Blowing their own trumpets

JAZZ fans are in for a busy couple of weeks from Friday, when the Edinburgh Jazz Festival celebrates its 30th birthday with a jam-packed programme that overlaps – for one weekend only – with the Nairn Jazz Festival's 19th gathering.

Nairn organiser Ken Ramage makes no bones about his programming methods. If the audiences loved a gig, he'll do his best to get the same band or soloists back at the earliest opportunity. Thankfully, this year he has broken up the Duke Heitger/Evan Christopher love-in, and is featuring trumpeter Heitger in all sorts of line-ups as he is in residence throughout the festival. He has also brought in a red-hot selection of alternative trumpeters, including Americans Jon-Erik Kellso and Randy Reinhart and Australia's finest, Bob Barnard – who all participate in the Trumpet Summit on August 3 in Nairn Community Centre.

One gig which more than merits being re-staged, as far as it can be, is the now historic 2002 concert given by American cornet great Ruby Braff. That wonderful, laidback evening in Nairn proved to be Braff's final performance (he died early in 2003), and Ramage has organised a tribute gig for August 5 featuring most of the musicians who played that last concert: tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton and pianist John Bunch reprise their roles with Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet duties.

Ramage's personal highlight from last year's festival was hearing US pianist Larry Fuller live for the first time, and he's bringing him back for two sessions: a solo gig on the 5th and a trio on the following night.

With money tighter than usual, and air fares higher, Ramage has had to chop two days off the 2008 event, but he hopes to be able to pull out all the stops next year. Surprisingly, the Edinburgh event isn't pulling out all the stops in terms of 30th birthday celebrations: apart from a special concert at the Queen's Hall on July 29, which features festival founder Mike Hart's band, there isn't much other anniversary action. And even the birthday party smacks of an afterthought as it features bands that are appearing elsewhere in the festival: no sign of the old favourites, such as France's Hot Antic Jazz Band, whose history is bound up with Edinburgh's. (Rumour has it they were supposed to appear, but were then asked to pay their own fares.)

The birthday party gripe aside, there is plenty to tempt jazz fans of all persuasions. Those of a contemporary bent will have their appetite for all that's new sated by such names as Swedish singer Rigmor Gustafsson, the duo of Russian pianist Simon Nabatov and German trombonist Nils Wogram, (all on July 26) and eclectic American fiddler Skye Steele (August 28).

Meanwhile, the programme is particularly generous as far as fans of mainstream, classic and traditional styles are concerned – and there's a mix of old favourites (the aforementioned John Bunch, Bob Barnard, Scott Hamilton, Swedish Jazz Kings, Barbara Morrison) and a few new-to-Edinburgh names, including the Manhattan Ragtime Orchestra and two tribute bands featuring American clarinettist Allan Vaché. v

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (0131-473 2000), from Friday until August 3 www.edinburghjazzfestival.co.uk Nairn International Jazz Festival (01309 674221 or 07968 495350/07808 504586), from August 2-7 www.nairnjazz.com