Welcome

South African harmonica wizard Adam returns to SMJ with his own superb quartet. He made his SMJ debut at our 2011 winter festival guesting with Mick Hutton (pic Paul Bentley) and created a big impression on audience and critics alike. He celebrates the centenary of the invention of the chromatic harmonica in 2012 with a new CD ‘MZANSI’ which includes jazz standards and South African melodies. He is a national star in S.A. and follows in the footsteps of the great Belgian jazz harmonica maestro ‘Toots’ Thielemans. Check him out on www.myspace.com/adamglasser. He is an amazing player and improviser with outstanding supporting musicians for this gig.

Windsor Suite, doors open 7.30pm

The lady has sung with Sinatra, Bennett, Tormé, and Como and began her career way back with the Dorsey Brothers. It’s two years to the month since she came to SMJ last and she just keeps on singing, recording and picking up plaudits from the press wherever she goes. One from The Newark Star Ledger in her New Jersey back yard said ‘A national treasure. Marlene VerPlanck owns the American popular song book’. Her new CD One Dream At A Time has some wonderful songs superbly sung. Sample on www.marleneverplanck.com but come and hear her. She’s magic, and so is Chris Holmes on piano.

Windsor Suite, doors open 7.30pm

Michael's drive and energy succeeded in getting these amazing fellow Americans over from New York for this tour. Each one deserves a page of space to describe his musical pedigree. Visit www.NYSQ.org and see for yourself. The band’s considerable reputation has been achieved (since formation in 2006) by the way the musicians have taken the familiar jazz standards that are the ‘meat and two veg’ of the genre and developed them.

As the Louisville Music News put it - "These artists clearly relish the opportunity to stretch out, with the knowledge that they are among highly accomplished peers...showing how “the standards” can serve as a foundation for exploration, not just as museum pieces."

Windsor Suite, doors open 7:30pm

This is Leon’s debut tour as a bandleader and he sure has hit the ground running. The CD "Cookin' in Brooklyn" was recorded in New York this year, including US alto star Vincent Herring who started his career with the Lionel Hampton big band, followed by a nine year stint with Nat Adderley, during which he also managed to find time to play and record with Cedar Walton, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Kenny Barron and many more. In all 15 CD’s as bandleader (his own band Earth’s Jazz Agents) and over 200 as a sideman. Mike Janisch makes his second visit to Southport in 3 weeks and our old friend Steve Brown completes this dynamic quartet led brilliantly by Leon’s hard driving piano style last heard at the club in February 2009.

Windsor Suite, doors open 30 minutes before start time

It's been 8 years since we were first introduced to and were captivated by Liane at Southport Arts Centre. Since then she has played at the club several times and one of those gigs resulted in our biggest ever club audience. Hardly surprising for a song writing, vocal and pianistic talent that has seen her move from ’90’s tours with Gerry Rafferty, Jerry Donahue and Long John Baldry to regular headline gigs at Ronnie Scott's, a tour of Brazil where she played to 50,000 audience and the Glastonbury Festival in 2007. Her recordings have sold well with her first CD Billy No Mates (’03), Standard Issue (’05), followed by Slow Down (’07). Her first DVD Liane Carroll Live (’08) included a set from The Brecon Jazz Festival screened on BBC4. As well as picking up 'Musician Of The Year' award from the PJA (’09) she has enjoyed great acclaim for her collaborations with Brian Kellock and Ian Shaw. In 2011 her trio went to the USA and played at Dizzy's and The Lincoln Centre in New York and the Rochester Jazz Festival. Her gig at the 2011 Titley Jazz Festival with Mark on drums sealed this one.

Windsor Suite, doors open 30 minutes before start time

Ever popular multi-award winning reedsman, arranger, composer and band leader Alan Barnes joins Swingshift for the first time since 2008 with a pad of his own charts and some of band leader Phil Shotton's to enthral our sun soaked audience with some swingin' jazz delights on the weekend of the summer solstice.

Pavilion restaurant (including dinner)

At 20 years old this delightful vocalist has already made her mark at the London, Cheltenham and Cork jazz festivals and sung with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Guy Barker's big band. www.emmasmithmusic.com

Music 6-7pm

Most folk's first reaction to anyone suggesting a reprise of what is the jazz world's best known recording by Miles Davis would most probably be 'no chance!' Terry and this band have dispelled that view without a doubt. This has been on of UK jazz's most successful projects in many a year and the band has toured extensively since 2010, with these superb musicians putting their own stamp on Miles' evergreen classics.

Emma Smith returns to lead our "night owls" session with some more vocal magic in a relaxed and informal setting.