JAZZ fans in the Ribble Valley are being asked to get behind a new monthly jazz night at the recently revamped St Mary's Centre in Clitheroe.

The monthly jazz night is the brainchild of music lovers Paul Ellis and Geoff Jackson.

To gauge some idea of the interest in jazz in the Ribble Valley, the pair are holding an open meeting at St Mary's Centre in Church Street on Tuesday, May 15, at 7.30pm when jazz pianist Eric Ainsworth will be performing and the centre's newly-licensed bar will be open.

Geoff said: "We know that there are a lot of jazz fans in the area and a monthly night attracting a wide range of artists should certainly be sustainable.

We are holding the open meeting just to see what interest there is and to get a membership list started which can help underwrite the initial costs"

Paul and Geoff have already arranged the first jazz session, when Harold Salisbury and Pinto Beans and the James Hargreaves Quartet will be performing on Saturday, June 23.

Both these North West bands will be appearing at the Wigan Jazz Festival in July.

Geoff will also be raising awareness of the new club through his own programme to be broadcast on Ribble Valley Radio from 8pm to 10pm on Wednesday nights.

For further information contact Paul on 01200 440271 or Geoff on 07971 971209.