The new look Brecon Jazz Festival which came to a conclusion last night after three packed days was in festive mood with a busy feel in the Powys market town that saw several acts including Phronesis sell out. Jon Turney on the spot for Jazzwise over the weekend picks out some highlights, ahead of his full report, complete with superb specially taken photographs, in the print edition which hits the streets on 16 September.

Ayanna Witter Johnson, a huge talent, returning from a year in New York was in great voice – like a young Cassandra Wilson would have sounded if she also happened to be a fine cellist. All her own songs, Witter Johnson might need to hook up with a lyricist, but was provided with great support from Robert Mitchell on piano and Fraser Fifield on numerous pipes and whistles. Jason Yarde and Andrew McCormack finished Friday with an intensely beautiful duo set in the cathedral, ending at around midnight. But stumbling across the RAF club just before, I chanced on some 50 people downing pints, intent on Remi Harris’ fine and hot acoustic guitar, but had to leave them to it.

Kit Downes, a former chorister, revelled in the cathedral’s Saturday lunchtime acoustics. He brought new tunes, and his Golden trio of Calum Gourlay, bass; and James Maddren, drums; was as compelling as the aural pleasures.

Over the weekend for me it was a case of finding that acquaintances, old and new, had all heard completely different stuff, from Charlie Musselwhite to Scott Hamilton, to Pee Wee Ellis, to Rachel Z and Omar Hakim. All this, and, at first hand, John Donaldson’s tribute to Bheki Mseleku, Keith Tippett and Julie Tippetts in duo, Hugh Masekela rocking the Market Hall last night and the Brecon Project, an unlikely but intriguing collaboration between Welsh jazzers, Frenchman Erik Truffaz on trumpet and the superb kora player Sura Susso which blended some unlikely elements but worked up to a beguiling world jam. I’m sure the last 25-odd years were fine, but just now Brecon feels like the best jazz weekend you can have outside London.

Jazzwise is a media sponsor of the Brecon Jazz Festival.