by Lucy Bywater
Pavilion in the Park was the setting for an evening of jazz on Thursday evening when talented duo of pianist Will Barry and tenor Alex Hitchcock opened a season of new concerts aimed at breaking down barriers between musicians and audience.
Arriving by bike across Bedford Park, we were perfectly timed to enjoy a pudding (light meals can also be ordered) and a glass of wine as the musicians took their places. Will and Alex are top-notch musicians whose dedication and passion for their art shines through. Playing a combination of their own compositions and other repertoire by greats such as Hermeto Pascoal and Miles Davies, they both entertained and engaged their audience in the candle lit pavilion. The Q&A after the first set was a nice opportunity to find out more about their musical pasts, their influences and the process of composing. They have played together for ten years and both are shortly to graduate from the postgraduate jazz programme at the Royal Academy of Music and have already enjoyed playing alongside major jazz figures such as Laurence Cottle, Jasper Hoiby and Soweto Kinch.
The concerts, organised by jazz promotion and education company Conscia Jazz, are scheduled for the last Thursday of the month and for the ticket price of just £10 for wonderful music in a relaxing setting and an excellent way to welcome the weekend a little early on a summer’s evening in Bedford. You may have to be quick to get a ticket for the next concert, by Welsh vocalist Ian Shaw, on June 30th. Much acclaimed Ian is twice winner of BBC Jazz Awards Best Vocalist. Only 30 tickets are available for each show and can be booked in advance at conscia.org
Where? The Pavilion at the Park, in Bedford Park.
When? 8.00-10.30pm on June 30th, July 28th, August 25th, September 29th
