Swansea Jazzland 'A Christmas Story'

Jazz Suite composed by Dave Cottle
The Dave Cottle Quintet & narrator Griff Harries

'Celebrating Richard Burtons 100th birthday year'

'A Christmas Story' written by Richard Burton in 1965

On Christmas Eve, eight-year-old Richard is living with his older sister in Port Talbot and is taken out of the house by his Uncle 'Mad Dan' to go and sing with the miners round the bonfire, because his sister is upstairs gravely ill ...or is she? Perhaps young Richard will be getting an unexpected 'prezzy-wezzy' this Christmas!

Written by Burton with 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' by Dylan Thomas very much in mind, it looks back at a Christmas Eve from his childhood in Port Talbot.

Swansea Jazz musician Dave Cottle has composed a jazz suite to compliment the piece. Dave is the house pianist at Swansea Jazz Club and the organiser of the weekly events at the club for almost 30 years. Dave has played as a sideman with 100s of international Jazz artists and bands over a long career in music. Often seen in the house band at the Ronnie Scotts weekly Jazz jam nights he founded the Swansea International Jazz Festival in 2014.

As a musician, Griff Harries' (narrator) career has taken him all over the UK, Western Europe and on the Eastern seaboard of North America. He is the founder director of The Chamber Orchestra of Wales and for well over a decade, he oversaw the pantomime seasons at Swansea Grand Theatre. But he is best known for his many years as a broadcaster with Swansea Sound, especially his time hosting The Late Show. You can hear him in Welsh and English on Welsh Coast Radio. As a fluent Welsh speaker, Griff is proud to be a member of the Gorsedd of The Bards at The National Eisteddfod of Wales for his services to music and the arts.

Dave Cottle (PianoTrumpet) Griff Harries (Narrator)
Sarah Meek (Vocals) Dan Newberry (Sax) Alun Vaughan (Bass)
& Paul Smith (Drums)

The jazz suite is the first half, following the intermission the Quintet & Narrator present 'Christmas with a Jazz twist'