A Nostalgic Look Back to the 2006 & 2010 Cannizaro Park Festival



The Cannizaro Park Festival was set in idyllic surroundings of the beautiful Italian Gardens of Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon Village, London. The festival would feature a wide variety of evening performances including pop, opera, swing and comedy as well as workshops and jazz sessions in the park every Sunday. The festival was held in 2005, 2006, 2008, & 2010. It was not held in 2009.
Content is from the site's 2006 & 2010 archived pages providing a glimpse of what this festival offered for two different years.

IT’S BACK!

We’re thrilled to announce the return of the Wimbledon Common Cannizaro Festival for 2010.



Situated in the charming Italian Gardens of Cannizaro Park, the festival brings you a wonderful variety of top-quality acts in a beautiful surrounding.

With acts ranging from the hilarious comic Rufus Hound to the gorgeous and talented Passionata – we’re sure we have something for everyone.

We are also delighted to bring you a sports All Star evening to celebrate the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament finals. Presented by F1 pundit Eddie Jordan and in support of Sport Relief, this night is not to be missed

So grab a friend and come and join us for a summer evening of fun filled entertainment.

Tickets can be purchased from Ambassador tickets  or by calling: 0844 871 767

Tickets: 

£27 (allocated covered grandstand seat)
£20 (uncovered picnic area) 
Upgrade to a VIP Hospitality ticket : £75

~~~~~

Some observations:
I was going to university in London in 2010 when my future wife suggested we attend the Wimbledon Common Cannizaro Festival. The park itself is delightful just for strolling or for taking a guided tour. Many events are held there throughout the year, although 2020 was an exception due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Over the years we have returned to enjoy more events. Guided tours have returned but places are limited due to Covid, This fall the tradition of art returns to Cannizaro Park with a new event called Art in the Park which is taking place on Sunday 19th September, in partnership with the Merton Arts Festival. I introduced my cousin from Australia who has been basically marooned here in Great Britain, unable to return to Australia because of the quarantines and restrictions placed on who can and who can not travel to visiting the park throughout the past year. As a thank you he bought all of us tickets to the The Tempest. Cannizaro Park provides a stunning backdrop for an open-air performances performed in the round with amplified sound from Mayhem Theatre.

My cousin still enjoys at least one Australian long time habit, playing pokies. Although he can't meet his mates at his favorite Sydney pub to engage in this VERY popular Australian past time, he can play pokies at his go-to online casino called Uptown Pokies, of course. If you are into that sort of thing I suggest you go here to check out the casino. Or check out the best pokies at Online-Casino-Party.co. I admit I am taken with playing slots myself. I actually like playing a fruit machine in person rather than playing online. My American friends laugh at the Australian term, pokies, for slot games and our British term, fruit machines, rather than slot machine. I get a lot of snarky comments about my preference for playing fruit machines. But I know it's all in good fun.

Meanwhile, I do hope that the resurgence in Covid 19 because of the Delta variant is not going to negatively impact the Art in the Park show in September. Time will tell and the park will always be there for a simply stroll.

Life in 2010 seemed so much simpler.

~~~~~

FOOD AND DRINK

 

Throughout the festival there will be a delicious variety of food from around the world. Our professional and high quality caterers will be offering tasty foods such as Moroccon, Thai, Spanish Paellas, Ice cream, Pancakes and much more.

We will also have fully licensed bars selling all your favourite tipples from gin to pimms, and beer to wine, so come along and enjoy a lovely warm summers evening in beautiful surroundings at the Wimbledon Common Cannizaro Festival.


INFORMATION

Where is the Wimbledon Common Cannizaro Festival?

The Cannizaro Festival is located in the beautiful Italian Gardens of Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon Village.
Easy to miss, some of you might never have discovered the beautiful lawns that lay hidden behind Cannizaro House - but believe us, they’re worth a visit.
Cannizaro Park is located to the west of Cannizaro House and Westside Common and is bounded by Dunstall Road and the Royal Wimbledon Golf Course.
The main entrance is on Common Westside, immediately next to the Cannizaro House Hotel.

When is the Wimbledon Common Cannizaro Festival?

The festival starts on Friday 2 July 2010 and includes every day up to Saturday 17 July.
The gates will be open from 18:00 with support acts on most evenings and all main acts will finish at 22:30.
During the festival three other important dates to note are the Wimbledon Tennis finals and the Fifa World Cup final so why not enjoy the womens tennis final on Saturday 3 July followed by an evening with Eddie Jordan and an All Star Band or the mens tennis final on Sunday 4 July followed by an evening of Jazz with Snowboy or warm up to the football final in South Africa on Sunday 11 July with an afternoon of South African Jazz.

How do I get to the festival?

