Alan Parsons Project for revamped jazz festival

The Alan Parsons Project, whose roots lie in pop and progressive music, is among the headlining bands at this year's Malta Jazz Festival, as the annual musical extravaganza undergoes an overhaul.

Larger audiences and more accessible music are evidently the targets of NnG Promotions, who inherited the festival from local jazz guru Charles Gatt after 16 years.

The festival, which has enticed thousands towards the normally inaccessible jazz tunes, is to be shifted towards Crucifix Wharf, some 300 metres from the usual venue by the fishmarket, The Times also learnt.

"We've modified and modelled the festival to make it as accessible to as many people as possible," said Nigel Camilleri from NnG, the promoters responsible for bringing over to Malta names like Elton John and Sting.

"With the Alan Parsons Project among the names to be announced soon, we believe we've chosen a band that encompasses all audiences."

The Alan Parsons Project spawned a series of hits in the 1970s and 1980s like Eye in the Sky, Sirius and What Goes Up, winning several awards in the process. Alan Parsons himself worked at the famous Abbey Road studios in London, where he participated in the last works of The Beatles. He was assistant engineer on Let It Be and the masterpiece Abbey Road album.

But Mr Camilleri insists that the festival, to be held between July 21 and 23, will still be dominated by jazz musicians and that the mainstream bands will solely be the icing on the cake. Names already secured for this year's edition include jazz greats Bill Bruford's Earthworks featuring Tim Garland and Tunnels with Percy Jones.

Though it will still be organised by the government, the fact that the festival will be managed by a private entity whose interest is to commercialise the festival, has sounded a discordant tune with some jazz enthusiasts.

"Of course, if I were a jazz purist I would have been equally miffed if I had to see some of the line ups we have," Mr Camilleri admitted, but he added:

"Let's be realistic. In the beginning people would attend the jazz festival irrespective of who was playing. Over the last few years, it's ceased to happen. We want to revitalise the jazz festival."

Mr Camilleri said he was optimistic that with a few modifications, the MJF can start running at a profit after years of losses.

Several of the main jazz festivals across Europe are tweaking their line-ups to make it more accessible to the public. Suffice it to say that Elton John will be kicking off this year's Umbria jazz festival.

Mr Camilleri explains that a decision had been taken to change the venue because of logistical headaches, though he insists that none of the magical backdrop will be lost.

"At present, a stage is built in the middle of the road and you still have to obtain several permits. We are now going to simply move up the road, by the sea and we're still going to have Fort St Angelo in the background," he said.