FURTHER outcry has sparked after Ealing Jazz Festival failed to re-sign popular musicians and hired an international act amidst promises of cost cutting.

Ealing Council have cut the Walpole Park festival from five days to just two in an attempt to lower their events budget in the face of central government cuts.

Andrew Butcher, chairman of Save the Ealing Jazz Festival, argues that the festival’s signing of Roy Ayers, an American jazz–funk pioneer, is an indication of poor management.

He said: “The decision to hire ‘headline’ acts without Ealing connections at significantly higher rates has destroyed the loyalty that has enabled the festival to attract many of the UK’s finest jazz performers in the past.

“This is even more galling when the whole rationale for the changes as presented by the council was ‘saving money’.

“It is extraordinary that the council has then decided to spend disproportionate amounts on fees and expenses for ‘big name’ artists for both nights of a cut down event when there is no more capacity for larger crowds than have packed out weekend performances by good local bands in previous years.

“So in fact this is extra cost to Ealing tax payers, not savings. 

“The Jazz Festival has succeeded in the past as a community event for local people and local musicians.

“This is in stark contrast with this year’s vanity project in which the council is using public money to subsidise appearances by international artists who can be heard elsewhere on the London circuit.”

Mr Butcher has also said that only four out of 20 Ealing bands from last year are returning this year.

Ray Gelato, who has headlined festivals internationally and domestically, is one artist who is not returning this year, he said: “I feel that reducing the festival from four days to two is a big mistake.

“Four days was a great thing for the community and also for local business.” 

The council contend that 80% of performances have been retained this year with only 12% in drop-offs of artists with a local connection.

Their four-year agreement with event managers, The Event Umbrella, includes the condition that the private company, not the council, underwrite any overspend above the festival’s budget of £72k.

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "The beautiful thing about the Jazz Festival is that it is as much about the artists as the people who come and enjoy it each year.

“There is a strong appetite for jazz music out there and we want to make sure we keep building on that.         

“We are giving festival goers a treat by bringing big name international headliners to the stage, as well as most of their local favourites, giving them a very special day of entertainment in the park."

The council’s events and festivals budget in 2015/16 is £122k but the budget for 2016/17 onwards will be set at £72k.  

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure said: “After 30 years we have listened to jazz fans and musicians and given the festival a refresh.

“We will not be compromising on the high quality line up, the opposite in fact, we have a top international act headlining Saturday night.

“Tickets are selling really well and we hope everyone will support the festival in the way they always have.”

C.R. Appointment, Gill Cook Quintet, Vasilis Xenopolous Quintet, Alice Auer, The Boom Yeh, Alton College Big Band, Kontraband, Jack Honeyborne Band, Keith Waithe and the Macusi Players are all bands playing this year with a local connection.

All of the artists performing in the bar stage (six) also have a connection to the area.

However, Dick Esmond, the festival’s co-founder who was dropped from proceedings by the council, disagreed.

He said: “A load of rubbish. “It’s the opposite way around. They’ve got their figures back to front.

“None of the bar tent musicians are musicians that played in the past.

“Half of the bands I’ve never heard of.”

The co-founder continued to emphasise that the festival’s attendance is dependent on good weather and, if the weather is poor during Roy Ayers’ show, this could impact on the amount attending resulting in low profits.

He explained that the event was previously managed at a low cost due to the connection musicians had with Ealing and continued to disagree with the council’s management.

Mr Esmond said: “The legacy of what we achieved over 30 years has been absolutely dismissed and hacked to pieces by the council.

“It’s the fact that the musicians have just been jettisoned and the whole idea of the festival, the raison d’etre, the whole goodness of it and the friendship and the fun and the locality and everything else that has been involved in this unique event has been dismissed by Ealing Council.”