Live Music
Throughout the day at Cornucopia there will be a programme of live music featuring legendary blues singer Dana Gillespie, The Dave Thomas Blues Band, dynamic vocalist & pianists Dino Baptiste and Matt Gest, violinist extraordinaire Greg Holt and the multi-instrumentalist singer and song writer Claire Nicolson.
Musicians
Advance Tickets
Tickets purchased in advance
are discounted by 25%.
Under 16’s are free, but still require a ticket.
Tickets on the day will be £12
Please use the booking form to purchase your advance tickets.
You will be emailed confirmation.
Dana Gillespie
Dana’s latest album First Love was released in 2023 co-produced with Marc Almond, with Matt Gest as the musical director. She is a renowned songwriter and record producer and has made 74 albums in her long career which started in 1965. She had her own weekly radio show for over a decade that was transmitted all over Europe and was the originator of the Mustique Blues Festival 30 years ago with Basil Charles, producing their yearly ‘live’ albums, a project always dear to her heart. She appears regularly on TV, has made films and worked as an actress at the National Theatre in London, starring as the first Mary Magdalene in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s London stage musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ in 1972.
In 2022 Dana published her extraordinary memoirs Weren’t Born A Man. David Bowie wrote the song Andy Warhol for her – which he also sang with Dana on her album Weren’t Born A Man released in 1973 describing her as ‘a very, very talented songwriter’; she also sang on Bowie’s album ‘Ziggy Stardust’. Andy Warhol painted a picture of Dana in 1974 for the cover of her album Ain’t Gonna Play No Second Fiddle. Dana continues to tour the world with the London Blues Band.
Dino Baptiste
Introducing Dino Baptiste, the keyboardist, harmonica player and vocalist from London who’s bringing the blues and boogie-woogie to audiences all over the world! Born Duane Eric Baptiste on March 30th, 1965 in London, Dino’s musical roots run deep thanks to his grandfather, Denny Baptiste, an established saxophonist and clarinetist who performed at the famous Macambo’s Jazz Club in Calcutta during the 1950s. Dino’s passion for music was evident from a young age, spending every free moment playing the piano and even organizing his school’s first-ever evening concert.
With no formal musical training, Dino is a self-taught musician, allowing him to develop his own unique and colourful style. Influenced heavily by blues and rock & roll, as well as his time spent in Munich, Germany from 1976 where he was introduced to classic boogie-woogie piano music, Dino’s skill as a pianist and vocalist only continued to grow. In 1989, Dino made a life-changing decision to move to Melbourne, Australia and fully pursue his music career. He quickly made a name for himself on the blues and contemporary music scene, touring extensively and showcasing his frontman and entertainer skills. Dino returned to the UK in 1994 and formed his own band, performing across London and Europe.
Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas is a British Blues veteran. He is a survivor of the 1960s British blues boom so if you enjoy the music of John Mayall, Eric Clapton and Peter Green you’ll love the blues that Dave delivers, whose lifetime has been devoted to the blues. At just 18 years old he was asked join the seminal progressive rock band Blonde On Blonde. They shared stages with Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Genesis, Wishbone Ash, the Steve Miller Band and many more. Dave has played with Paul Jones and The Bluesband and by special invitation for Paul McCartney.
For 15 years Dave led the house band at Shake Down Blues, a specialist promoter of black American blues in the UK giving him the opportunity to work with over 40 great black American blues musicians. Lockdown gave Dave the opportunity to bring together his first album for five years, showcasing a range of styles honed over 50 years in the front line of recording and live music. One More Mile reached Number One in the ‘Roots Music Report’s’ Top 50 UK Album Chart in 2021.
In recent years Dave has built an international reputation as a fine blues guitarist and singer – his latest album Road To The Blues reached the Number One slot in 2022. Both albums also charted high in the Top 10 of the USA Blues and Contemporary Blues Charts. In 2023 Dave Thomas won the Independent Blues Awards Best Contemporary Blues Band, and his Road To The Blues won their Best Contemporary Blues Album award.
Matthew Gest
With a career spanning more than 25 years, Matthew Gest has established himself as one of the UK’s most versatile and accomplished keyboard players, performing on piano, synthesizers and keyboards alongside a host of internationally renowned artists — including three chart-topping No.1 acts.
An experienced touring and recording musician, Matthew has performed at venues and festivals across the globe, while also contributing as a co-producer and arranger on a variety of acclaimed projects. His musical versatility has enabled him to work seamlessly across an expansive range of styles, from contemporary pop and rock through to blues, folk, progressive rock and musical theatre.
His theatre credits include productions associated with legendary artists such as David Bowie, ABBA and Take That, alongside numerous independent collaborations and live performance projects.
Widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading exponents of boogie woogie and blues piano, Matthew has shared stages with an impressive roster of celebrated blues musicians from both the US and the UK. Combining technical mastery with an unmistakable musical energy, he continues to captivate audiences worldwide with performances that blend authenticity, virtuosity and passion.
Greg Holt
Greg Holt was inducted into the international Blues Hall of Fame in 2016. He is a multi-instrumentalist (fiddle, mandolin, keys, b3 organ, steel guitar, banjo, vocals). He has recorded with: Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T-Rex), Cherie Currie (The Runaways), Albert Bouchard (Blue Ouster Cult) and The New Creatures amongst many others, and is the violinist for the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Team and the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football Team.
Greg spent many years living in Nashville, TN where he was a member of many great bands, including Grand Ole Opry great Mel McDaniel, LoCash Cowboys, David Ball, and American Idol finalist Matt Buckstein. Greg has played alongside many top musicians, including Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers), Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish), Hank Williams III, Buddy Miles (Jimi Hendrix), Brent Mason (Alan Jackson), Gary Lucas (Lou Reed, Captain Beefheart), and Joe McGinty, (Ramones, Psychedelic Furs).
He won Creative Loafing Magazine in Tampa Bay’s ‘Best of the Bay’ for Roots/Americana music and features in The Herald Tribune spotlight article’ A Fiddler Came to Sarasota’. Currently, Greg performs with his own New Orleans-based Blues/Cajun band: Fiddler & the Crossroads and plays blues, Cajun, punk, goth, heavy metal, industrial, jazz, Arabic, Indian, rock and roll, Irish, rockabilly, country, bluegrass, southern rock, old-timey, folk, and classical. His original song ‘Teenage Blues’ has been receiving airplay on CBS Radio and Clear Channel Radio.
Claire Nicolson
Claire Nicolson is a shape-shifting multi-instrumentalist carving her own path after years creating magic with named collaborators. Classically trained but gloriously unruly, she blends aternative, pop, rock, indie – and now a splash of electronic grit – into a sound that’s unmistakably hers. She moves easily from stripped-back acoustic vibes to a wild three-piece loop-driven setup, and when her seven-strong crew The Paramedics roll in – green uniforms and all – it turns into a full-blown, high-voltage ride.
Another new single dropped on March 26th, complete with remixes, letting her flip between DJ, performer, and sonic troublemaker. Expect electronic pulses, dance-floor edges, and alt-driven twists woven into her already colourful world. From her home base in Hooe, East Sussex, Claire is sending waves far beyond the coastline.