Peter Bacon reports:

According to the organisers, it’s “More than a Jazz Festival: an outdoor party with a wide range of ales, hog roast etc.” Headlining at this year’s Drayton Court Jazz Festival in Ealing (16-18 August 2019) are Vasilis Xenopoulos and Nigel Price with XPQ (Friday), the Liz Fletcher – Mark Parnell Band (Saturday) and Dick Esmond’s Sound of 17 Big Band (Sunday). Among the other musicians playing are trumpeter Chris Hodgkins, saxophonists Dave O’Higgins, Pete Hurt, Art Themen, Dianne McLaughlin and Mornington Lockett, pianists Leon Greening and Jonathan Gee, bassists Jeremy Brown, Dave Green and Julie Walkington, and drummers Dave Barry and Peter Cater.

Nigel Price and Vasilis Xenopoulos (Publicity photo)

Drayton Court’s press release has this:

“Building on the success of the 2018 Drayton Court Jazz Festival in Ealing, the line-up for this year’s three-day event features many of the UK’s top jazz musicians.

The Drayton Court Festival is a now widely anticipated jazz event for West London: accessible and popular jazz from well-known bands with local connections, and FREE admission. Dick Esmond who was the co-founder and artistic director of the Ealing Jazz Festival for 30 years says ‘the line-up for our fourth year is as good as ever, presenting locally led bands at an event without parallel in the borough’.

“The Festival was established in 2016 in response to overwhelming demand from local fans and musicians disappointed with changes to the council-run Ealing Jazz Festival. Now, in the attractive setting of the Drayton Court’s spacious garden, the unique local spirit has been restored. In addition to the main stage bands that run through each day, there are performances between sets by a series of jazz duos/trios in the bar area, making for a music filled vibrant weekend of Ealing Jazz  at its festive best.

“This year also pays tribute to the acclaimed photographer and Jazz Festival supporter, John Ross, who died recently. John’s photographs over the years have captured the spirit, personality and passion of the jazz festival in Ealing since its start. A display of his work is planned for the Bar area.”

LINK: Full line-up and details