THE UPTON Jazz Festival will be showcased on Channel 4’s flagship Sunday Brunch programme this weekend.
Sax superstar Alexander Bone will play an original track live on the award-winning TV show on Sunday morning to promote the festival’s 31st event which takes place next weekend.
Alexander, 19, won the first BBC Young Musician of the Year jazz award in 2014, and has played to millions on Last Night of the Proms and the BBC’s Proms in the Park, as well as with Rudimental and Kylie Minogue.
This Sunday, from 9am until noon, he’ll appear on Sunday Brunch with international singer-songwriter Laura Mvula as she performs her new track Phenomenal Woman.
The programme, hosted by Tim Lovejoy, attracts up to 700,000 viewers each week.
Sam Bendel is assistant producer for London-based Princess Productions, which produces Sunday Brunch for Channel 4.
He said: “We’re so excited to have Alexander with us on Sunday. It’s going to be great.”
Alexander will appear alongside Laura Mvula and stars like Denise Van Outen.
He said: “I’m really, really excited to be appearing on Sunday Brunch.
“It’s come about so quickly, this opportunity, and it’s great to represent the festival and to be able play to such a huge audience.”
Upton-upon-Severn Jazz Festival takes place from June 23-26 in Worcestershire and includes more than 60 concerts over four days.
Alexander and his band headline the Best of Young Jazz marquee – which showcases the talents of rising stars of the jazz world – at 3.30pm on Sunday.
A huge dance section is led by the London Swing Orchestra, there will be riverboat shuffles aboard party boat the Conway Castle, a Mardi Gras parade will fill the streets and a buzzing festival village, complete with campsite, wills spring up as pubs and clubs turn into music venues.
From Dixieland to European jazz, hot club jive and swing, festival-goers can expect a star-studded line-up including gipsy jazz king Remi Harris, British Jazz Award-winner Alan Barnes, boogie boogie maestro Carl Sinclair and three top French acts.
A spokesman for the festival said: “We’re absolutely thrilled Alexander is coming to the festival, and we’re even more thrilled he’ll be promoting it on Channel 4 for us.
“It’s going to be the best festival yet.”
