Manchester finds its jazz

Elation seizes the northern city to the rhythm of jazz

Manchester holds its biggest jazz festival to date: nine days of live jazz around the city for the fifteenth edition of the event. 

The unavoidable sound of jazz is perceivable as soon as one sets foot on the streets’ of Manchester city centre. The sound of a brave trumpet flows among the restrained buildings, today’s reminder of the city’s glorious industrial past. People on the streets don’t wear headphones. It might be a sign.

The Manchester Jazz Festival celebrates the work of contemporary jazz artists, focusing especially on the ones coming from the North West region. It also offers a great selection of national and international artists. “Some of the names in the programme will be unfamiliar because they don’t get the limelight we think they deserve,” warn the organizers of the festival. With many of the concerts being free, complaining about unknown bands is out of the question. 

“I had never expected to see flamenco in here,” says a surprised woman, probably in her early fifties, to the man who holds her hand. Glazz, a group from southern Spain, is on stage at Albert Square. While playing their last song, a flamenco dancer astonishes the audience with her passionate dance on stage. She embodies the perfect symbiosis of Glazz’s flamenco roots and the elegance of jazz. The most sonorous applause goes to her. 

Flamenco dancer at the Manchester Jazz Festival

The incredible neo-Gothic façade of the Victorian-era Manchester Town Hall, together with the jazz music makes the British, Spanish, Chinese, Italian or German food outlets at Albert Square even more enjoyable. 

Albert Square is the festival’s hub of activity with music from 12 noon to midnight daily, but there are eight different venues in which over eighty different bands will be playing during the nine days that the festival lasts. At St. Ann’s Square the stage is smaller and there are no marquee or food outlets, but all the seats are taken. On the stage, Dean Masser, Gavin Barras and Marek Dorcik, reinterpret jazz classics inspired by Sonny Rollins´ essential album ‘Way Out West’. Taking advantage of the piano and guitar absence, they explore the harmonic freedom in a great show of free improvisation still using jazz structures. 

With six days left and more than forty free jazz concerts to go to, this week in Manchester it is impossible to escape from the jazz calling.

If killing time between concerts: 

Manchester Art Gallery

A perfect dose of pre-Raphaelites paintings together with great Turners, Manchester Art Gallery is located between the two main venues (Albert Square and St. Ann Square). Until the 30th of August you can also see the photography exhibition “A World Observed 1940 - 2010” by Dorothy Bohm. (Mosley Street).

John Rylands University Library

A Gothic temple for books built in Victorian times, it is said to be the most beautiful library in England. Enriqueta Rylands built it as tribute to her late husband. Only five minutes away from St. Ann’s Square, it is worth to pay a visit to this public library (35, Deansgate Street). 

Rylands library

A beer at Trop

This popular pub located in the vibrant Northern Quarter (8,Thomas Street) is not very handy but its variety of beers and its underground vibe well deserve the walk. 

Piccadilly Records

Also in the Northern Quarter (53, Oldham Street), this shop is essential to get vinyl records from legendary Manchester’s bands such as The Smiths, Joy Division or New Order.

A cocktail at Hilton’s Cloud23 bar

A more selective atmosphere, the skyscraper that is the Hilton Hotel offers one of the best views of the city. (303, Deansgate Street). 

Clinton hotel