Sarah Ellen Hughes and Trio

A vibrant, young combination of melodious vocals and traditional jazz with a modern twist. The fire station came alive with Sarah’s sensuous voice, pulling in more people to have a look. The musicians with her complemented the set-up and created wonderful rhythms.

Beats and Pieces Big Band

Another young band which had a fantastic sound. Seeing the innovative name I thought I’d go and have a look, the 14-strong Beats and Pieces did not disappoint. Their sound was of a high standard and the performance evoked energy. They showed that a big band remains something for all generations.

Eduardo Niebla Trio

These musicians left their audience in awe of their skills. The intricately-crafted melodies and songs were played to perfection and, with the mercury levels so high, made it feel as if the marquee had been transported to sunny Spain. The audience thus receiving the sultry sound well.

Bulawayo

Cecilia Ndhlova’s soulful voice kept the audience captivated and brought more people in, allowing the African Bandstand to be fully packed. Bulawayo brought Zimbabwean music to Marlborough with a great zest and people just could n’t help themselves from joining in and dancing.

Zambula

A Congolese band (with Cornish Congas) which brought great atmosphere to the African Bandstand. Having performed at many festivals before, they brought their fantastic energy to Marlborough, allowing people to feel music perfectly suited to the hot weather.

New Tricks

When I walked into the Castle and Ball where New Tricks were playing, it was packed. The audience, numerous and delighted, was of varying ages and the band, despite their name, brought a very traditional side to the festival. They demonstrated that regardless of age, jazz is enjoyable.

Swing de Bois

This Italian ‘gypsy’ jazz trio transported the audience back to the Italian piazzas and streets, the music cheerful yet emotive. Although in Roma there might be a great amount of chatter, there was certainly none to be heard here as people had ear and eye solely for the performance.

Robin Jones and King Salsa

This 13-strong latin influenced band was even better than last year. The audience were wowed by the musicians’ skills as the fiery music spread its way around the marquee, and often found themselves moving to the rhythms. It was nice to see the return of these passionate maestros.

Iszy van Haperen