Interest area: Music

Jacqui Dankworth – the imaginative and moving, award-winning vocalist, appears in concert, for one night only, at Liverpool Philharmonic.

In this very special and intimate concert, audiences will be treated to a sparkling collection of songs drawn from her highly praised studio albums, alongside the music which has inspired her incredible career.

Firmly established as one the country’s leading jazz vocalists, Jacqui’s live concerts showcase her unique versatility and effortless mastery of a wide spectrum of genres, drawing on jazz, folk, soul and blues, as well as her acute sensibility as a songwriter and lyricist.

Jethro Tull celebrate their The Seven Decades Tour with songs spanning the bands entire catalogue of music from their 1968 debut album This Was through to their latest album RökFlöte that was released earlier this year.

Through their 23 studio albums, they have continued to push the boundaries of their music. With Ian’s unique and iconic flute playing paired with his distinct vocal, they are one of the most important and distinctive bands the UK have ever produced and Ian’s desire to continually innovate has ensured they remain as relevant around the world today as they did in the seventies.

Jump on seven decades to 2023 and they’ve sold over 60 million albums, have an extensive global fan base and over 30 studio and live albums to their name… but much remains the same! With Ian at the helm, the bands hunger for creativity and experimentation is as strong as ever and only evolves and develops.

He became a consummate performer making trips to Ireland to compete in music competitions (known as a Fleadh Cheoil). These became a regular feature of Nathan’s life during his teenage years. He won All-Ireland medals for solo singing and piano accordion when he was just 12 years old.

It was a natural progression for this gifted performer to develop a thriving solo career around Liverpool, London and eventually further afield in Ireland.

Success led to Nathan moving to Ireland to follow his dream of becoming a professional entertainer in January 2010. His career took off almost immediately. Single-handedly he revived the live music scene in Ireland attracting young fans in their thousands.

Nathan has recorded six number one albums in Ireland and has had a top 20 UK album release with the CD Beautiful Life

Nathan’s latest album The Morning After released in November 2022 went straight to Number One in the Irish Album Charts!

The Necks are one of the great cult bands of Australia.

Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (drums), and Lloyd Swanton (bass) conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms.

Featuring lengthy pieces which slowly unravel in the most mesmerising fashion, frequently underpinned by an insistent deep groove, the eighteen albums by The Necks stand up to re-listening time and time again.

The deceptive simplicity of their music throws forth new charms on each hearing. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.

With a pure silken voice and lyrics that inspire and captivate, Martha Tilston has gained a large and loyal following.

She has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, released several critically acclaimed albums, gained a nomination for BBC best newcomer, appeared as a guest vocalist for Zero 7, toured internationally and worked with some of the world’s most inspiring performers. The past few years have seen Martha venture into the world of film making. She recently released her first feature film, The Tape, which is garnering much praise and excitement.

With her long-time collaborators and musicians Matt Tweed and Matt Kelly, she entwines raw vocals, sparkling melodies and thought-provoking lyrics with filmic movements and earthy baselines. To see them live is to connect with longed-for parts of ourselves…

Following the huge success of their 60^th anniversary tour in 2023, The Manfreds will be making their way to The Atkinson on Thursday 9^th May 2024 for a much awaited appearance.

They are considered one of the finest and most respected bands from the 1960’s era. Their numerous hits were not just ‘pop’ songs, many were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz – a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance.

As a result, their records have a timeless quality and, some 60 years on, The Manfreds, with original front man Paul Jones, will be performing many of their hits, including ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’, one of the most popular and instantly recognisable songs of the ‘60’s, and still the biggest audience pleaser at their concerts, along with a mix of Jazz and Blues covers and tracks from their individual solo albums.

Paul Jones, with his unique harmonica sound, will be joined by Tom McGuinness on guitar, Pete Riley on drums, Mike Gorman on keyboards, Marcus Cliffe on bass, and Simon Currie on saxophone/ flute.