The seventh North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival is due to take place in Wrexham next week. The event, organised by North Wales Jazz Society, has become hugely popular since it was first held in the town and it attracts jazz fans from all over the world. The opening concert at the William Aston Hall starts at 8.30pm on Wednesday, August 15, and features the cream of Europe’s gypsy jazz guitarists. They include local jazz violinist Billy Thompson who grew up in Neston, Wirral. Billy was a finalist in the 1997 and ’98 UK Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition and, as a result of that success, has not looked back since. Also appearing on Wednesday is Robin Nolan, now living in Holland, who, while being considered one of the world’s leading gypsy jazz guitarists in the tradition of Django Reinhardt, has managed to create his own distinctive style. Others billed for the evening include Andreas Oberg and NWJS favourite Gary Potter. Thursday lunchtime sees a concert at Central Station, above Yale’s Café Bar, starting at 1pm and featuring the Chris Walker/Louis D’Agostino Qunitet. In the evening, back at the William Aston Hall, festival guest of honour American guitarist John Pisano appears with an all-star line-up including guitarist Mundell Lowe, vocalist Betty Bennett, tenor sax player Danny Moss, guitarists Gene Bertoncini, Trefor Owen and Andy Hulme, bass players Jim Ferguson and Bill Coleman and drummer Dave Hassell. Friday’s lunchtime concert at Central Station (starting at 1pm) is entitled Focus On Youth and features six of the UK’s finest young jazz musicians – Andy Hulme and John Kelly (guitars); Liam Byrne (sax); Jamie Brownfield (trumpet); Nick Blacka (double bass) and Rob Turner (drums). For the evening, an impressive triple bill featuring Martin Taylor on guitar, the guitar and vocals trio The Flying Pisanos and guitarist Mimi Fox are joined by Harvie S and Dave Hassell. On Saturday, the lunchtime concert at Central Station provides a second chance to hear Mimi Fox along with fellow guitarist Louis Stewart. This is followed, at 3pm, by Jazz In The Park, a free concert in Bellevue Park featuring guitarists Andy MacKenzie and John Wheatcroft along with Graham Clark (violin) and Paul Roberts (double bass). The festival ends at NWJS’s home venue, the Crown Inn, Llay, with an all-star jam event in which featured artists will play alongside some of the new, promising players who emerge form the summer school which runs concurrently with the festival. Full details of times, venues, admission prices (with saver options and various concessions) are available from Wrexham Tourist Information Centre which can be contacted on 01978 292015. | 
