A boutique jazz festival in a small, historic town will see big names perform including Dionne Warwick, Joan Armatrading and Courtney Pine.

The 2018 Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival will take place from Friday, August 24 to Bank Holiday Monday, August 27 in Rye, East Sussex, with two further dates in September.

Now in its seventh year, the festival is firmly established as a top quality boutique music festival, attracting thousands of music fans and families from across the region.

The festival includes local and regional music talent and free music events plus world-class artists performing unique and intimate headline concerts.

British soul singer Tony Momrelle kicks off the festival at St Mary’s Church on Saturday, August 25. Described as the 21st century Stevie Wonder, he has performed with artists in the world from Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston to Chaka Khan, Andrea Bocelli and Gwen Stefani, Robert Palmer.

Jazz FM vocalist of the year 2018 Zara McFarlane performs a headline evening concert also on Saturday, August 25 while BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Clare Teal performs an afternoon concert at St Mary’s church on Sunday, August 25. She will perform from the Great American Song Book to the stylists of the 50s and 60s, with a nod to contemporary writers and originals too.

Saxophonist and composer Courtney Pine performs his show The House of Legends on Sunday, August 26 with a mix of merengue, ska and calypso played through the lens of a UK born artist with Afro-Caribbean roots.

The Ronnie Scott’s Blues Explosion headline at St Mary’s Church on the afternoon of Bank Holiday Monday, August 27, with classic Chicago, delta and cutting edge blues.

The legendary Joan Armatrading performs songs from her new album Not Too Far Away also on Bank Holiday Monday as well as from her back catalogue.

The festival also has dates in September. Grammy Award-winning Corinne Bailey Rae performs a special concert at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sea on Friday, September 7, performing her collection of hits such as Put Your Records On and Like A Star as well as material from her new album The Heart Speaks In while on Saturday, September 8 Dionne Warwick plays the first of her UK concert dates at the De La Warr Pavilion with her hits from a 50-year career including Walk On By, Anyone Who Had A Heart and Heartbreaker.

For the full programme and to purchase tickets go to ryejazz.com.