THE Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival has announced some of the artists that will perform over the event weekend in July.

These include one of the great British jazz voices of all time, Elaine Delmar and the legendary PP Arnold - one of the iconic faces of London’s swinging ’60s who is still performing more than four decades later and who headlines the main stage on the Saturday evening.

More artists will be added over the coming weeks to this unique and boutique festival, which will take place from July 1 to July 3 and which has grown year on year and is now regarded as firmly established within the festival calendar.

The tenth Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival takes place this summer in the award winning grounds and Great Hall of Burton Agnes Hall.

On the Friday, eight-piece festival favourites Octopus will open the festival, performing swinging big band classics. Joining them on opening night is the nine-piece powerhouse Bugalu Foundation. Their style is heavily influenced by the music of Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri, and particularly the ’70s era of ‘Our Latin Thing’.

The musical traditions of New York’s east and west Harlem come together in an irresistible fusion of jazz, funk and soul with the beats of ‘El Barrio’ and the Hispanic traditions of Latin America, more than a hint of Palmieri’s trombone rich ‘La Perfecta’, combined with the guitar fuelled Afro-Latin style of Joe Battaan.

Saturday artists so far include Manjula, a Leeds based project exploring, innovating and bringing together rhythms and melodies from diverse cultures to create a beautiful mix of sounds from around the globe. They incorporate Portuguese, African and Latin jazz influences with the haunting ambience of Indian vocal training and the rhythmic attack of jazz improvisation. Pan Jumby showcase calypso/jazz sounds from ace steel pannist Dudley Nesbitt, with Richard Ormrod on sax and the Pan Jumby band - you can’t fail to be smiling and dancing to their infectious beat. From the North West jazz scene, and putting a fresh spin on the sax/bass/drums trio format, is the Blind Monk Trio, who draw their influences from the entire history of the genre, blend this with alternative rock and eastern folk and present quirky original compositions along with some surprising arrangements of classic standards.

Elaine Delmar, one of the great British jazz voices of all time, will bring her acclaimed interpretations of two of the greatest songbooks of all time, Gershwin and Porter on Saturday evening. Accompanied by a stellar group of musicians, Elaine performs classic arrangements of George Gershwin and Cole Porter, as well as taking a fresh new look at some iconic twentieth century music. Favourites include numbers such as: S'Wonderful, Embraceable You, Begin the Begine, Night and Day, Summertime and I Get A Kick Out Of You.

Headlining will be PP Arnold who has collaborated, recorded, worked and toured alongside such luminaries as The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Rod Stewart, Primal Scream, The Manfreds, and many more.

Violinist Matt Holborn will get proceedings under way on the final day of this year’s festival on the Sunday lunchtime.

In the gypsy jazz and swing circuit, Matt has appeared at many international venues and festivals along with at the BRIT Awards afterparty, Buckingham Palace, The Royal Albert Hall and has appeared on BBC drama

Bringing the Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival 2016 to an end the Ben Beattie's After Midnight Band.

Tickets are now on sale from http://www.burtonagnes.com/Jazz_Festival/Tickets_and_Prices.html by phoning 01262 490324, or from any of the shops at Burton Agnes Hall.