WHAT’S ON
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Out Front
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB: Out Front
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No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 16 April 2026
£25, £13 Students
8pm (doors 7pm)
A UK jazz super group, Out Front originally formed to play the music of two of jazz's greatest 'inside-outside' composers; Booker Little and Andrew Hill. With roots anchored in the the work of these two masters, they now present sets of entirely original music, composed by multiple members of the band. They are touring throughout 2026, showcasing music from their debut album, ‘Buried Webs’.
Featuring a rich line-up of three horns, drums and bass, the band draws on years of collective experience at the highest level of jazz and improvised music, exploring a full spectrum of possibilities, from joyous straight ahead time playing, to the most open of improvisation.
Nick Malcolm – Trumpet
Jason Yarde – Alto Saxophone
Jake McMurchie – Tenor Saxophone
Olie Brice – Double Bass
Dave Smith - Drums
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: James Owston
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB: Out Front
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book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 18 June 2026
£25, £13 Students
8pm (doors 7pm)
With a technical fluidity on his instrument, and strong connection to various forms of improvised music, James has built a reputation as one of the most in demand bassists in the country, drawing on his many influences to develop a sound that is stylish, virtuosic and captivating. “His tone big and resonant, his time keeping immaculate and his solos highly dexterous and consistently engaging” (The Jazz Mann). His extensive performance CV shows collaborations with notable artists such as Paul Dunmall, Jay Phelps, Mark Lockett, Neil Yates, Roger Manins, Xhosa Cole, Alex Clarke, Greg Abate, and many more.
With firm roots in bebop and the jazz tradition, James is heavily influenced by Ray Brown, Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, Charlie Haden, and other pioneering bassists, as well as current greats including Larry Grenadier and Robert Landferman. He draws inspiration from modern and contemporary music, as well as his experience on the free improv scene, in his approach to improvising and writing music. In 2018, James was a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician Award, performing at the Queen-Elizabeth Hall with Gwilym Simcock and Asaf Sirkis.
The past 2-3 years have seen James step forward as a band leader, composing for a variety of ensembles. After touring with his trio in Autumn 2023, he started focusing on his quartet for which he wrote the suite of music ‘Songs from an Imaginary Childhood’. This music was a commission from the Jazz Central Mentorship Programme and features Alex Western-King (Saxophone), Nick Manz (Piano) and Matthew Holmes (Drums). The compositions took inspiration from the juxtaposition of seeing the world from a child’s perspective and that of an adult’s, focusing on specific examples personal to James. This music was recorded in 2024 and is set to be released as James’s first record as a leader in 2026.
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: The Fraser Smith Quartet
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
The Fraser Smith Quartet
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book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 16 April 2026
£25, £13 Students
8pm (doors 7pm)
London based Tenor player Fraser Smith has been playing professionally across Europe and beyond for the past 20 years. His latest album Lifeline! was recently added to The Times and Jazzwise 'Best Jazz Albums of 2025' lists, receiving a glowing 4 star review from each. 'Fiery and energetic hard-bop', the band's previous album Tiptop!, received coverage from the Guardian, Jazzwise and Hi-fi magazine and amassed 1.3 million streams.
This year Fraser will release his most ambitious project yet featuring US sax legend Harry Allen. The album was recorded in Paris with a carefully selected European rhythm section and will be released on French record label Zoot!. Also this year Fraser will be joining Living Jazz legend Chuck Israels (John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Billie Holiday, Bill Evans) as part of his European Quartet.
Fraser Smith Quartet play straight ahead jazz, firmly rooted in the golden eras of bebop/ hard bop and swing.
Fraser Smith - Sax
Rob Barron - Piano
TBC - Bass
Steve Brown - Drums
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: The Harry Cristelis Quartet
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
The Harry Cristelis Quartet
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book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 26 March 2026
£25 & £13 Students
8pm (doors 7pm)
“Breathy and textural tones that perfectly create a sense of space and memory”
Harry Christelis and his quartet perform music from Preserving Fictions, a captivating blend of jazz, folk, and ambient soundscapes. Expect inventive interplay, haunting beauty, and deep emotional resonance from this remarkable group of musicians.