  • By train or tram to Wimbledon Station then take the 93, 200 or 493 bus to Wimbledon Village.
  • By bus take the 93, 200 or 493 to Wimbledon Village from Wimbledon or take the 93 bus from Putney.
  • Or if you are feeling fit it’s just a 30min walk from Wimbledon Station.
  • The park is accessible to pedestrians only so please use public transport rather than bringing you car.
  • Local parking is governed by Merton Council and patrolled regularly by traffic wardens.

Can I bring my own food and drink to the festival?

Food and soft drinks can be brought along and consumed in the picnic area in front of the stage, please bring all liquids in plastic bottles, no glass bottles are allowed past the ticket barrier.
Alcohol cannot be brought into the venue.
There will be a selection of bars and stalls where alcohol and food can be purchased. 

You have to be 18 years old to purchase and drink alcohol, please remember to being proof of age as you may be asked at the bar.

Do you have provisions for wheel chairs and the disabled?

There are tickets and good access for the disabled and people in wheel chairs available and priority parking can be arranged.
For access booking call: 0871 297 5454
For Typetalk booking call: 0870 060 6641
(these bookings cannot be made online)

What other information do I need to know?

There are toilets and first aid on site.
No umbrellas or fold out/deck chairs to be used during performances in the grandstand or picnic area ensuring that everyone has a good view of the stage.

 



Friday 2 July - Saturday 17 July 2010

 

MAIN ACTS

SUSPICIOUSLY ELVIS
SNOWBOY
EDDIE JORDAN WITH AN ALL STAR BAND
RUFUS HOUND
ROGER CHAPMAN AND THE SHORT LIST
COMIC STRIP LIVE
BARRY WHITE
LIANE CARROLL
SIXTIES NIGHT WITH THE 60'S ALLSTARS FEATURING MICK AVORY FROM THE KINKS
AN AFTERNOON OF SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ
AN EVENING AT THE OPERA
SOUL SYMPHONY
THE BRIT SCHOOL
MICA PARIS
COMIC STRIP LIVE
1974 THE ABBA YEARS


1974 (Abba Tribute Show) CANNIZARO FESTIVAL LONDON

 

SUPPORT ACTS

ALLEY CATS
EILEEN HUNTER
MALORY TORR
TANKUS THE HENGE
SLIM LIGHTFOOT
THE KATRIONA TAYLOR BAND
SAM BAILEY
THE FRUITFUL EARTH
WEE WILLY HARRIS
LISA ROLLIN
CASCADE DANCE
JAKE HALL
THE MELISSA JAMES BAND
HANNAH CLIVE

 



 

SUSPICIOUSLY ELVIS

WITH FABULOUS FEATHERGIRLS

MEET THE KING!

Friday 2 July / 20:00

Tonight's support act are the ALLEY CATS

From London to Liverpool, from Denmark to Dubai, the amazing vocal skills of SUPICIOUSLY ELVIS, along with his band and the beautiful Feathergirls, have been entertaining audiences the world over, faithfully recreating those memorable Vegas concerts. Join us and "Rock On

 


 

THE 606 CLUB proudly presents an evening with SNOWBOY

Come down and Salsa to one of the hottest Latin bands in Europe - dancing definitely allowed!

Sunday 4 July19:30

Percussionist Snowboy has been one of the main cornerstones of the British and European Latin Jazz scene for over 15 years. His remarkable band “The Latin Section” is a 'Dream Team' of the finest Jazz and Latin musicians based in the U.K and has recently been described as "one of the top Latin Jazz acts in the World, alongside Eddie Palmieri and Bobby Sanabria" by a leading expert in Afro Latin Music, Professor Robert Farris-Thompson of Yale University. It says something about the respect with which he is held in the Worldwide Latin scene that, as a non Latin/American Englishman, he appears in the book ‘The Who’s Who Of Latin Music’.



Live performance of Dick Philpot and friends (Jared Green and Dave Helmore) at the Cannizaro Festival in London UK.

Snowboy has released 15 albums and 20 singles in the last twenty years and has performed all over the world from Greece to Australia, Hong Kong to Ireland, Singapore to Scandinavia, the U.S.A., Japan, Canada, Turkey, all over Europe and many more countries besides, with his own band and with artists such as Lisa Stansfield, Mark Ronson, The James Taylor Quartet, Basia, Airto Moreira and Jon Lucien.

His heavy schedule as a session musician has taken him to play on the Johnny Carson, Arsenio Hall and David Letterman TV shows, amongst many others. Unlike many of today's overly polished and/or bland Latin Jazz recordings, Snowboy's albums comprise non-stop Afro-Cuban Jams and catchy Mambos reminiscent of the early works of Eddie & Charlie Palmieri and Tito Puente and show a firm understanding of the Latin Jazz tradition. His music has been rightly described as fiery, hard driving, up-tempo, authentic Afro Cuban Jazz. A great band lead by a great player.

"Fast, muscular with a sharp vicious bite" THE OBSERVER.

