With the Brecon Jazz Festival now just three days away, the organisers have announced a series of musician workshops and a concert by students of the Royal Welsh College jazz summer school together with news about this year’s festival fringe, which begins a day earlier this Thursday.

The festival, which runs from Friday until Sunday, and now organised by the Hay Festival team, has a fresh new look and a forward looking line-up that draws from the rising stars of the UK’s vibrant new scene; the Mercury-nominated Kit Downes Trio, Get The Blessing, Phronesis, and Kairos 4Tet; to established names such as Gwilym Simcock, Hugh Masekela, Keith Tippett and Julie Tippetts, Andy Sheppard, and Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club with Omara Portuondo.

Leading musical instrument manufacturer Roland, whose UK arm is based in Wales, will be mounting a series of workshops run by UK Youth and hosting a demo centre over the weekend, including a Rock Riffs Guitar workshop; beat matching for DJs and a music industry session on 7 August, and Guitar Effects; Electric Drumming and Rhythm Section workshops on 8 August.

Now underway, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama’s jazz summer school culminates in Brecon with a special concert on the festival’s main stage this Saturday presented in partnership with Brecon Jazz. The summer school is run by bassist Paula Gardiner, the college’s head of jazz, and students are tutored and coached by pianist Huw Warren, drummer Marc O’Connor, saxophonist Lee Goodall and pianist Nick Weldon together with other guest musicians appearing at the festival.

A festival market area will be set up in Christ College for food, drink and exhibitions and stalls while the fringe festival is currently being programmed. It will run throughout the weekend with free performances by many local groups at various pubs, clubs and bars around town.

– Jon Newey