Swingtime on Islay

The beautiful island of Islay is famous for several things, including its whisky, but STUART TODD explains how it also came to have one of the most attractive jazz festivals in Scotland
 

“WE GOT THIS CALL from Islay,” the story goes, “where they wanted advice on groups for a jazz night.  We said, why don’t you have a festival? – and they did.”  So goes the folklore about the beginnings of the Islay Jazz Festival, now the biggest non-urban jazz festival in Scotland.  And it is true – if you build in a year and a half of planning and a long search for the perfect sponsor.

Taking the calls were Fiona Alexander and Roger Spence of Assembly Direct, the Leith-based organisation who are Scotland’s largest jazz promoters, running the Edinburgh and Dundee jazz festivals, and several other festivals (including co-promoting the Nairn Jazz Festival with Ken Ramage), tours, concerts and club dates.

The man making the call was me – Stuart Todd of Islay Arts Association, local promoters on the inner Hebridean island well known for its whiskies and wildlife. Within our resources, the IAA is a multi-arts promoter.  Since 1985, with the vital support of the Scottish Arts Council and a very sympathetic Charitable Trust, we have put on 8 – 10 presentations a year.

The aim is for a spectrum of performing arts which include drama, dance, literature, kids’ shows and of course, music of various sorts.  In the early 90s we presented a jazz event which was well received by a local audience of about 60, good for an island population of under 3500.  Fast forward a few years and the time seemed right for more jazz.  But though several of our committee are jazz fans we felt we needed specialist help, so the call was made to Leith.

Coincidentally Assembly Direct were looking to seed a new Scottish festival so the planning began.  Although an island two hours by ferry from the west coast mainland seemed to some an unlikely option, those involved kept faith.  The turning point came when the perfect sponsor agreed to come on board;  Black Bottle, the number two selling Scotch whisky whose marketing centres on quality blends, including whiskies from all seven of Islay’s single malt distilleries.

The first Black Bottle Islay Jazz Festival set the pattern in 1999;  a September weekend with events running from Friday night through to Sunday night, in a wide variety of venues all across the island.  International artists are always part of the programme, but the backbone is a range of great Scottish players – the six years of the festival has interestingly corresponded with a particular flourishing of the Scottish jazz scene. 

“All the venues are chosen to present the music in situations that are unusual and inspiring.”

These musicians would always include Scottish players who have become international stars as well as younger artists whose careers haven’t yet taken them overseas.  The 2004 programme, for instance, has among others a return visit by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra under Tommy Smith, the young lions of Les Ecossais, and the more mature talents of the Scottish Jazz All Stars.

Crossing oceans are musicians from Australia, Iceland and the USA; from New Orleans Jesse Davis will show why he is considered one of the world’s top alto saxophonists; and from New York comes the startling tenor sax of Donnie McCaslin.

The island’s local talent gets well displayed too.  Gaelic song is the art form in which Islay excels, but one fine singer made the jump a decade ago from her roots music to also become a top class jazz and blues vocalist.  Sheena Swanson will this year perform a selection of songs made famous by Billie Holiday in a quartet with Islay colleague Brian Palmer on drums, Brazilian bassist Mario Caribe and – back from Berklee – ace pianist Paul Harrison.  The two “Ileachs” then move from this grouping to join Islay’s own raunchy blues band, 95° Proof.

More than a dozen venues are regularly used, and many reckon this a big attraction.  They include village halls, hotels, the high-tech Columba Centre, a big country house, the R.S.P.B. visitor centre and, naturally, distilleries.  Ardbeg and Bruichladdich regularly feature and a big event in Bunnahabhainn has become a noteworthy fixture.  This single malt distillery – under the same ownership as the Black Bottle brand – makes a superb setting with views across the Sound of Jura.  All the venues are chosen to present the music in situations that are unusual and inspiring.

Audiences, travelling around these concerts over the weekend, split about 3:2 visitors to locals, which means a substantial benefit to the local economy.  Nearly 100 dedicated jazz fans, plus nearly 50 musicians and a handful of journalists make an input into the islands’ tourist industry, just after the main season.

As well as the life-giving commercial sponsorship, funding has included help from A.I.E., Argyll and Bute Council and the Scottish Arts Council, whose long-term backing is vital to both Assembly Direct and Islay Arts.

If I am to summarise the progress of the festival, I would say that there are probably half a dozen components which have come together in its success.  The great music, obviously.  The perfect sponsor (and their free drams at many of the events!).  The different skills of the two promoters – Assembly Direct’s huge knowledge and experience of the jazz scene and our knowledge of local people, venues, resources and so on.  The composition of the audiences, with visitors mixing happily with locals.  And finally Islay itself – a beautifully varied island that every September is itself one of the stars of the Festival.

The Islay Jazz Festival 2004 runs from 10-12 September.
 
© Stuart Todd, 2004