"Is there no stopping Britain's premier Conguero in his bid for world domination?" JAZZ WISE.

 


 

EDDIE JORDAN with an All Star Band in support of SPORT RELIEF

Saturday 3 July / 20:00

Tonight's support band is EILEEN HUNTER

F1 pundit Eddie Jordan rocks with his band, 'The Robbers' together with celebrity friends. A fun packed party night of rock and roll, famous faces trying out their musical skills on stage along with an All Star charity auction. Come and join the party!

This evening is in support of Sport Relief, an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)

 


 

Tonight’s support acts are MALORY TORR and TANKUS THE HENGE

COMIC STRIP LIVE presents An Evening of World Class Comedy Featuring RUFUS HOUND

Monday 5 July / 20:00

MC & Host - RUFUS HOUND - Captain of BBC2’S Argumental (and was performing as Cheryl Cole for Comic Relief!!). Rufus has presented live coverage from the Glastonbury Festival, Reading Festival and T in the Park for BBC3 / BBC2. He was a regular guest presenter on BBC’s Top of the Pops and was team captain on Vorderman's Big Brain Game. He was a mentor for ITV2’s Best Man's Speech, and also presented Grime Scene Investigation (RDF for BBC3) and narrated 2 series of BBC3’s Mythbusters. Most recently, he gave a winning performance on ITV’s Thank God You're Here, co-presented the British Comedy Awards and is currently team-captain on Dave’s Argumental. Rufus’ aim in life? - To make us smile and show us cool stuff!

HAL CRUTTENDEN - Hal is one of the country’s top comedians and comes to Cannizaro fresh from supporting Rob Brydon on his sold out national tour and his critically acclaimed performance on the Royal Variety Show. Nominated for the Perrier Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Festival for his solo show ‘Hal’, followed by a highly successful run the following year of his second show, ‘To Hal and Back’, which was also performed at the Soho Theatre in London.

‘Without doubt, one of the funniest comics on the circuit - a very clever man indeed.’ Time Out

TERRY ALDERTON - This outstanding comic (and ex-Southend goalkeeper!) hurtles us through an ad-libbed riot of exuberant, loose-limbed physical comedy; full of extraordinary caricatures and stunningly acute impressions. Combine that with a fearless onstage presence, unshakeable confidence and his streetwise hyperactive delivery, Terry always leaves his audience exhilarated and exhausted with laughter.
Peek inside the Technicolor mind of one of Britain’s finest comic talents and, find him desperately doing battle with all the strange and hilariously unpredictable demons, that have decided to set up home there.

‘Wonderful’ The Independent

‘A fantastic comedy mind’ Eddie Izzard, 
‘Glorious’ The Herald

 MICKY FLANAGAN -  Edinburgh Comedy Awards Nominee 2007
BBC Radio 4 special, What Chance Change? 
Micky draws on his East End background as he ruthlessly deconstructs the Cockney Myth with razor sharp observational wit. He tells a comic tale of a working class upbringing, where alphabetti spaghetti is a luxury. Micky has come a long way since then, thanks to a university education he is now a rare delight – an intellectual cockney.

“If there is any justice in the world he’d be a huge star”
Tim Arthur – Time Out

“The rising star” Stephen Armstrong - The Sunday Times

“Rarely short of hilarious” Steve Bennett - Chortle

ZOE LYONS - Award winning comedian.
If.comedy Best Newcomer Nominee 2007

"Confident and Razor Sharp" Observer Magazine 
"One to Watch " Time Out 
"Her material is diverse; flitting from one subject to another without breaking pace and she hits the right comedic tone every time" funny.co.uk

 


 

An Evening of BARRY WHITE and DIANA ROSS Soul and Motown Sounds with Classic Soul Fat Cat Hackett and Emily Johnson

Thursday 8 July / 20:00

Tonights support band is SAM BAILEY

Fat Cat Hackett, Chestertown, Maryland USA, musically influenced by Otis Reading, James Brown, The Temptations, Luther Vandros and a variety of Horn Bands.

Fat Cat brings decades of experience and professionalism to the table. His entertainment style is very unique. Fat Cat is also a seasoned musician representing the very best in (Old School) live entertainment today!

Emily Johnson is a songwriter and composer. Inspired by Whitney Houston her performance is described as sweet and smooth as her idol.


 

SOUL SYMPHONY

Orchestral Hip-Hop Extravaganza!

Tuesday 13 July / 21:00

Tonight's support band are CASCADE DANCE and JAKE HALL

Soul Symphony are a collective of professional musicians who, by combining their different styles and disciplines, have created a unique musical concept
From backgrounds and genres as diverse as the hip hop, jazz, R&B, pop and classical music scenes, each musician brings their own level of expertise to the project and serves to enhance the musical direction of the group as a whole.

