Now in its eleventh year the much loved Fest Jazz at Chateauneuf-du-Faou certainly didn’t disappoint visitors this year…if only the same could be said for the weather which was excitedly moist to say the very least.

The festival takes place in the Breton town for the full weekend but the main event is the Sunday.

The sun may not have shone, but that didn’t deter a good number of the people of Brittany (France) to make the effort and visit what is surely one of the most relaxed and entertaining jazz festivals there is. The organisation is superb, with everything being under cover across several marquees and so even with the heavy rain you could still enjoy some world class music.

All credit must go to Trevor Stent and his team who organise the annual festival and make it such a great success.

Musically there was something for everyone, but needless to say at a festival it’s impossible to catch all the acts and so our entertainment was provided by The Jack Danielle’s String Band who cook up a foot-stomping Blue-Grass storm, the trad’ sounds of Good Time Jazz and the Latin tinged tunes of Raphaele Atlan. We could have seen many more but enjoyed these so much we stopped for their full sets…or most of them, before having to leave pretty early on in the day and missing the headliners Davell Crawford and the Electric Swing Orchestra.  

We’ll definitely make the effort to see the full weekend’s events next year and camp, but whether you just do the Sunday or the whole lot, the Fest Jazz at Chateauneuf-du-Faou is certainly one for the diary.

Full line up for the Sunday was:

Electric Swing Circus

Davell Crawford

Raphaele Atlan

Remi Harris

Major Swing

Natascha Rogers

Bohem Ragtime Jazz Band (who we caught a few minutes of)

The Hippocampus Jazz Gang

Malo Mazurié

Jack Danielle’s String Band

Good Time Jazz

Ginger Stompers

Bacana

Olod Chaps

Les Ragamuffins

Les Trimarantes

Keep Why

Usual Suspects