joints (Holland) and Sherman Robertson from the United States.
Alfie Dickson, of Smokie Blues, said, “It really is a massive coup for us to get a couple of artists of the calibre of Courtney Pine and Omar Puente to come to our event, and I hope the people of the area come along and enjoy what promises to be a fantastic weekend of top-quality music.
“The line between blues and jazz can be very fine and very blurred, and having seen and heard Courtney and Omar when they appeared together at the Webster Theatre in Arbroath last summer, they can both most definitely play the blues.”
Details of ticket prices for the whole weekend, as well as for individual days and for special packages being offered by the hotel, can be found at www.smokieblues.com.
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user richardkaby.