The full Soul Symphony line up includes a fully established UK rapper, budding pop starlet, professional R&B drummer, dynamic jazz brass section and an experienced classical string section flanked by a dexterous and highly impressive scratch DJ and 2 gravity defying break dancers.

Individually, members of the group have worked with artists such as Dizzee Rascal, JLS, Donaeo, Tiny Tempah, Jhest, Natalie Williams, Mica Paris, the BBC Concert and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's and have performed in venues as diverse as the O2 Arena, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and the Royal Albert Hall.

The group are currently cutting their teeth by performing specially produced medleys of well known hip hop tracks arranged and orchestrated for each voice or instrument. The end result is a visually impressive, stylish and modern musical extravaganza.

Each individual in Soul Symphony shares a mutual love of music and admiration for each other's styles and mediums. It is because of this that the collective has progressed leaps and bounds in such a short space of time and will only continue to organically develop and grow into one of the most exciting acts of the 21st Century.
…. Soul Symphony is not to be missed!


 

THE 606 CLUB PRESENTS an afternoon of South African Jazz as a warm up to the World Cup Final!

Sunday 11 July / 4:00

Warm up for the big night with a big afternoon.....the 606 Club brings South Africa to the heart of Wimbledon!

ADAM GLASSER with Special Guests LUCKY RANKU and PINISE SAUL.
Originally from South Africa Adam Glasser is one of the UK's leading piano and chromatic harmonica players. He has appeared on many gigs, sessions and recordings including the likes of Joe Zawinul, Sting, The Eurythmics, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Incognito and the African Jazz Allstars where he has performed with an ensemble of inspiring African musicians including Lucky Ranku & Pinise Saul. Incidentally, his Special Guests today are the great South African vocalist Pinise Saul ,“Queen” of African Jazz, and legendary African guitarist Lucky Ranku who has been at the heart of South African music and politics for over 40 years. Together they create an amazing atmosphere with the irresistible African rhythms of South African Township music.
 
Regarded by many as Africa’s greatest jazz guitarist, Lucky Ranku possesses a fearsome technique and dynamic attack on the guitar is quite unlike any other African guitarist. His multi-faceted music is high on quality and ideas and with his groups he creates music that stirs the heads, the hands and most definitely the feet. He laid the foundation for what became known as “the township beat” which enjoyed massive successes all across the world with The Malombo Jazz Group in the 60s and Julian Bahula’s Jabula in the 70s. In the 80s he became a featured soloist with Dudu Pukwana's Zila and The Johnny Dyani Group.

Since 1990 Lucky has been the musical director of “The South African Gospel Singers” where he continues to achieve worldwide acclaim for his deft arrangements of Pinise Saul's compositions and for his brilliant guitar lines. He also co-leads the “Township Express with Pinise Saul who, over the last 30 years, has championed the fusion of African rhythms and jazz vocal improvisation. Her career took a back seat during the fight against apartheid. She was one of the leading musicians alongside fellow South African exiles Dudu Pukwana, Johnny Dyani, Lucky Ranku, Mongezi Feza and Julian Bahula who used music as a weapon to fight apartheid. During this period she performed all over the world for The African National Congress, who were the first African Group to tour Cuba. Major concerts included Boston University Stadium with Bob Marley and Patti La Belle, The Nelson Mandela concert at Wembley Stadium and the sound track of the film Cry Freedom. Pinise is a remarkable singer who fuses African traditional harmonies and contemporary rhythms to create a style that is uniquely hers. Her soulful and passionate voice, her incredible range, her brilliant compositions and her inspired improvisations make her performances an unforgettable experience.

Today’s performance also features the diverse musical talents of Alec Dankworth on bass and Paul Robinson on drums. This is one event not to miss and an extraordinary line up as an introduction to the World Cup Final this evening.

 


 

THE 606 CLUB proudly presents an evening with LIANE CARROLL

Friday 9 July / 20:00

LIANE CARROLL **Winner BBC Jazz Awards 2005/6**. The first artist ever to win two BBC Jazz Awards in the same year, for ‘Best Vocalist’ and ‘Best of Jazz”, Liane is a multi award winning dynamic vocalist and pianist whose amazing talent has been captivating audiences around the world.

She is recognised as one of the finest singer/pianists on the scene, working with the likes of Gerry Rafferty, Ladysmith Black Mombazo and Paul McCartney and has been a featured performer at the Glastonbury Festival. Her albums on Splash Point records have been received with universal acclaim and led to an hour long “special” on BBC TV featuring her performance at the Brecon Jazz Festival.

A world class performer her powerful, blues tinged, voice combined with strong piano playing and exciting infectious material, not to mention a wicked sense of humour, make this a truly remarkable gig.

“..swinging like hell one minute, brutally expressive and heartbreakingly tender the next….utterly brilliant” Time Out

"A jazz force to be reckoned with…the real thing" The Independent

“..world class” Guardian

“..deeply soulful” The Times

“..fizzing with creative energy” The Observer

“…unswerving honesty and molten intensity…burningly expressive” Jazzwise.

