Listings: July

Mercury-award nominee, signed to Gilles Pertson‘s Brownswood label, Ghostpoet is a Brit rapper whose remarkable sound takes in trip-hop, dubstep and hip-hop and has marked him out as one of the most distinct voices in British music. The success of his debut album, “Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam”, has led to…

Glenfiddich In-depth Nosing and Tasting Session - over 18s only.

Hot, blues-drenched funky struttin’ band led by guitarist MacFarlane and joined by an all star band featuring singer Jacqui Hicks (ex-Shakatak).

The guitarist has continuously refreshed and updated his music, offering Scottish audiences a constant stream of interesting projects across the contemporary jazz spectrum. Now, for the first time, he’s put together an international all star band that reflects his Scandinavian roots, and gives a new platform for his often…

Inspired by Parisian jazz of the 1930s and Django Reinhardt's Hot Club de Paris, Havana Swing are a very tight four piece band playing lightning solos, subtle harmonies, with energy, passion and charm: “happy, jaunty, feelgood jazz executed with great panache” (The Herald).

Mesmerising beats, a heavy blend of hip-hop, jazz, and sweeping electronica forms a deeply original sound – packed with energy, emotion and atmosphere. “Every bit as jawdropping as DJ Shadow's Entroducing” – their star has been ascending since signing for Tru Thoughts and performing at clubs and major festivals throughout…

“New Orleans’ finest” (The Guardian). Hip hop, jazz and funk out of the classic marching band tradition with a totally contemporary vibe (they’re from the Tru Thoughts stable). This funky brass band made their name on the streets and in the clubs of New Orleans. Now they play Festivals from N’Orleans to Glastonbury, and…

An exhibition tracing the imagined history of a teak bed found in a Singapore junk shop back to the tree from which it was made, incorporating photographs, prints, collages and an award-winning short film.

After hours blow in the classic basement jazz club – you might see the stars of the Festival or a cutting context between the names of the future. Bill Kyle takes the drum chair and hosts the sessions.

A brand new high-energy show for 2013 from the Dublin-born stand-up.

Spend a lazy afternoon in the Grassmarket visiting the designer boutiques or sampling the wards of the superb hostelries. Live jazz from Al’s Dixie Palz and The Foo Birds provide the soundtrack for the afternoon from a stage in the centre of the Grassmarket.

Mainstays of the Edinburgh scene, this is the classic Monday night Big Band, where the best players in town come down for a blow on their night off, and end up fashioning some great free spirited music, because the vibe is relaxed and the pressure is off. There’ll be a few guests in tonight, and Erik Lars Hansen and Keith…

Driving blues inspired by 50s and 60s American classics.

The electric blues powerhouse band is fronted by the charismatic harmonica and vocals of Gary Martin and check out the great Alan Brown on guitar.

Forde’s new band have been a breath of fresh air on the Edinburgh classic jazz scene – and now they have composed an original raggy suite - The New Century Jazz Rag, to be debuted at the Festival in a programme of iconic jazz from 1913 to 2013. There will be blues, spirituals, ballads, cakewalks, marches, waltzes, cool…

An extraordinary fusion of World, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, Folk and Reggae from Guinea-born singer / Kora player Sekou Kouyaté and folk/hip hop guitarist and rapper, Joe Driscoll. “A gloriously accessible collision of folk-soul-reggae and Guinean kora… throbbing riffs and furious workouts from the "Hendrix of the kora"…

The award-winning comedian and Graham Norton warm-up plays a hapless climber retelling a story of a treacherous climb. 'For people who like their comedy funny' (Matt Lucas). 'Hugely talented character comic' (Scotsman).

A Festival institution and always a sell out. The veteran White Heather Club singer and banjo player loves traditional jazz, and plays rags, stomps, blues and swing tunes with Mike Daly on trumpet and Beverley Knight (banjo), Ken MacDonald (bass) and Scott Gordon (drums).

The climax of this year’s Jazz and Blues Festival is a return by popular demand of the undisputed King of rhythm’n’blues and boogie-woogie, Jools Holland, and his fantastic Big Band The pianist and bandleader, leads a band packed with great musicians ­ one of the hottest and most exciting Big Bands you can hear anywhere.

Warm wit and autobiographical storytelling about growing up with a comedian for a dad.

The Swedish group, EST, gave jazz a new language, at the point where melody and atmosphere and jazz and rock colaesced. Italian pianist, Kekko Fornarelli, advances this musical brew – with emotions rich in colours and brightness, strong catchy beats and arching melodies. His star has been burning bright all over Europe…

Scotland’s leading jazz repertory band are constantly winning plaudits for their inventive re-casting of classic jazz, really bringing the music of classic jazz and the swing era to life. Tonight they are joined by the maestro New Orleans clarinettist, Evan Christopher (“gorgeous and downright mesmerising clarinet…

Really hot new band of the “next big talents” led by two Scots, saxophonist Leah Gough Cooper, and trumpeter, Kim Macari. Influenced by Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny and Brian Blade, their compositions are deeply rooted in the jazz tradition and range from bop to contemporary acoustic fusion. With Riley Stone-Lonergan (tenor…

Cool, classy and seductive vocals delivered with laid back charm shades of Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall and Tom Waits.