THE 2016 Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival is taking place over the weekend of July 1 to 3 with ticket sales at a record high.

Festival organiser Simon Cunliffe-Lister says: “On Saturday night we’re hugely excited to be hosting both Sixties’ legend PP Arnold and Elaine Delmar, one of Britain’s great jazz singers. It’s not just these big names that appeal: it’s also the chance to escape from it all for three days of wonderful music in our beautiful grounds.”

Surrounded by the Yorkshire Wolds, the festival takes place in the grounds and Great Hall of Burton Agnes Hall, the Elizabethan stately home in Burton Agnes, near Driffield.

Mad Dog Jones and the Sophisticats kick off the festival in style on Friday evening before Bugalu Foundation bring a fusion of jazz, funk and soul with the beats of El Barrio and the Hispanic traditions of Latin America. This nine-piece powerhouse has more than a hint of Palmieri’s trombone-rich La Perfecta, combined with the guitar-fuelled Afro-Latin style of Joe Battaan.

Manjula kicks off Saturday’s line up with their haunting ambient combination of Indian vocal training and rhythmic jazz improvisation. Steel pan player Dudley Nesbitt presents a blend of contemporary Trinidadian calypso, Brazilian samba and bossa nova, soul tunes, Caribbean jazz, rumba and cha cha. Blind Monk Trio round off the afternoon session, putting a fresh spin on the sax/bass/drums trio format with their quirky alternative rock and eastern folk.

Elaine Delmar interprets two of the great songbooks of all time, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, on Saturday evening, as well as taking a fresh look at some of the 20th century’s most iconic music. Completing Saturday’s line-up, PP Arnold will perform the likes of The First Cut Is The Deepest, Angel Of The Morning and (If You Think You’re) Groovy.

Improvisational violinist Matt Holborn starts the Sunday programme, performing pieces with a gypsy jazz and swing vibe, before jazz musician Lindsay Hannon and her band take a journey from raucous barrel-house blues to ballads across a variety of grooves. Next, Graeme Wilson plays an infusion of driving jazz, Latin rhythms and ambient swing, coupled with an enthusiasm for folk and rock ballads.

Simon Cunliffe-Lister joins Ben Beattie’s After Midnight Band to round off the festival with “the songs that we love” and Ben’s own original compositions. Bands will overflow from the outdoor main stage into the Great Hall and the courtyard as the closing party continues at vibrant late-night sessions in the Wold Top bar tent.

Freshly prepared food will be served on the Food Lawn by Field and Forage and in the Tea Tent, and Wold Top beer will be on tap, brewed only a few miles away at Hunmanby Grange. Camping will be available in Park Field.

The last few tickets are on sale at £80 for the full weekend, while children under 12 are admitted for free with an adult, at burtonagnes.com/Jazz_Festival/, by emailing office@burtonagnes.com or on 01262 490324.