Guitarist and composer Harry Christelis presents his new album, Preserving Fictions — an exploration of how music and art can serve as a means to preserve and document the seeming truths we see, hear, feel, and experience every day. This record, a continuation and development of his 2025 EP Half Truths (recorded during the same session), sees Christelis delve deeper into a sound world that has become synonymous with his name, fusing elements of jazz and folk traditions with ambient drones and delicate electronic textures to create a truly immersive listening experience.
Featuring his long-standing quartet of Christos Stylianides (trumpet/effects), Andrea Di Biase (double bass/synth), and Dave Storey (drums), the highly acclaimed musicians constantly break free from their traditional roles within the jazz idiom. Instead, they embrace a deeply communal approach to improvisation, colouring, shaping, and delineating every moment of each piece together. Across the adventurous 58-minute album, the listener is taken on a journey that moves through dreamy psychedelic trips, expansive soundscapes, delicate moments of intimacy, and furious bursts of energy — all seamlessly bound by a tone that holds sombre and hopeful feelings in harmonious equilibrium.
“Compelling ambient music pitched somewhere between In A Silent Way-era Miles Davis and late-era Talk Talk”
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: The Alex Merritt Quartet
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
The Alex Merritt Quartet
book tickets.
book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 19th February 2026
£25, £13 Students
8pm (Doors 7pm)
“Promising debut, of striking quality.”
This exciting new quartet - by Bristol-based saxophonist and composer Alex Merritt - brings together four distinctive improvisers, and voices on their respective instruments, to interpret original material of Alex’s that draws inspiration from both classical composers such as Maurice Ravel, Olivier Messiaen and Henri Dutilleux as well as a host of contemporary jazz influences.
The line-up features the wonderful Elliot Galvin on piano (Shabaka Hutchings, Norma Winstone, Marius Neset), Will Harris on bass (The Jazz Defenders, Matt Anderson, Simon Gardner) and Jeremy Stacey on drums (Soft Machine, Jason Rebello, Noel Gallagher.)
This quartet builds on the success of Alex’s former quartet release ‘Anatta’ (2016) a record that featured legendary American drummer Jeff Williams.
Since this time Alex has also released two albums for the prestigious Barcelona-based label Fresh Sound New Talent; ‘Mind-Ear-Ladder’ in a co-led quintet with trumpeter Steve Fishwick (2022) and ‘Common Threads’ with the Fresh Sound Ensemble (2023).
Alex is now relishing the opportunity to get back to the classic quartet format with this brilliant line-up and is excited to bring some new quartet material to The Nutshell as part of a larger nationwide tour ahead of a recording later in 2026.
“one of the best UK jazz recordings I’ve heard this year”
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Ant Law & Brigitte Beraha
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
Ant Law & Brigitte Beraha
book tickets.
book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 15 JANUARY 2025
£25, £13 Students & PWYC
8PM (DOORS 7PM)
“Jaw-dropping, fulfilling and uplifting.”
‘Ensconced’ is an exciting new collaboration initiated during the pandemic years between leading UK guitarist/composer Ant Law and Milan-born British/Turkish vocalist, composer and lyricist Brigitte Beraha.
The six originals on the album are bookended by re-imaginings of two timeless standards - ‘A Kiss To Build A Dream On’ (made famous by Louis Armstrong) and Bernstein’s ‘Some Other Time’ - in which the duo simply and beautifully conjure up a spellbinding, intimate ‘campfire’ feeling.
Inspired by Ant’s compositions, Brigitte exhibits rich lyrical storytelling, from wistful memories of growing up in the south of France in ‘Who We Are’ to the more obscure tale of a gifted horse in ‘Clever Hans’. Her deeply expressive vocals, alongside Ant’s inventive and melodic acoustic guitar artistry, are the elements at the very heart of this music.
“Rich in bejewelled detail. Ensconced’s subtleties grow deeper with each listen.”
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
JazzBops: January - Toby Evans Duo
JAZZBOPS: Toby Evans Duo
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BOOK TICKETS.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.
Buggy park available downstairs when the event is held upstairs.EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 15th January 2026
1:45pm (doors 1:30pm)
£12 - admits 2 / £6 additional adult/child
Join us for our monthly afternoon jazz concert made especially for grown-ups and their little ones - a jazz club designed with grown-ups in mind.
Park up your buggies or scooters and get ready for a mid-week lunchtime concert featuring some of the UK's best Jazz musicians - please note new time for 2026!
JANUARY LINE-UP: Toby Evans Duo
Programmed in partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival.
