Billy Thompson Gypsy Style quintet provides a summer evening of jazz at Wrexham’s Bellevue Park

Jul 14 2011 Flintshire Chronicle

THE restored Edwardian bandstand in Wrexham’s Bellevue Park is the setting for a summer evening’s jazz on Friday, July 15, when the popular jazz quintet Billy Thompson Gypsy Style performs a mix of numbers made famous by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, fiery Hungarian tunes and Romany gypsy anthems.

A finalist in the UK’s Young Jazz Musician of the Year competitions in 1996 and 1998, jazz violinist Billy Thompson was engaged by compère Jools Holland to perform with him at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, while among the judges were Selena Jones, who invited him to appear on her next album, and Barbara Thompson.

As a result, for several years Billy has been an integral member of seminal jazz/rock outfit Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia, with John Hiseman on drums.

He has headlined twice at London’s Ronnie Scott’s, in 2008 performed an extremely successful tour of Japan, and has toured Europe extensively, all with Paraphernalia, featuring on five of the band’s albums.

The music starts at 7pm, with free admission. Details are available on 01978 264150 and at www.northwalesjazz.org.uk.