Chipping Norton Jazz Festival hits the right note

Pubs across Chipping Norton were packed on Sunday as the festival marked its 12th year with its biggest ever line-up of acts.

The festival, which took Chipping Norton Rotary Club nine months to organise, raised thousands of pounds for charity.

Thirteen venues across the town took part, culminating in an evening concert headlined by Kenny Ball and Keith Nichol’s Hot Five at the Town Hall.

Organising committee member Simon Hamilton said: “It’s been excellent.

“Lots of people have been coming into the town and having a great time. There has been so much going on.

“Many of the performances have been in the pubs, but this year we have the school bands in the town hall and bands playing in coffee shops and outside in the town where everyone can enjoy them.

“The festival started off 12 years ago. It was an idea to have fun and bring people into the town — and now look how popular it is.

“All the venues, apart from the town hall, have paid for the musicians to come and play. It’s a huge benefit for the town.”

About £3,000 was raised and shared between the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance and the End Polio Now campaign.

The day was kicked off with a jazz-style church service at St Mary’s Church.

During the afternoon, Four Play Jazz performed at The Old Mill Coffee House, The Dave Barry Jazz Band and Freddie Fingers and the Trois Tetes attracted a crowd to The Blue Boar, while the Eric Stevens Jazz Band and Perry and his Trio entertained customers at The Crown and Cushion.

Other highlights included The Spats Langham Trio at The Chequers Inn, uncle-and-nephew duo Jake and Nick Gill at Bitter and Twisted, and Dickie White’s Jazz Allstars in Market Square.

Chipping Norton School All Stars, King Edward VI School jazz band and King Eddie’s Big Band Revival performed 30-minute taster sessions at the town hall.

The Chipping Norton School All Stars also played at Jaffe & Neale Book and Coffee Shop.

mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk