“The festival, with its core values of originality, individuality and personal expression, has effectively nurtured a generation of local players.”

Mike Butler, Jazzwise magazine

“You have a wonderful festival here. The organisers really know and care about music and the focus on the region’s players makes it a truly unique experience.”

Gabriele Mirabassi, visiting artist from Italy, Egea Records

“Crucially the festival gives an invaluable forum for local musicians to write and perform original work, giving a rich focal point to the artistic year.  I have myself benefited greatly from this musical platform.”

Jon Thorne, composer, bandleader & double bassist

“The festival plays a really important role in exposing music to people in the rest of the UK. Musicians from Manchester like Iain Dixon or Mike Walker are genuinely international standard players and mjf is an opportunity for people who are not from the North West to experience these amazing talents.”

Robert Abel, Jazz on 3, BBC Radio 3

“Thanks for a great festival. If all British promoters were as innovative and professional as you, this country would have the best jazz scene in the world. Thanks for all the brilliant music.”

Jamil Sheriff, composer & pianist

“What a fantastic event mjf is. You should be very proud of what you have achieved year on year – it just gets better and better. It’s a brilliant showcase to prove how many amazing musicians Manchester is home to. Who needs London? Not us!”

Linda Cope, listener