Jazz & Blues Day (Music)

Sponsored by THE NEW BELL INN, DOUG PAGE, CELIA STRACHAN, PETE WOODMAN, IAN McCRAE, ANDY SCHOOLER and RICHARD FLATT

The Harwich Festival is delighted to bring you the third JAZZ AND BLUES DAY in conjunction with the NEW BELL INN. Opening this year’s showcase is one of the very first public performances by the JOE PETTITT TRIO, unveiling their musical project SMALL PACKAGES. Bassist Joe has worked and collaborated with all manner of artists from Curtis Stigers, Clare Teal, The Puppini Sisters and Joe Stilgoe through to the Ronnie Scott’s Big Band, Simon Spillett and Denny Ilett. As a session player, Joe has toured/recorded with Michael Bublé, Burt Bacharach, Noel Gallagher, Joss Stone, Rick Astley, Tony Christie and Michael Feinstein. He is probably best known as leader of the LP Swing Orchestra for over 15 years. In this role he has presented and produced shows for Sky TV, including a Christmas Special with Mica Paris. For SMALL PACKAGES, he will be accompanied by two familiar faces on the Harwich jazz scene: pianist JIM WATSON and drummer GEORGE DOUBLE.

The afternoon belongs to singer FLEUR STEVENSON and pianist PETE BILLINGTON. One of the UK’s most distinctive jazz vocalists, Fleur captivates audiences with her honeyed tone and charismatic stage presence. Her impeccable sense of timing, space and improvisation pays homage to jazz greats like Shirley Horn and Anita O’Day, while she incorporates the likes of Elvis Presley and even King Crimson into her rich and varied set. She regularly collaborates with some of the country’s top jazz musicians including Gareth Williams, Art Themen, Dave Newton, Denny Ilett and Brandon Allen and performs at many of the UK’s most prestigious venues, including Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 and the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho. PETE BILLINGTON is not only a sympathetic accompanist but also a lucid improvisor. Pete has played with jazz greats like Peter King, Don Weller and Salena Jones and can be currently seen with such names as Simon Spillett, Jana Varga and Stefan Redtenbacher’s Funkestra.

The day draws to a close with a sonic explosion curtesy TRIO EAST, a special one-off combination for the Harwich Festival comprising guitarist JOHN ETHERIDGE, bassist BEN CROSLAND and drummer NIC FRANCE. John, of whom Sting said “I never wanted to be a star, just a highly respected musician like John Etheridge”, is a true legend of British jazz-prog and has been in the frontline of iconic giants SOFT MACHINE since 1975 to this very day. His back story is a who’s who of British and American jazz and rock, ranging from Stephane Grappelli and Dizzy Gillespie to Pat Metheny and Police guitarist Andy Summers. Ben needs no introduction to Harwich audiences having brought his celebrated Ray Davies Quintet, featuring John, to St Nicholas’s Church and played the first JAZZ AND BLUES DAY with his Threeway ensemble including trumpeter Steve Waterman and keyboardist Steve Lodder. Nic recently played in Harwich holding down the beat in Derek Nash and Noel McCalla’s Wonder of Stevie show. Nic’s professional career goes back to 1980 when he shared the stage with Ronnie Scott, John Taylor, Mose Allison and Hank Crawford to name but a few. He was a founder member of the acclaimed ensemble Loose Tubes. He toured and recorded with Tanita Tikaram and can be seen and heard on David Gilmour’s Royal Festival Hall live DVD with guests Kate Bush, Robert Wyatt and Bob Geldof.

Admission is free. There will be a retiring collection to support the HARWICH FESTIVAL.

Join us for Jazz & Blues Day (Music) at The New Bell Inn in Harwich on Sunday 28 June 2026 starting at 12:00 PM.

Enjoy live music as part of the Harwich Festival programme, bringing local audiences together for a memorable performance in one of Harwich’s popular venues.

Venue: The New Bell Inn.

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