Battle Festival will be putting on a spectacular jazz weekend

Spokesman Julian Norridge said: “On Saturday, July 23, three very different bands are set to appear in some of the most popular pubs in Battle – and entry to all of them is free.

"The bands will be playing between 8.30pm and 11pm. Stick with your favourite or wander between the venues. This is very much a strolling event.

“Vibraphone player and composer Roger Beaujolais will be appearing at The Smoking Bull. At the Abbey Hotel, Mark Cherrie, a rare steel pan jazz player, will be playing with his quartet. And singer Liz Fletcher, much influenced by Peggy Lee, Ella Firzgerald and Chet Baker’s phrasing, will be performing at The Tap Room with guitarist Phil Capone.

“Then Sunday, July 24 will see Jazz on a Summer’s Afternoon, with five fantastic and very different bands performing in the beautiful grounds of Battle Abbey. There will be food and there will be drink – a fully licensed bar – so the whole family can come along to enjoy an afternoon of exciting music from 1pm to 7pm.

“First up will be the Alan Barnes/Dave Newton/Andrew Cleyndert Trio, featuring three of the biggest names in British jazz. Clarinet player and saxophonist Alan Barnes has twice been the BBC Jazz Musician of the Year. Pianist Dave Newton has been voted Best Jazz Pianist in the British Jazz Awards no fewer than 16 times while bass player Andrew Cleyndert has been nominated for the British Jazz Awards every year since they started.

“Next will be Hexagonal, the high-energy sextet featuring internationally known players based in 1066 Country who have emerged as a powerful presence on the UK jazz scene.

"In their relatively short life, they’ve already enjoyed huge acclaim at club and festival appearances and performed in concert for BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Now and in session for Radio 3’s J-Z.

“They will be followed by acclaimed jazz and blues guitarist Remi Harris and virtuoso double bassist Tom Moore, who will present music ranging from the acoustic jazz of the 30s and 40s to the electric blues of the 60s and 70s.

"They are influenced by such greats as Django Reinhardt, Peter Green, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix and more.

“The fourth band will be a quartet led by the legendary American saxophonist Jean Toussaint who for four years in the 1980s was a member of the famous Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.

"In 1987 he moved to London to establish himself as a band leader, playing with British artists such as Courtney Pine, Julian Joseph and Jason Rebello. Over the years, he has also performed in groups led by such legends as McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Gil Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and Max Roach.

“The grand finale will feature Liane Carroll, 1066 Country’s best loved songstress. For this session she’ll be joined by the two regular members of her trio, both very well known to the local jazz audience: husband Roger Carey on bass and Russell Field on drums. Liane has been a pillar of the British jazz scene for over 35 years. While we like to think of her as one of our own, she also has a huge national and international reputation. On an occasion like this, she is not to be missed.”

Tickets are £20 and are available on the door or in advance from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jazz-weekend-at-battle-abbey-lawn-tickets-352804707377.