John Burgess (clarinet),  Ross Milligan (guitar and banjo),  Andy Sharkey (bass)

Jazz standards, rags and blues From the golden age of jazz

Jazz concerts used to appear regularly in the Music in Peebles calendar and always proved very popular. For our ‘something completely different’ slot this season, we welcome the Ugly Bug Ragtime Three, comprising a trio of Scotland’s finest jazzers. John Burgess has played on stages and in jazz clubs all over the world and features on over 100 recordings. Ross Milligan has appeared with, among many others, singer Ute Lemper and the BBCSO, and has written music for film and TV. Andy Sharkey toured with the hit show ‘Rat Pack’, appeared regularly with clarsach player Rachel Hair and is also a tutor at Strathclyde University.

Describing themselves as “the wee band with the big, big sound”, the Ugly Bugs promise a wonderful mix of fine vintage ragtime jazz from the 1920s and ‘30s, all delivered with real drive, swing and verve. Romantic ballads rub shoulders with rags and stomps by Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller, and blues-drenched standards band up against swinging show tunes. A treat for the heart and feet in equal measure!

“Great fun, and a classy, authentic act.”  (Scotland on Sunday)