Highlights of the 2015 Rye Jazz And Blues Festival

Theo Jackson

Spectrum Jazz Lounge, Rye Community Centre, Conduit Hill, Rye, Thursday, August 27, 8pm, £18

HOTLY tipped singer-songwriter, vocalist and pianist Theo Jackson kicks off the programme at the Spectrum Jazz Lounge, which takes over Rye Community Centre for the weekend.

Bayou Maharajah (PG, 98 mins)

Kino Rye, Lion Street, Rye, Thursday, August 27, 8.30pm, and Saturday, August 29, 3.30pm, £10

PART of the festival’s film programme, this documentary tells the story of New Orleans pianist James Booker. Further screenings over the weekend include the musical biopics Ray and Dreamgirls and the New Orleans documentary The Sound After The Storm.

James Tormé

St Mary’s Church, Church Square, Rye, Friday, August 28, 8pm, £24

THE son of triple Grammy Award-winner Mel Tormé celebrates the greats of jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Nat ‘King’ Cole.

Gwyneth Herbert

Spectrum Jazz Lounge, Rye Community Centre, Conduit Hill, Rye, Friday, August 28, 10.30pm, £15

THE mood turns chilled on Friday night, following a performance by jazz-funk outfit Hardlines, as St Leonards vocalist Herbert plays a set accompanied by ukulele, French horn, melodica, cheese grater and pianist Ned Cartwright.

Fat Tuesday 2nd Line Band

On the streets, Rye, Saturday, August 29, 2pm, free

A FREE New Orleans street party-style performance – part of the extensive free programme both in the streets and pubs of Rye.

Clare Teal

Lamb House, West Street, Rye, Saturday, August 29, 7pm, £24

AHEAD of Sunday’s Chapter And Lyric project highlighting emerging talent in the jazz, blues and world music genres, Teal and her trio play an alfresco picnic performance in the grounds of the house which inspired Rye resident’s EF Benson’s Mapp And Lucia series.

The Blues Band

Milligan Theatre, Grove Road, Rye, Saturday, August 29, 7.30pm, £35

MORE than 35 years on from their initial formation one-time Manfred Mann vocalist Paul Jones leads the supergroup of UK blues talent.

GoGo Penguin

St Mary’s Church, Church Square, Rye, Sunday, August 30, 8pm, £24

WITH a sound taking inspirations from jazz, post-rock and hip-hop culture, virtuoso trio GoGo Penguin received a Mercury Music Prize nomination for their album Version 2.0.

Jo Harman

St Mary’s Church, Church Square, Rye, Monday, August 31, 3pm, £16

AHEAD of an appearance at the Prudential Blues Fest London in November, Brighton’s Jo Harman performs an intimate show at St Mary’s Church.

Liane Carroll

Spectrum Jazz Lounge, Rye Community Centre, Conduit Hill, Rye, Monday, August 31, 5.30pm, £18

HASTINGS-OWN Carroll makes her Rye debut to help close this year’s festival programme ahead of a vocal masterclass.

Tickets from www.ryejazz.com