Bring back Bracknell Jazz Festival

[zola]

Bracknell Jazz festival from the eighties is often name checked here, so members may be interested in this link.

http://www.southhillpark.org.uk/8800/shows/bring-back-bracknell-jazz-festival.html

Don't know what the chances are but at least there is an attempt.

[Serial_Apologist]

Some of my happiest memories...

I think what happened was that when the Bracknell Festival first started up in 1974, South Hill Park was still countryside. Then Bracknell grew as part of the yuppification of that area in the 1980s, until housing abutted the grounds; the newcomers complained about "noise", and Jazz Services/Wire Magazine (who I think were the organisers) had to move - which they did, to Crawley. The resultant Outside-In Festival, though good, was somehow never quite the same, and only lasted maybe 3 years.

If anyone wanted to re-start Bracknell, the same problems would apply. Good luck to them, however.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

excellent plan let us hope it works!!!!

[Alyn_Shipton]

The Bracknell JF was great - in the days when I co-led the Excelsior New Orleans Brass Band we opened proceedings more than once and in 1976 we actually paraded through central Bracknell to drum up support - more roundabouts than people so not entirely a success. However, the organiser of many of those festivals, now programmes the London Jazz Festival, having arrived there from the Bracknell event via Camden JF. A lot of what one might once have seen and heard at Bracknell will now be found on the LJF programme (and hence on Radio 3!)

[Tenor Freak]

Just checked the link in post #1. It's been cancelled!

Yes, I miss it, even though I only managed one visit, to the last one in '87. If only it had continued, it would have been right handy for uni in Reading. Stayed late to catch Brecker and had to cadge a lift home. What I liked about it was the fact that all the acts were there on one site; it was my idea of a "proper" jazz fest as opposed to the London model which seems to be a collection of single gigs marketed under one brand.