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Alex Western-King Christmas House Band - The Late Show
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
Alex Western-King Christmas House Band - The Late Show
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book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2025
£22, £13 Students & PWYC
10:45PM (DOORS 10:30PM)
Our Christmas LATE SHOW is back, bringing your favourite Christmas tunes to life with our fantastic house band. New Orleans style Christmas music led by Alex Western-King.
Join us for a late night Christmas Jazz experience and bring in the Christmas season in style.
Alex Western-King is an award-winning musician and one of the most sought after saxophone players on the London jazz scene. Described as "reaching deep into the core of jazz”, Alex is passionate about communicating through music and preserving the jazz tradition.
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Alex Western-King CHristmas House BanD
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
Alex Western-King Christmas House Band
book tickets.
book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2025
£25, £13 Students & PWYC
8PM (DOORS 7PM)
This Christmas, we welcome back Alex Western-King and The Nutshell House Band to bring you a celebration of the festive season.
After last year’s sold out double house, join Alex and his band for a night of holiday classics. Featuring Hannah Castleman on vocals, this is a Monday night not to be missed!
Alex Western-King is an award-winning musician and one of the most sought after saxophone players on the London jazz scene. Described as "reaching deep into the core of jazz”, Alex is passionate about communicating through music and preserving the jazz tradition.
Wanna hear more? - book your tickets for our December LATE SHOW.
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
JazzBops: December - The Spitfire Sisters
JAZZBOPS: December
BOOK TICKETS.
BOOK TICKETS.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.
Buggy park available downstairs when the event is held upstairs.EVENT DETAILS
MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2025
Doors open from 11am Starts 11:30am
£12 - admits 2
Join us for our monthly lunchtime jazz concert made especially for grown-ups and their little ones (ages 0-4) - a jazz club designed with grown-ups in mind.
Park up your buggies or scooters and get ready for a mid-week lunchtime concert featuring some of the UK's best Jazz musicians.
Older children also welcome! 🎄
DECEMBER LINE-UP: The Spitfire Sisters
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Harry Diplock Trio & Friends
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
HARRY DIPLOCK TRIO
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book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2025
£25, £13 Students & PWYC
8PM (DOORS 7PM)
“Harry Diplock is one of the brightest stars on the London gypsy jazz scene.”
Guitarist Harry Diplock brings together some of the UKs most exciting musicians to capture a modern take on the world of acoustic jazz. ‘Harry Diplock Trio & Friends’ pushes the envelope of acoustic jazz guitar.
Rooted in the acoustic qualities of the Selmer guitar and heavily inspired by both the French and American Jazz scene, the trio has a unique sound that is distinctly original.
“Pushing the genre of ‘gypsy jazz’ in London forward into a modern sphere.”
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
*please check dates as due to holiday season we will occassionally shift from the third Thursday!
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Andrea Rinciari Quartet
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB:
Andrea Rinciari Quartet
book tickets.
book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER 2025
£25 & PWYC*
8PM (DOORS 7PM)
“A short, sharp glimpse into a happier world in which jazz guitar rules!”
Andrea Rinciari is an eminent jazz guitarist whose tireless dedication to the traditions of bebop and straight-ahead has led him to master the essence of mid-20th century jazz.
Inspired by legends such as Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron, Elmo Hope, Freddie Redd, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, and Clifford Brown, Andrea’s devotion to their legacy permeates through every performance.
Beyond being a virtuoso bandleader, Andrea is an engaging host, consistently gracing prestigious jazz venues on both sides of the channel. From the legendary Ronnie Scott’s, Chelsea’s 606 and Vortex in London to Parisian gems like Duc des Lombards, 38Riv, and Le Barbizon.
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Sponsored by Christopher Jones Wealth Management.
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
JazzBops: October
JAZZBOPS: October
BOOK TICKETS.
BOOK TICKETS.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.
Buggy park available downstairs when the event is held upstairs.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER 2025
Doors open from 11am
£18 - admits 2
Join us for our monthly lunchtime jazz concert made especially for grown-ups and their little ones (ages 0-4) - a jazz club designed with grown-ups in mind.
Park up your buggies or scooters and get ready for a mid-week lunchtime concert featuring some of the UK's best Jazz musicians.
