THE 2017 Ribble Valley Jazz Festival has attracted a line up of international quality, headline acts including Jazz Jamaica, Get The Blessing, Soft Machine, YolanDa Brown and Norma Winstone.

For 10 years, the Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues Club has championed jazz and blues music to a growing audience, establishing live music in venues throughout the Ribble Valley, with the festival now enjoyed by jazz enthusiasts from all over over Britain.

“We’ve got some fabulous headliners, with 90 concerts over four days,” said Geoff Jackson, one of the founder members of the Jazz Festival.

It will be the largest festival since the 1960s, one that featured Humphrey Lyttleton.

“It has grown substantially again this year, and we’ll have artists performing in Clitheroe, Sawley, Whalley, Mitton and Grindleton.

“We are especially pleased the festival includes increasing numbers of women and young musicians.”

Before that, though, Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues Club have announced a mouth-watering fringe event t the end of March, a precursor to the festival proper a month later.

In association with festival partner, The University of Central Lancashire, the ‘Preston Jam which will be held on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 will feature the Soweto Kinch Trio, Nerija, Atomic Brass and the Music and Freedom Symposium.

The concerts will be staged at UCLan’s 53 Degrees club in the city.

Meanwhile, jazz modernists Get the Blessing will be spreading their gospel when they headline the festival on the opening night at the Grand Theatre, Clitheroe on Thursday, April 27.

The Bristol quartet features the rhythm section of cult hip-hop group Portishead, bass player Jim Barr and drummer Clive Deamer.

They formed Get The Blessing through their mutual appreciation for the pioneering jazz instrumentalist Ornette Coleman.

There’s sure to be a big party atmosphere on Friday evening when jazz-ska-reggae fusion band Jazz Jamaica will make their festival debut.

Led by bass player Gary Crosby, Jazz Jamaica have collaborated with South African jazz giant Hugh Masekela and celebrated their 25th anniversary last year.

A reggae theme also underpins the Grand’s Saturday night guest when saxophonist YolanDa Brown performs numbers with her quartet from her new album Reggae Love Songs.

YolanDa’s star has been rising, she recently supported pop king Billy Ocean on a world tour.

For those of a more progressive jazz persuasion, Soft Machine, featuring guitarist John Etheridge, will be performing at the St Michael’s and St John’s Parish Centre.

There will be a collective of exciting jazz musicians – known as the Printmakers – playing on Sunday, and they will provide the backing for jazz singing stalwart Norma Winstone.

In a career spanning four decades, the 75-year-old will be accompanied by pianist Nikki Iles, guitarist Mike Walker (The Impossible Gentlemen), saxophonist Mark Lockheart, bassist Steve Watts (Django Bates) and drummer James Maddren.

The festival finale takes place at the Grand on May Day when Jeremy Sassoon’s 11-piece band play the music of the late, great jazz pianist and singer Ray Charles.

Throughout the weekend, there will be an artistic residency from talented young quartet The Jam Experiment and a showcase of some of the best young musicians.

This will include BBC Young Musician of the Year, Alexandra Ridout (trumpet) and a previous winner of the same award, Alexander Bone (saxophone)

They will be performing alongside the Lancashire Youth Jazz Orchestra at the Grand.

Further details of all festival events from 01200 421599 or rvjazz@blues.co.uk