Tunbridge Wells Jazz Club

24/03/2024

Sadly The Tunbridge Wells Jazz Club had to close permanently in September 2023 due to lack of audience, lack of finds and lack of volunteers to join the Committee!

26/08/2023

Lifelong readers of science fiction like myself will remember the great Theodore Sturgeon (Baby is three, etc) and 'Sturgeons Law' which states that "99.9% of everything in the universe is Crud" and now I give you Curtis's which states that "99.9% of everything in the universe doesn't really matter". Have a nice day.

18/08/2023

UNLESS SOMETHING PRETTY SPECTACULAR HAPPENS - LIKE SEVERAL PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING TO TAKE OVER RUNNING IT -OUR CLUB WILL HAVE TO CLOSE

We have just one more concert for you which is on September 8th and features the fantastic DOOLALLY TAP Traditional jazz band. Usual time, usual place!

A few words about us.
Our Club was formed in 1984 after a public meeting was held in the foyer of the Trinity Arts Centre. A Committee was chosen on the spot and the Club began organising concerts immediately. We chose to try to support the more Traditional Jazz though included Mainstream as well. Standard concerts were held in the Trinity Foyer bar and more important ones in the main auditorium. We were able to get some financial support from The Arts Council and soon had over 200 members. We were able, at that time, to put posters up in various locations around the town and get a mention for each concert in the Kent and Sussex Courier but more recently both of these things ceased to be possible so we now advertise on our website and Facebook and Twitter pages instead.
We soon also put concerts on at various other venues around the town such as The Spa Hotel, the Hotel du Vin (then the Calverley Hotel), The Corn Exchange (awful acoustics), King Charles Church Hall and St Barnabas Church Hall. After a disastrous failure at the Trinity Arts Centre auditorium when we lost about £900 we concluded that it would be unwise to continue using that venue which was becoming increasingly expensive and now included various extra charges. Eventually we decided to use only The Masonic Centre which is a nice venue with good parking etc.
We are a Registered Educational Charity and have always tried to encourage and support young musicians. At one time we ran our own “youth in jazz” orchestra comprising young musicians from local schools and supported the Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra by giving them concert opportunities at our Club.
Today we find that our audiences have dwindled to a level that causes us to lose money at every concert and find that all appeals to The Arts Council or The Lottery fund are rejected. We have received one or two good donations recently but nothing like enough to enable us to keep the Club going.
In addition to this all of our current Committee members are growing old – indeed one of them will be 90 before long – and feel that, much though we would like to Club to continue, it cannot be us doing it!
Appeals to our membership for new Committee members have produced no volunteers so we seem to have no choice but to close the Club.

See you on the 8th!

12/05/2023

Hi there, well we had a great concert last Friday as you can see and hear:
https://youtu.be/yi-vi7NpiqA

We had an audience of 41 but unfortunately made a loss once again, this time of £140. Happily one of our members has kindly donated £100 which will help.
Alas we are very nearly out of money though we have enough to cover a similar loss at the next concert which is on June 2nd and features the return of
THE WINDY CITY WEATHERBIRDS
That seems likely to be our last concert before we close the Club for good nules we can find some more cash.
Donations are always welcome and just think, if those 41 people had donated £4 each - about the price of one drink - we would have made a sligh profit!

Unfortunately money is not our only problem. All the members of our Committee are growing old and we need some younger Committee members able to carry on the good work. An intimate knowledge of jazz is not really required though it would be useful of course. The Committee would need for instance a treasurer - perhaps a retired accountant or book-keeper and someone to communicate with bandleaders and negotiate engagements. The only commitment apart from a little work from home would be to attend as many of the Club's concerts as possible.

See you on June 2nd we hope,

The Committee

03/04/2023

03/04/2023

Friday April 14th, 7:30pm until 10;00 pm
at The Masonic Centre, St. Johns Road,
the Club presents jazz in the New Orleans style by
DOOLALLY TAP.
Tickets at the door or on line from www.ticketsource.co.uk

09/09/2022

We have received enquiries as to whether tonight's concert by the WINDY CITY WEATHERBIRDS.
It most certainly is! We feel certain that this is what Her Majesty would have wished so please join us at 7:30 at The Masonic Centre, St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells.
thank you,
The Committee

07/09/2022

This Friday, September 9th at The Masonic Centre, St John's Road
WINDY CITY WEATHERBIRDS
A great up and coming band of young musicians playing Jazz in the Chicago style.
Tickets at the door or from www.ticketsource.co.uk

01/09/2022

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfK_IzKShas
9th of September and the new Tunbridge Wells Jazz Club season opens with up and coming young band
THE WINDY CITY WEATHERBIRDS

Tickets on the door or from www.ticketsource.co.uk

Check out our website at www.twjazzclub.co.uk

The Club is a registered Educational Charity and, as such, is non profit making.We were formed in 1984 to promote local interest in jazz in all it's forms.We arrange nine or more concerts per year in Tunbridge Wells, normally at the Masonic Banqueting Centre, St Johns' Road, Tunbridge We...

09/03/2022

YES FOLKS, NOW YOU CAN HAVE A FLUTTER ON TW Lotto. WIN BIG PRIZES, AND PART OF THE COST OF EACH TICKET YOU BUY GOES STRAIGHT TO THE CLUB'S FUNDS!
CLICK HERE! https://www.twlotto.co.uk/support/tunbridge-wells-jazz-club

02/03/2022

This Friday, March 4th, 7:30 at The Masonic Hall, St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells,
THE SUSSEX JAZZ KINGS

07/02/2022

The Club is a registered Educational Charity and, as such, is non profit making.We were formed in 1984 to promote local interest in jazz in all it's forms.We arrange nine or more concerts per year in Tunbridge Wells, normally at the Masonic Banqueting Centre, St Johns' Road, Tunbridge We...

05/01/2022

February 4th at The Masonic Centre
Doolally Tapp

26/10/2021

Thank you so much all the people who "like" the Club on Facebook. We would be so happy if you all came to our concerts! Next one November 5th The Pedigree Jazz Band.