The third Kings Place Festival takes place between Thursday 9 and Sunday 12 September with plenty on offer for the jazz lover, including big names such as the Kit Downes Trio, Tom Arthurs and Tomorrow’s Warriors.

Downes, who with his former band Empirical scooped Jazzwise’s album of the year award at the end of 2007, takes his critically-acclaimed trio to Kings Place playing an eclectic set of originals with influences ranging from Keith Jarrett to Bela Bartók, which will be an undoubted highlight. Also expect lively performances from Tomorrow’s Warriors Quartet and Tomorrow’s Warriors Biggish Band, who will both be playing on the Friday afternoon of the festival.

There are also other top class performers to look out for in Jasper Høiby and Seb Rochford. Høiby – taking time out from Phronesis – plays bass for the Tom Arthurs Trio, which also includes Stuart Ritchie on drums and the Elysian Quartet, while Rochford is drumming for the Basquiat Strings.

One of the upcoming groups showcased at the festival are the Indo Bass Trio whose members, Manjeet Singh Rasiya, Ben Hazleton and Clem Alford combine traditional Indian instruments with Hazleton’s double bass in order to “explore sonic possibilities”. They play four sets with free entry to all over the course of the week, with two each on the Thursday and Sunday nights.

Other highlights of the four day fest include London-based Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier with his acoustic trio featuring Paolo Minervini on bass and Demi Garcia, percussion, as well as One Mint Julep, which contains some of the cream of the capital’s crop – Jim Hart on drums, Sam Crowe, keyboards, Fred Thomas double bass and Emine Pirhasan, vocals – to play material with a smoky 1930s sound.

– James Bourne

For more go to www.kingsplace.co.uk/music/kings-place-festival