 



Cannizaro Park Festival 2006

22ND JULY – 6TH AUGUST 2006

CLASSICAL

BOHEME
Monday 24th July - 8pm
Tickets £22/£15
Boheme began in 2004, consisting of 5 classically trained singers, specialising in popular classical music, show songs and sporting anthems. With English, Bahamian, German, Indian, Irish & Scottish roots they happily reflect the culture of modern day Britain. In the past year they have performed to over 30,000 people on their street tour raising funds for Save The Children. 

Boheme are a British male vocal group formed in May 2004. The group consists of classically trained singers and they specialise in popular classical music, show song and sporting anthems. They interpret Boheme as meaning ‘free spirit’ as it represents their outlook on life and desire to achieve their goals even if the path seems unconventional.

“…wonderful, so beautifully timed” Andrew Edwards, BBC Radio

“ …in a class of their own. I wanted to hear much, much more.” Pat Rudkins, Essex County Newspapers

“With talent & looks like this, Boheme won’t be performing on the streets much longer”. Liz Mullen, BBCRadio

With their English, Bahamien, German and Scottish roots, they are truly proud that the group reflects the diverse culture of modern day Britain. The group Consists of 5 men. John Innes (Tenor), Jack Foley (Tenor), Paul Vincent (Baritone), Simon Sundermann (Bass-baritone), Franz Hepburn (Bass).

They have appeared in numerous Radio interviews for stations such as BBC Radio Essex and Lite FM, They sang the national anthem and Jerusalem at Twickenham Stadium  for the International Rugby Match between England and Samoa and Most recently have produced a CD entitled You’ll Never Walk Alone to raise many for the Save The Children charity fund.  

They will be performing at the Cannizaro Park Festival
 on 24th July.

 

 

 

WIMBLEDON LIGHT OPERA SOCIETY
Tuesday 25th July - 8pm
All Tickets £15
Experience a virtual time-capsule of popular American music, including but not limited to vaudeville and minstrel show music, Appalachian and Negro Spirituals, operetta, early Broadway, swing, country, and Rock & Roll, with ‘live’ appearances from Elvis, Frankie, and Marilyn Monroe.
 


 

MADAME BUTTERFLY by Puccini
Performed by European Chamber Opera
Monday 31st July - 7.30pm
Tickets £25/£22
One of the world’s most popular operas, Madame Butterfly passionately explores the consequences of obsessive devotion. 
Set against the backdrop of war time Japan.

The European Chamber Opera presents Puccini’s Madame Butterfly.
One of the world's most popular operas, Madame Butterfly passionately explores the consequences of obsessive devotion. Pinkerton, a U.S. Navy officer in Japan, contracts what he considers a temporary marriage to gheisha Cio-Cio-San, called Butterfly, who renounces religion and family in her adoration for him. When Pinkerton leaves for America, Butterfly blissfully ignores warnings of his unfaithfulness and awaits his return and brings up his child, even turning down a marriage proposal from Yamadori, a rich Japanese businessman. With all avenues of escape closed to her, she is shattered when Pinkerton returns with an American wife. Butterfly ends her unbearable misery with her father's sword, thus preserving her honor and the Pinkertons take the boy back to the US.

ECHO were formed in 1991 by Stefan Paul Sanchez and have since performed around the world both commercially and at major charity fundraisers for Sir Elton John & The Princes Trust. In 1995 Stefan became artistic director of Holland Park Opera and was honoured with Associate of The Royal Academy of Music for services to Opera.

The European Chamber Opera  will be performing at Cannizaro Park on July 31st  @ 7.30pm
 Tickets £22 general admission £25 seated
Tickets available from tickets.com or 0870 0606616

 

 

 

MUSICALS OF THE MILLENNIUM
Saturday 5th August - 8pm
All Tickets £15
A celebration of the best musicals of the 20th century, a top cast of west end singers and dancers in a high energy show featuring the best loved numbers from all your favourite shows.
You’ll Never Walk Alone, I Could Have Danced All Night, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina and All That Jazz to name but a few

Join us on a journey through the history of the greatest musicals of the last millennium. From the lavish movie musicals of the post war years, when glamour and glitz were key and stars such as Gene Kelly and Judy Garland lit up the screen, to the lavish stage productions including classic shows such as Guys & Dolls, Carousel, My Fair Lady and Oklahoma.

You  will then be taken through the 70’s and 80’s where avant garde productions from Bob Fosse such as Cabaret and Chicago were joined on stage by the new kids on the block, Mackintosh, Lloyd Webber and Rice, heralding a new era for Broadway and London theatres, producing some of the longest running shows in history.

This fantastic show culminates at the end of the millennium with the emergence of the Rock and Pop Musical and Disney Classics.

