Bonanza of jazz, blues and boats

NOW in its fifth year and boasting a bonanza of jazz, blues and boats, it's great to see the Barbican International Jazz andBlues Festival back.

There's a good reason for relocating the date to later in the year, Friday to Sunday, July 27-29.

For the first time the festival has been programmed to complement Plymouth's Classic Boat Rally and the Port Of Plymouth Regatta, which will create a host of great aural entertainment on the quayside with some fabulous visuals in the form of picturesque boats moored up alongside.

"We've got a real mix in our line-up and the format is all new this year," says festival director Dan Thompson. "There will be a real maritime and musical atmosphere that weekend with lots of free music on the Barbican, plus we've gone out onto the water with two shows on boats – which seems to fit perfectly."

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As usual the musical mix will be diverse, so there's plenty of opportunity to take your pick from shows encompassing gypsy jazz, authentic blues harp, boogie and swing bands, trad jazz marchers as well as smooth crooners and beat-box techno blues stomp.

Highlights include a Blues Cruise with harmonica/guitar men Johnny Mars and Michael Roach, supported by our very own blues maestro Thomas Ford which takes place on the Saturday from Commercial Wharf at 7pm.

There's also a Jazz Cruise with gypsy jazzers Hamer and Isaacs with free G&T sponsored by Plymouth Gin. That is happening on the Sunday 29 from the same location at 1pm.

"The musical boat trips will give festival goers the chance to have a good look at the classic boats in full sail," says Dan.

Other ticketed events include Becky Brine and the Threadbearz dispensing their dancefloor-fillin' boogie at the Refectory, Plymouth Gin Distillery, on Friday while Maggie Reeday, former front woman of Joey The Lips, pays tribute to Louise Armstrong and Velma Middleton at the same place on Sunday.

Mama Tokus will be doing her cheeky bluesy swing thing at the B-Bar, Castle Street on Friday night and at the same venue the following night, Son of Dave offers techno blues and vocal beat-boxing with support from DJ Hod'guez of the Rambunctious Social Club delivering electro-swing and world beats.

Most of the events this year are free, so at various places around the Barbican you can see Jeff Horsey, The Roosters, The Wildcards and Midnight Special on Friday, then Company B, Organology, Unstrung Heroes, Mama Tokus and Michael Campari on Saturday and Steve Dow Band, Roger Marks' Armada Jazz Band, Speakeasy, and the free-for-all party and jam session in the B-Bar on Sunday.

The National Marine Aquarium will host the famed Umbrella Workshop.

Tickets are now on sale from the B-Bar on 01752 242021 and from the festival website at www.barbicanjazzandbluesfestival.com