It was a whirlwind three days and nights of music in Edinburgh. My hopes of reaching Scotland during a break from classes in London aligned perfectly with Edinburgh’s Jazz and Blues festival. In a city widely celebrated as the cultural capital of Scotland, I was excited for this music-themed vacation that would include New Orleans soul, Scottish folk, and 1920s-era swinging jazz . After a beautiful train ride filled with verdant fields of grazing sheep and rocky coastlines I arrived at a city bursting with medieval architecture, great bands, and bountiful whiskey.  Proving once again that the best way to experience a new city is through the musical performers it attracts.

The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys: West Prince Street Gardens

Upon arriving to Edinburgh, the city was basking in a rare summer heat reaching almost 80 degrees F. It was evident that the local Scots were gleeful at the weather from the myriad of picnic blankets strew across West Prince Street Gardens. The beautiful garden park fills the valley below Castle hill and extends eight blocks creating a beautiful city greenbelt. A myriad of footpaths pass groves of arching willow trees, manicured flower beds, and a plethora of grassy knolls and park benches. It was here that I was fortunate enough to find my first show of the Jazz & Blues festival, The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys. On the north end of the gardens a circular, multi-colored gypsy circus tent had been erected for the show. Inside the festival goers were milling around sipping local gin cocktails and craft beers.

The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys formed in 2012 and describe their sound as “…early Jazz with a modern twist” .  From the beginning this was clearly not their first trip to Edinburgh, as the band swaggered onstage all wearing traditional kilts. James Williams, band founder and lead singer/trumpter sat center stage. As he carefully adjusted his kilt he recounted the last time he had “sat down a bit too quick…and gotten a bit too intimate with the audience”. Tonight’s audience roared with laughter and the evening was set with a jovial tone. The entire New Orleans band was kilt-clad, but the Scottish tendencies ended there, their funky blues sound was all New Orleans.

After traveling outside the States for 2 months I was ecstatic to immense myself into some good ‘ol American roots music. The type of music that makes you proud to be American, something I wasn’t quick to feel as of late.

The band was large, containing tuba player Jon Gross, Drummer Josh “Jams” Marotta, Singer/Front man/Trumpeter James Williams, Sax Player Ricardo Pascal, Trombone Miles Lyon, Banjo Player Joseph Fasion, and Nick Garrison on Trumpet. When Williams led the group with his his raspy, soulful melodies the audience was reminded of the late great Louie Armstrong. The range of the Swamp Donkeys was quite impressive, not only did they knock out typical jazz classics like “Sunnyside of the Street” and “Ain’t Misbehavin'” but they had countless originals about their love for their hometown of New Orleans, plus a medley of pop songs including TLC’s hit “Waterfalls”. The Swamp Donkey’s band had

If you had told me a few weeks ago I’d be sitting in Edinburgh, singing along to TLC with a New Orleans jazz band I’d have said you were crazy. Luckily, I got to experience just that type of musical mash up, only two hours after arriving in Scotland in a sun-dappled circus tent. Quite a wonderful start to a my music-filled week!

Scottish Folk Music: Sandy Bell’s Tavern

The weather the rest of my trip would prove to be much colder than my first day and so by the second evening I was chilled to the bone. I’d spent the blustery day sight seeing and joining a Harry Potter walking tour (duh), so I was in search of a warm drink and some musical delights. Luckily I found both comforts in Sandy Bell’s Tavern, a local Scottish folk venue who served up delicious Hot Toddy’s. I even learned that this favorite cozy cocktail of mine was originally created in Scotland! And after experiencing their frigid rainy nights (even in July) it wasn’t hard to see why they had been so inspired.

After ordering my whisky tea cocktail I had a seat on a bench in the back corner of the bar. Next to me sat five older gentleman, a group of friendly Scotsman happily strumming away at their instruments and pausing every so often to sip their dark ales. Amongst them were two violin players, a flutist, a guitarist, and accordion player. Most of the bar patrons were transfixed on their joyful jigs but the musicians seemed unfazed by the local stardom. Simply playing their improvised folk tunes alongside each other was enjoyment enough. The crowded bar was soon warm and cozy, filled with locals sipping overflowing pints of beer and whiskey drinks while nodding along with great local Scottish tunes. Despite the nasty weather outside, it was hard not to quickly warm up quickly and enjoy the evening. Here’s a sample of Sandy Bell’s local music:

Empatee du Weiss

“When you make plans, god laughs”, or something like that. And thus my well intentioned evening with Empatee du Weiss would prove to be in vein. I mixed up my nights and missed this awesome Italian band. Their self described “Ska Jazz Ensemble” creates quite the range of groovy riffs and soulful interludes. When listening to them before the set I was impressed by how they mixed Balkan instruments with ska melodies to create a unique style of Eastern European reggae, ska, and lounge music. Despite my concert mix-up, they’re a unique band well worth a listen:

The Red Stripe Band: Rose Theater

So on my final night in Edinburgh I saw The Red Stripe Band instead of Empatee du Weiss. This 20-year old traditional jazz band bears no association to the delicious Jamaican craft ale we all enjoy at the beach. Instead, their was sound was similar to Pink Martini but with more British brass and sass, less sultry lounge overtones. They’ve gotten around over the past two decades, having played at a dozen international festivals and for five royal families.

The show was set in the Rose Theater, a Chapel from 1808 that had been converted into a ballroom style music venue for Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016. Red Stripe’s swinging classic jazz band sound played well to the audience. When the lights rose for intermission a predominantly silver-tinged crowd revealed themselves. In many ways I wasn’t surprised, I’m sure my late grandparents would’ve have enjoyed these golden oldies. During the second set I joined the youthful whippersnapper crowd of the “Under – 40s” who had taken up to dancing in the back aisles of the auditorium. There were maybe a dozen of us at most, and I’d like to believe our youthful exuberance added to the entertainment for everyone else. At one point in between songs the band founder and, lead singer/pianist Neil Drinkwater announced: “Everyone! Rachel is 87 today, Happy Birthday to you!”. Amid cheers the band proceeded to sing her a jazzy rendition of the “Happy Birthday” song. It was a heartfelt sentiment from the band and a perfect ending to a joyful set of jazzy exuberance. Enjoy their tunes for yourself:

The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival proved to be a delightful way to explore the city’s diverse music venues and discover some new music along the way. With no shows costing more than $20, I’d highly recommend it to travelers looking for an affordable art adventure in the UK. It was a great way to appreciate the city’s cultural charm, no matter your age or music preferences. Cheers!