The cast of singers and dancers have performed in many of the featured shows and are looking forward to bringing the West End to Wimbledon.

 

 

 

LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS SPECTACULAR
Sunday 6th August - 8pm
Tickets £25/£18​


The festival finale is a spectacular Last Night of The Proms Concert presented by All Electric Productions. The London Gala Orchestra featuring soprano Nicola Jane Kemp, will perform a mixed programme of popular classics and rousing anthems to get flags waving and the crowd singing along.

The festival finale is a spectacular Last Night of The Proms Concert presented by All Electric Productions. 
The London Gala Orchestra will perform a mixed programme of popular classics and rousing anthems to get flags waving and the crowd singing along.
The London Gala Orchestra was originally formed to accompany ballet companies visiting London such as the Bolshoi, Australian, Canadian, Stuttgart, Moscow, Berlin and the Japanese Takarazuka Dance Theatre. It played with them at London’s Coliseum and Sadler’s Wells as well as on their tours of Britain. More recently it has been engaged to give gala concerts at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and has performed in the presence of her Majesty the Queen.

The orchestra will be conducted by Stephen Bell who conducted the BBC Philharmonic in the Proms in the Park from Manchester as part of the 2005 Last Night of the Proms. He has also recently worked with the R.P.O., Halle and Ulster Orchestras.

Guest soprano on this evening will be Nicola Jane Kemp, she made her concert debut at the Barbican singing incidental music from Beethoven’s Egmont and at the Purcell Room with Bach’s Cantata 51 Jauchzett Gott. Specialising in the coloratura repertoire, she made her operatic debut at Sadlers Wells in London.

The concert repertoire includes works from Bach, Bizet & Mozart plus flag waving favourites such as Dambusters, Jerusalem & of course Land of Hope & Glory.

 

POP

 

ANDY ABRAHAM
Wednesday 2nd August - 8pm
All Tickets £25



Cannizaro are proud to present this year’s X-Factor star Andy Abraham in an exclusive concert prior to his UK Tour. A fantastic chance to see the binman turned soul sensation up close and personal. His debut album ‘The Impossible Dream’ was the biggest selling No 2 in chart history, with platinum sales in its first week.

Cannizaro are proud to present this year’s X-Factor star Andy Abraham in an exclusive concert prior to his UK Tour. A fantastic chance to see the binman turned soul sensation up close and personal. His debut album ‘The Impossible Dream’ was the biggest selling No 2 in chart history, with platinum sales in its first week.

In a true rags to riches story, Andy Abraham was working as a dustbin man when he or rather his wife Denise applied for a certain TV show… "My wife forged my signature on the application form for The X Factor because I was unsure about doing it initially, but obviously I’m really pleased she did it now! Even if I hadn’t done X Factor I would still have pursued music, but it has opened so many doors for me. It’s been incredible."

The show enabled him to land a management deal with esteemed management & publishing company Global Talent Group (G4, Corinne Bailey Rae) and a well-deserved album deal with Sony BMG.

Andy enlisted the help of producer extraordinaire Nigel Wright (Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Andrew Lloyd Webber) to ensure that his first album is everything people expect from him… and more. "My first session was at Angel studios in Islington, and I walked in to find a 50-piece orchestra. It was wonderful. A defining moment in my life."

The album is a mixture of fantastic original tracks and covers of some of the great classics. "I want to bring back a bit more soul and love to music. We’ve lost a few great guys in Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls and Barry White, and I think the only way we’re going to get that kind of romance back is by someone else coming along and bringing it back. And I hope that someone is me."

 

 

ELKIE BROOKS
Tuesday 1st August - 8pm
Tickets £22/£18



Elkie’s undisputed vocal and performing talents, embracing pop, rock, ballads, blues and jazz, have made her the biggest-selling female album artist in the history of the British pop charts – a fact now recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.
This promises to be one of the most special performances that Elkie has ever done. 2006 marks Elkie’s 46th year in the music business and her performances prove that she isn’t about to slow down yet.

Elkie’s undisputed vocal and performing talents, embracing pop, rock, ballads, blues and jazz, have made her the biggest-selling female album artist in the history of the British pop charts – a fact now recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.

2006 marks Elkie’s 46th year in the music business and her performances prove that she isn’t about to slow down yet. Celebrating this amazing feat the concert will feature many of her hits. Pearl’s A Singer, Fool If You Think It’s Over, Don't Cry Out Loud, Lilac Wine and material from her new album ‘Electric Lady’.
Elkie is a stunning live performer and this special concert will show her to be an artist still at the height of her talent. Don’t miss this chance to see a truly great artist.

