Dixieland Band Jazz it up on Strangford Lough

Music from Bill Cheney and the Bourbon Swing Jazz Band, one of Northern Ireland’s best Dixieland bands will provide the perfect Sunday afternoon while enjoying the best views of Strangford Lough with the sound of summer in the background.  So join us this Sunday (20th May) at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre from 2.30pm through till 4.30pm.

The Bourbon Swing Jazz Band was formed a few years ago by a group of friends who were asked to play together a charity fund raising event. Since then it has evolved, into a band which plays in the New Orleans tradition and draws both capacity crowds and visiting musicians who play alongside at the band’s Thursday night residency at the Parador Hotel, Belfast. Under the leadership of Bill Cheney (trumpet), the band stays faithful to the tradition of the Delta, drawing upon a substantial repertoire of tunes from the early 20th Century with influences including King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. Most of the band has played at international jazz events around the globe, for instance Sacramento USA, Australia, New Zealand, France, Scotland and England.

The Jazz afternoon is included in cost of admission and free to WWT members. 

Castle Espie Wetland Centre is open daily from 10am. Access to the car park, visitor centre, shop, Loughshore Café and the Art Gallery is free of charge. The centre is accessible for wheelchairs. Normal admission prices apply to the reserve. For further on forthcoming events, conservation campaigns please call 028 9187 4146 or visit wwt.org.uk/castleespie. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @wwtcastleespie