The Isle of Wight Jazz Festival ran from 2005-2008, in the small seaside town of Ventnor

Ventnor

Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...

. Since the start of the festival it hosted a range of artists including Terry Callier

Terry Callier

Terrence O. Callier, known as Terry Callier is an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Life and career:...

, Cleo Laine

Cleo Laine

Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE is a jazz singer and an actress, noted for her scat singing and vocal range...

, Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...

, John Dankworth

John Dankworth

Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...

, Dennis Rollins

Dennis Rollins

Dennis Rollins is a British jazz trombonist, the founder and bandleader of BadBone and Co.Rollins was born in Birmingham, of Jamaican parents, and brought up in Bentley, Doncaster and attended Don Valley High School...

. Humphrey Lyttelton

Humphrey Lyttelton

Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...

 and Ian Shaw

Ian Shaw (singer)

Ian Shaw is a Welsh jazz singer, record producer, and former stand up comedian.Shaw was born at St. Asaph, Wales, and his career in performance began on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit, alongside such performers as Julian Clary, Rory Bremner and Jo Brand.In his music career he has recorded and...

.

The 2009 Festival was cancelled and no festival has been held since.

Controversy

For 2009 some venues refused to accept bookings from the organisers until musicians and suppliers from previous years confirm they have been paid. The organisers announced that after a new director was taken on, the financial situation would be sorted and the event moved to a new site at East Dene in Bonchurch

Bonchurch

Bonchurch is a small village to the East of Ventnor, on the southern part of theIsle of Wight, England. It is situated on The Undercliff, which itself is subject to regular landslips. A large section of the settlement is found in Upper Bonchurch, halfway up St Boniface Down on the main A3055 road...

. However the 2009 event was cancelled. The Jazz Festival website states (in May 2011) that the event will return in 2012.

Line-ups

2005
Annie Whitehead

Annie Whitehead

Annie Whitehead is an English jazz trombone player.-Career:Annie learned trombone at school; at 14 she was already busy playing with brass bands, local dance groups and the Manchester Youth Jazz Orchestra and began her professional career at sixteen. Among her initial influences were Miles Davis,...

, Jacqui Dankworth

Jacqui Dankworth

Jacqui Dankworth is a British jazz singer. She is the daughter of the jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and the singer Dame Cleo Laine.-Career:...

, Rob Koral, Esther Miller, Andrea Vicari, Taeko Kunishima, Rachael Moore & Gary Plumley

Gary Plumley

Gary Plumley is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Newport County, Hereford United and Cardiff City, and in the Hong Kong First Division League for Happy Valley....

2006
Humphrey Lyttelton

Humphrey Lyttelton

Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...

, Sax Appeal

Sax Appeal

Sax Appeal is a UK-based jazz band, led by Derek Nash. Originally formed in Manchester in 1980, it now plays mostly in London, with regular trips to Jazz Festivals and gigs outside that area. The band's line-up usually contains 5 saxophones, as well as bass guitar, piano and drums...

, Claire Martin

Claire Martin

Claire Martin is the name of:* Claire Martin , Canadian author* Claire Martin , British-born meteorologist who now lives in Canada* Claire Martin , English jazz singerSee also:* Clare Martin, Australian politician...

, Jazz Connection Dutch Swing Band, Aydenne Simone, Louise Parker, The Bovril Sisters & Mike Porters Next Level.

2007
Cleo Laine

Cleo Laine

Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE is a jazz singer and an actress, noted for her scat singing and vocal range...

, Terry Callier

Terry Callier

Terrence O. Callier, known as Terry Callier is an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Life and career:...

, John Dankworth

John Dankworth

Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...

, Dennis Rollins

Dennis Rollins

Dennis Rollins is a British jazz trombonist, the founder and bandleader of BadBone and Co.Rollins was born in Birmingham, of Jamaican parents, and brought up in Bentley, Doncaster and attended Don Valley High School...

, Digby Fairweather

Digby Fairweather

Digby Fairweather is a British jazz cornettist and broadcaster.-Biography:Fairweather has been a professional jazz musician since 1 January 1977, but worked for seven years previously with several local jazz bands in the Essex area and recorded his first album in 1975...

, Norma Winstone

Norma Winstone

Norma Ann Winstone MBE is a British jazz singer and lyricist. In a career spanning over forty years she is best known for her wordless improvisations....

, Stan Tracey

Stan Tracey

Stanley William Tracey CBE is a British jazz pianist and composer, most influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.-Early career:...

, The JazzCotech Dancers, Bryan Corbett & Aydenne Simone

2008
Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...

, Dennis Rollins

Dennis Rollins

Dennis Rollins is a British jazz trombonist, the founder and bandleader of BadBone and Co.Rollins was born in Birmingham, of Jamaican parents, and brought up in Bentley, Doncaster and attended Don Valley High School...

, Manteca

Manteca

Manteca may refer to:* Manteca, California, a city* Manteca , a Canadian jazz fusion band* "Manteca" , a 1947 jazz tune co-written by Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, and Gil Fuller* Manteca, a UK record label imprint of Union Square Music...

, Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble, Liane Carroll

Liane Carroll

Liane Carroll is an English pianist/vocalist who grew up in a musical family. She has played professionally since she was 15....

, Ian Shaw, Tony Kofi

Tony Kofi

Tony Kofi is a British Jazz multi-instrumentalist, a player of the alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute. He currently leads his own Tony Kofi Quartet, Tony Kofi Trio, and is also the co-founder of the Monk Liberation Band—a group which plays the music of Thelonious Monk...

, Emperical, Thabani, The JazzCotech Dancers, Pete Long, The Shez Raja Collective, Cameron Pierre & John-Paul Gard

2009
The local newspaper reported that the 2009 festival had been cancelled with 1 month's notice due to lack of sponsorship and low ticket sales, and that it was scheduled to return in 2010. The official festival website later confirmed this although in fact no further events were held. The artists due to attend the 2009 event were:

James Taylor Quartet

James Taylor Quartet

The James Taylor Quartet are a British four-piece jazz funk band who have become renowned for their live performances. They were formed by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band The Prisoners in the wake of Stiff Records' bankruptcy...

, Ray Gelato & the Giants, John Etheridge with Liane Carroll, Ian Shaw with Guy Barker, Tim Garland with Soweto Kinch, Gwilym Simcock

Gwilym Simcock

Gwilym Simcock is a British pianist and composer working in both jazz and classical music, and often blurring the boundaries of the two....

, Snake Davis Band, Portico Quartet

Portico Quartet

Portico Quartet are a 4-piece modern jazz group from London and Southampton. Their sound is made distinctive by the use of the Hang, a 21st Century percussion instrument used on all their tracks. The group is composed of Jack Wyllie , Duncan Bellamy , Milo Fitzpatrick , and Keir Vine...

, Lighthouse Trio, Protect the Beat