She can still bring an audience to their feet - in great form Elegant & Raunchy - Elkie Brooks IS STILL ONE OF THE GREAT BRITISH VOICES - Robin Denselow The Guardian Sep 2005

There she is spontaneously combusted, flames leaping, all sex and love. She roars and howls and rips along the groove so that supercharged her own songs stand up alongside Tony Joe White & Dylan. Still erratic after all these years but worth waiting for that moment when the juice runs down your leg!" Phil Sutcliffe Mojo Magazine – 2005

 

 

U2UK
Saturday 22nd July - 8pm
All Tickets £15
U2UK were formed in 2002 following their lead singer’s appearance on Stars in Their Eyes. They have gone on to become the top U2 Tribute band capturing the energy and excitement of the band’s live performances. This promises to be an awesome climax to The Murphy’s Irish Day in the park.
 

JAZZ

 

JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET
Wednesday 26th July - 8pm
All Tickets £15



JTQ return to Cannizaro Park in this their 20th anniversary year, with their unique blend of acid jazz and funk. The master of the Hammond Organ and crew will prove why they are still one of the best live acts on the circuit.

merging from the tragic bankruptcy of Stiff Records, James Taylor, founding member of the infamous group The Prisoners, formed The James Taylor Quartet. 
JTQ’s emphasis on live ‘dance’ music has been the key to the bands success, enabling them to establish a solid relationship between them and their fans. With the focus strongly on being a ‘live’ band, the quartet has gigged relentlessly, selling out on the London Club circuit.
In 1993 alone the band performed one hundred and fifty shows in 15 different countries, including destinations as far flung as Thailand, Japan and The USA. The climax of this was headlining in front of 5,000 people at London’s Brixton Academy. 
1996 saw James play two full sell out weeks at London’s Jazz Café and a sell out show at The Brixton Academy, as well as tours in uncharted territories from Brazil to Yugoslavia. 
In 1998 James had the chance to fulfil a dream – Film themes always featured heavily throughout his albums and he was asked to score a theme for Austin Powers
The James Taylor Quartet has released a massive 17 Albums featuring anything from commercial pop/soul to his more famous Acid Jazz.

JTQ return to Cannizaro Park on 26th July in this their 20th anniversary year. The master of the Hammond Organ and crew will prove why they are still one of the best live acts on the circuit.

 


 

 

 

 

Alluring soulful Jazz vocalist and songwriter, , originally practised as a lawyer but her love of music enticed her to begin a new career as a Jazz singer. Katriona exploded on to the London Jazz Circuit as a solo artist, soon writing songs in her own unmistakable style, available on her debut album “You Are My Melody” which contains a sublime mix of her original songs  and classic jazz standards, creatively arranged by the singer.


Katriona Taylor is a singer/songwriter and her singing will excite and enchant you. With influences from Norah Jones and Barbara Streisand she only works with the very best musicians excelling in high quality entertainment. 
Katriona has enjoyed a series of sell out shows on London’s jazz circuit over the last few years with her own unique style which seamlessly blend Latin and jazz with Funk and Soul, as well as her original material.

Katriona had her audience eating out of the palm of her hand, they rose to their feet and demanded an encore” – The Daily Telegraph

 

 

RAY GELATO AND HIS GIANTS ORCHESTRA
Friday 28th July - 8pm
Tickets £18/£15
The Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion of Swing comes to Cannizaro as part of his UK Tour. Ray has previously played at Paul McCartney’s wedding, opened for Robbie Williams and performed twice at the special request of The Queen.


“BBC Radio 2 Artist of the Year” nominee at the 2005 BBC Jazz Awards and “Best of Jazz” nominee at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards , Ray Gelato has played for the Queen, opened for Robbie Williams at London's Royal Albert Hall and entertained a star-studded guest list at Paul McCartney's wedding. Ray Gelato is a maestro of swing and jazz, an entertainer and saxophone player of the first degree
National TV appearances on This Morning, Top of the Pops 2 the VE Day Concert in Trafalgar Square and BBC 1’s Strictly Dance Fever have firmly established Ray Gelato as the ‘King of Swing’. Ray and his powerful seven piece ‘Giants Orchestra’ have one of the most entertaining, energetic and swinging shows on the live music circuit today.

“Nobody else dares treat British jazz audiences with such blatant showmanship.” 
Evening Standard

“There was a titanic tenor sax battle between Gelato and Alex Garnett, a singalong vocal, instrumental breaks, and off-beat clapping for the audience, and that was just in the first number!!” The Times

“High octane performance” The Mirror

“Taking swing to the masses….sheer fun and enjoyment” The Times

 

 

 

HUMPHREY LYTTLETON
Saturday 29th July - 8pm
Tickets £18/£15


Cannizaro is proud to announce the appearance of one of the true greats from the world of jazz. Humphrey Lyttleton is a renowned band leader & presenter having performed alongside true legends including Louis Armstrong. 

 

SIRIUS B (Sponsored by Brahma)
Thursday 3rd August - 8pm
All Tickets £12
Dance the night away with the fantastic Brazilian rhythms that are Sirius B, unashamedly crossing boundaries between jazz, samba, live, electronic, world dance and hard hitting bossa nova.
 

