Ben Carr

Ben Carr is a Devon based musician specialising in slide guitar and a taste for electric blues and roots music. His eclectic style of guitar playing combines bass lines, chord patterns, melodic phrasing and lead runs along the guitar neck. Elements of blues, jazz, folk and self-penned songs are warmly portrayed through warm and soulful singing.

Ben Carr also fronts the flamboyant blues/jazz fusion band ‘Benny Guitar Carr & The Hot Rats’, which will be appearing at this years International Blues & Jazz Festival in Plymouth, as well as the Ashburton Blues Festival. Whilst touring he has shared the stage with such world class artists as Otis Taylor, Tony Joe White, The Wild Cards and Johnny Dickinson to name a few. In 2006 Ben Carr recorded with local musician extraordinaire Vince Lee and produced a 13 track album, which has been critically acclaimed by the music press and played on radio stations all over the world.

For more information on Benny Guitar Carr & The Hot Rats, please visit

www.bennyguitarcarr.co.uk

Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys

Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys are a UK based all-acoustic bluegrass band, and have been together for seven years. They have played all over the country and also in Europe.

Combining four-part harmonies with banjo, dobro, guitar, mandolin and double bass, the band play a selection of classic bluegrass, interesting covers and some catchy and well-penned original material.

TBB are currently working on their 4th commercial release following 2008's ground-breaking DVD 'Four On The Floor'. The new CD will be out later in the Spring.

For more information go to:

www.thunderbridgebluegrass.com

Hamer & Isaacs Gypsy Swing Band

Hamer & Isaacs Gypsy Swing Band play hot swinging Jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France, with the addition of superlatively delicious vocals from Rosie Corlett.

For more information visit:

www.hamerandisaacs.com

Artwork

Artwork are a celtic fusion duo from the Suffolk coast, playing mainly original tunes inspired by the sea, composed by Hebridean-born Art and accompanied by rhythmic jazz guitar from Claire.

Art and Claire met playing with the ceilidh band Workhouse and their tunes create a lively, feel-good atmosphere.

For more information visit:

www.myspace.com/artworkduo

Laura and Rob Williams
 
I'm 16 and Rob is 14. We usually try to play summery, feel-good songs, which compliment the guitars, bass and ukulele. Having played together for about two years, we love to busk in Salcombe and take part in college music events, playing covers and original songs. We play our music purely for the love of it, and playing to an audience is always a bonus!

Ollie Naylor

I started playing the guitar at a young age, and became inspired to perform from watching spectacular Rolling Stones concerts. My song-writing influences include Keith Richards and John Frusciante whilst the numerous others who have influenced my guitar playing technique include my grandfather (who was in a fairly popular band in the sixties), Richards and Frusciante, and countless other players of specific genres.

Having always been self-taught, I have not yet sought to study music academically. I will however attempt to play any instrument in almost any style: I have also played with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and at school I am a member of the Samba Band, Jazz Band and Choir.

The songs I will perform were co-written by a friend who is now at university. As a rule, he writes the lyrics whilst I write the music and produce the tracks. Our group is called Kicking Ego and further original tracks can be found on myspace:

www.myspace.com/kickingego

Harry Bignell

I'm Harry Bignell from Kingsbridge Community College and am interested in Drama, Music, English and a wide variety of different artists and music styles.

I couldn't identify a single artist who's influenced my song writing as it has been a combination of many.

I mostly write about things that have happened to me, I've observed or feel.

Ben Malley

My name is Ben Malley and I have come from a background of writing music for an alternative rock band.

I have recently started to explore other styles of music as a solo artist and the ways in which they can be mixed to give rise to new styles of playing. This is a small showcase of the music I have been working on.

For more information visit:

http://soundcloud.com/benmalley

Hana Lessare

I live in Kingsbridge and have lived in Devon for 14 years.  

I attend the 6th form at Kingsbridge Community College and have enjoyed singing since I was very young.  I have been playing guitar and writing my own songs in addition to performing covers of songs for 5 years.

Phoebe Taylor

My name is Phoebe Taylor and I am a student at Kingsbridge Community College.  I’ve performed for as long as I can remember and singing is a massive part of me and my life.

The songs I write are about experiences I’ve had or ones I’ve seen happen and they are always personal and soulful.  

I’m inspired by my family, friends, other musicians and the world in general.

I listen to lots of different types of music and there are many female singers which I aspire to and help shape my voice, like Adele, Norah Jones, Christina Anguilera and Whitney Houston.

As my songs are about my life then tend to be powerful and I want people to listen to them and feel the emotions I felt writing them.

Harry Hunt

Harry Hunt is a folk influenced singer/ songwriter from Kingsbridge.

In January, he released his debut EP “Between the lines” and has since been playing with his band around the South Hams.

He mixes melodic guitar and vocal riffs with often serious subjects, creating a laidback and easy sound, but is known to put out exciting foot-tappers and fun, upbeat songs.