OCTOBER LINE-UP: Andrea Rinciari
Sunday Sessions x WJF
SUNDAY SESSIONS X WJF
NEW FOR 2025/2026
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BOOK TICKETS.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
£13 & PWYC
3-5PM
Spend your Sunday afternoon immersed in live music and conversation at Sunday Sessions x WJF. Hosted by award-winning saxophonist Alex Western-King, this new event blends performance with an open workshop, giving you first-hand insight into all things Jazz.
Be part of an open workshop with some of the UK’s renowned jazz musicians (line-up TBC), ask questions, watch live performance and maybe even try a few ideas yourself. Whether you’re a budding musician, curious about a career in music, or simply love discovering new sounds, come with friends or family and be inspired.
A jazz experience designed for the next generation. Live music made for young people aged 12+ who want to be a part of Winchester's cultural scene.
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Empirical feat. Jonny Mansfield
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB: Empirical
feat. Jonny Mansfield
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book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2025
£25 & PWYC*
8PM (DOORS 7PM)
“Empirical, around for an astonishing 15 years already, are one of the great British contributions to European jazz.”
Join the multi award-winning UK jazz ensemble Empirical for a performance of their album Wonder is the Beginning, released on Whirlwind Recordings in 2024.
Having started their journey in 2007, Empirical make a triumphant return, re-taking their rightful place at the centre of the UK scene, with their first full-length release since 2016.
Wonder is the Beginning is a mature musical statement that shows the band’s fire is still undimmed and their commitment to maintaining the legacy while forging their own unique path is as strong as ever.
Empirical’s trademark combination of complex, thoughtful writing and spontaneous improvisation is enabled by the absolute trust that comes from years of collective music making, and is at the heart of what makes Empirical stand out consistently on the musical landscape.
The performance will feature Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Tom Farmer (double bass), Shaney Forbes (drums) and Jonny Mansfield (vibraphone).
“Empirical is still a reliable touchstone of contemporary British jazz at its most sophisticated.”
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Sponsored by Christopher Jones Wealth Management.
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
JazzBops: September
JAZZBOPS: Hannah Castleman
BOOK TICKETS.
BOOK TICKETS.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.
Buggy park available downstairs when the event is held upstairs.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2025
Doors & Café open from 11am
£18 - admits 2
Join us for our monthly lunchtime jazz concert made especially for grown-ups and their little ones (ages 0-4) - a jazz club designed with grown-ups in mind.
Park up your buggies or scooters and get ready for a mid-week lunchtime concert featuring some of the UK's best Jazz musicians.
SEPTEMBER LINE-UP: Hannah Castleman
The Nutshell Jazz Club: Emerging Sessions Lauren Breen
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB: Emerging Sessions Lauren Breen
book tickets.
book tickets.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 24 JULY 2025
£18
8PM (DOORS 7PM)
“Lauren is one of the most swinging young players on the scene. One to watch for sure.”
Lauren Breen is an alto saxophonist based in London, currently studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. She made her debut at Map Studio Café two years ago and has since had the opportunity to perform with her band at venues such as the Jazz Sanctuary, as part of the London EFG Jazz Festival, and at the Royal Albert Pub.
In addition to performing with her own ensemble, Lauren has played at various prestigious venues as a side musician for the Christ-Stephane Boizi Sextet, including the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, Jazz Refreshed (91 Living Room), and the We Out Here Festival. Alongside her work in combos, she is also heavily involved in big band performances for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) and is set to record an album with Hans Koller’s big band this year.
THE NUTSHELL JAZZ CLUB
Sponsored by Christopher Jones Wealth Management.
Join us on the third Thursday of every month* for an evening of Jazz, delicious food (bring your own / order in) and drinks a plenty in an intimate cabaret style setting.
In partnership with Winchester Jazz Festival and Alex Western-King we will host some of the UK’s best Jazz musicians on The Nutshell stage.
JazzBops: July
JAZZBOPS: Lauren Breen
BOOK TICKETS.
BOOK TICKETS.
No lift access to performance studio.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased.
Buggy park available downstairs when the event is held upstairs.EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 24 JULY 2025
Doors & Café open from 11am
£15 - admits 2
Join us for our monthly lunchtime jazz concert made especially for grown-ups and their little ones (ages 0-4) - a jazz club designed with grown-ups in mind.
Park up your buggies or scooters and get ready for a mid-week lunchtime concert featuring some of the UK's best Jazz musicians.
JULY LINE-UP: Lauren Breen