 

 

CLARE TEAL
Friday 4th August - 8pm
Tickets £22/£18
Clare Teal has managed to achieve the success that a rare few jazz artists accomplish in their careers. She has broken into both the pop and jazz charts, signed a major recording deal with Sony BMG and has her own show on Radio 2.


 

Clare Teal is without doubt the most successful young female jazz singer in the UK today. She signed to Sony/BMG in 2004 with a deal that broke records for a UK jazz singer, the talented singer and songwriter is poised to become a household name around the World as the new fulltime presenter of BBC Radio 2’s “Big Band Special”. She has appeared on the Parkinson TV show twice and is regularly featured on his Sunday Radio show “The Sunday Supplement”. Clare has appeared on ITV’s “Des & Mel” and “Christmas Mania” where she stole the show with her jazz version of “Winter Wonderland”. She has also worked with John Dankworth’s Big Band for Radio 2’s “Live From The Stables”, The BBC Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra’s “Friday Night Is Music Night”.  She wowed thousands on the ONEWORLD Stage at Glastonbury, took the Edinburgh Fringe festival by storm and has toured all over the UK taking all most, if not all, of the major festivals. Her album “Don’t Talk” shot straight into the national charts at no.20 making her the first UK female mainstream jazz artist to have a top 20 album in almost 30 years. She also has her own BBC Radio 2 programme “After Seven..With Clare Teal” on Friday nights at 7pm. In 2005 She won “Best Vocalist” at the British Jazz Awards and performed with Jamie Cullum at a special Charity Concert in Bath to raise money for the RUH “Forever Friends” appeal. Now she’s back with two of her songs, “Messin’ With Fire” and “Everything Is You”, on the soundtrack to the hit UK film “Confetti” and a new album to be released internationally later this year.

Some singers sing standards, some sing their own material, but very few do both and even fewer do it well. Clare Teal is one of those rarities” - The Observer

“a sensation in the normally rather sedate world of jazz” - Mail On Sunday

 “The new first lady of Jazz”- The Independent

 “In this overcrowded field, Clare Teal deserves special attention.” - The Daily Telegraph

 

JAZZ LADIES AT LUNCH
SUNDAYS 12 – 3
All Tickets £8 – Kids Go Free

GWYNETH HERBERT
Sunday 23rd July



Gwyneth is one of the UK jazz scene’s most versatile performers. Her stunning voice packs venues around the country and we welcome her back to Wimbledon to open our Ladies at Lunch sessions.

 

 

LIANE CARROLL
Sunday 30th July
Liane Carroll was the runaway winner at the 2005 BBC Jazz Awards winning an unprecedented 2 categories, Best of Jazz & Best Vocalist. Her performances are always great fun, full of songs both old and new all delivered in her own unique fashion.

 


Born in London and raised in Hastings, Liane Carroll has been playing the piano since she was three. Her singing and piano playing have made her well known around the world, touring and recording with artists such as Gerry Rafferty, Ladysmith Black Mombasa and Paul McCartney.
Her recent album ‘Standard Issue’ was recorded at the famous Abbey Road studios in London with critical acclaim.

“Highly Recommended—I love it” – Michael Parkinson

“Utterly brilliant” – Time Out

“her most ambitious release yet, fizzing with creative energy.” – Dave Gelly, The Observer

Liane was the runaway winner at the 2005 BBC Jazz Awards winning an unprecedented 2 categories, Best of Jazz and Best Vocalist. Her performances are always great fun, full of songs both old and new all delivered in her own unique fashion.

without a doubt one of my all time favourites. She has a remarkable delivery, powerful and soulful but at the same time she can sing a ballad to make you cry. And a personality to die for (one of the most entertaining performers we have here).” Steve Rubie, 606 Jazz Club, London.

 

 

KOCOA BROWN
Sunday 6th Aug
Kocoa Brown is a rising star, a hot tip for the top. With her band The Fusionnaires they are creating music whilst sticking to their vision that music should be live and as much fun for the musicians as for their audience. 

Kocoa brown is a rising star, a hot tip for the top. With her band The Fusionnaires she is creating music whilst sticking to their vision that music should be live and as much fun for the musicians as for the audience.

It’s definitely the jazzy bluesy tones of music that inspire Kocoa, but there is something of the soulful rock and a dash of rootsy funk in her flava. Kocoa has worked with many live bands and in the studio on projects with DJ’s. Kocoa composes her own songs using guitar, but is equally able to just roll with whatever her band throws at her. 
Kocoa brown and The Fusionnaires have performed all over the country in venues such as Colour house @ Abbey Mill, Viva Viva, Haringey Festival, Battersea Park, Blue Jay Lounge, Victoria Park and The Embassy Club.

 

 


 

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