His emotion driven performances have been acclaimed by other acts such as Cosmo Jarvis and The Martin Harley Band.

For information on where these artists are playing including times, please visit our ‘What’s on’ page.

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Devon Youth Jazz Orchestra

The Devon Youth Jazz Orchestra comprises the best of Devon's young jazz musicians and is split into two separate bands. DYJO2, under the direction of Brian Moore, is the younger of the two bands, and is focused on the essentials of big band playing: ensemble skills in swing, and the fundamentals of jazz soloing. DYJO1, with Graham Hutton, is the senior band, and aims to stretch the players' skills in all directions in a wide range of repertoire.

The bands perform at numerous venues every year throughout Devon, and are delighted to have been asked to return to the Salcombe Festival. One of the recent highlights was DYJO's trip to the Montreux Jazz Festival where they played two full gigs in front of enthusiastic international audiences, and were honoured to be given tickets to see the world-famous jazz pianist Brad Mehldau in the stunning Stravinksy Hall. Other highlights this season include appearances at music festivals in Teignmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Dartmouth.

Our Salcombe concert will feature a wide range of music, from the earliest riff-inspired swing through to more contemporary arrangements, but all performed with the enthusiasm of Devon's best young jazz musicians!

The Kingsmen

The Kingsbridge harmony club the Kingsmen was formed in 1991 by Roy Hann who is also their Musical Director tonight.

The Kingsmen came from humble beginnings in a loft above a local public house, with only eight men attending the first meeting, the membership has grown to over 50 today.

The Kingsmen have toured the US on two occasions and sung in the Netherlands. The chorus recently attended a National Convention in Harrogate where they came in the top third of all the choruses in the country, quite remarkable coming from a small town like Kingsbridge.

This placing reflects the dedication and passion all the members have for their art and the inspiration given by Roy Hann and his team.

More information is available on our website-

www.kingsmen.org.uk

The Bexter little Big Band

Becky Brine, local jazz Blues singer, busker, cabaret performer and Jason Baxter, boogie-woogie, jazz & blues pianist extraodinaire come together
with 'Bob', the Boogie-smooth Saxman to play a few toons for your delectation.

Seasoned performers of stage and boulevard whohave performed at Glastonbury and Port Eliot festivals, Birmingham International Jazz Festival and many other clubs and venues, they'll be busting out Blues,
boogie and jazz songs in no particular order.

Mazaika

Igor Outkine - vocal, acoustic and midi accordion.
Sarah Harrison – violin, vocal

Mazaika has been performing together for fourteen years and have built up an extensive and varied repertoire: Russian folk, Gypsy, Balkan, Hot Club Jazz and Tango, French chanson and Neapolitan songs, Latin, Classical and Opera highlights as well as Rock and Pop.

Igor appeared on screen in David Cronenberg film “Eastern Promises” singing Russian anthem “Dark Eyes” and has sung duets with Soft Cell singer Marc Almond.

They have also worked with Antonio Forcione, Fascinating Aida, Django Bates and Loyko Russian Gypsy Band.

Expect a magical and exhilarating performance guaranteed to transport you from the Russian Steppes to the Gypsy Campfire, the Opera House to the Parisian café.

Full of Russian soul, Tango Passion and Operatic Melodrama plus some Hotclub and Beyond .

Mazaika website: www.mazaika-music.com

Mazaika on Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/mazaika1

Hugely entertaining... the duo frequently brought the house down'

**** Scotsman

'An evening of magic and passion'

Independent

'Sheer heaven... stirring, passionate and highly entertaining'

***** Three weeks

'Achingly glamorous , sweepingly romantic'
****Metro

'A lovely tenor voice... The Purcell Room became a tavern'

Independent

'A real sense of pace'

**** Herald

Today Never Ends

Today Never Ends are a young up and coming Indie rock band formed early 2010 based in Newton Abbot featuring Ben Pritchard, guitar/vocals, Matt Kenward, bass/vocals and Adam Brackley, drums/percussion.

Over the last year the band have performed over 40 times live including festivals, clubs, charity events, bars, youth clubs, christmas lights switch ons and theatres.

Today Never Ends write and perform their own material mainly with covers from musical influences Deaf Havana, Green Day, Gaslight Anthem and Twin Atlantic.

Today Never Ends recently recorded an EP which can be listened to on websites at Facebook and www.myspace.com/todayneverendsmusic.

The bands official website is:

http://todayneverends.weebly.com, contact email for any further information and the booking of gigs is:

todayneverends@hotmail.co.uk

Papa le Gál

....formed in Dorset in the Spring of 2009 and are now based in Bristol. This colourful, well dressed 5-piece will always deliver an evening of stomping tunes, with a positive philosophy reflected in their lyrics.

Swinging between afrobeat, latin and funk (plus anything else that happens to take their fancy) the Papa crew never fail to get a crowd moving, representing the sounds of summer even in the depths of winter and promoting an eccentric festival atmosphere.