With less than a week to go until Glasgow International Jazz Festival celebrates its 31st birthday, those toes may well start a-tapping as yet another exciting line-up comes to the city this time around. Venues such as St Luke’s, The Hug and Pint and The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall are all set to welcome some of the world’s hottest stars and coolest cats to their environs for five days of non-stop jazz – nice. Here are a handful of the highlights from this June’s programme.

Wednesday 21st June

  • “Ella Fitzgerald at 100” @ The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – Performed by Alison Burns and Martin Taylor, this tribute to the first lady of jazz promises to be an absolute delight at the Strathclyde Suite.
  • Strobes @ St Luke’s – Constantly pushing the boundaries of modern jazz, this inventive three-piece are masters of live sampling and improvised music-making. Great.

Thursday 22nd June

  • Steve White in Conversation @ O2 ABC – Ever wondered what it was like to work with The Who, Paul Weller and Oasis? Now’s your chance. Acclaimed drummer Steve White has provided the backbeat for all of them and now talks about his experiences at the O2 ABC.
  • The Greg Foat Group feat. Warren Hampshire (The Bees) @ The Admiral Bar – Comprised of a myriad of influences ranging from 60s keyboard-heavy jazz to soundtracked masterpieces of the following decade, Greg Foat makes his Scottish debut this summer.

Friday 23rd June

  • “Tribute to Art Blakey” @ The Old Fruitmarket – One of the founding fathers of afrobeat, Tony Bennett is very much a legend in his own right. This Friday he pays tribute to one of his own heroes by playing the music of Art Blakey.
  • Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band @ Barras Art & Design – With a career spanning more than 50 years and 13 albums, Geno Washington is one of the biggest names in soul music and at the sprightly age of 70, he teams up with The Ram Jam Band to keep the music alive.

Saturday 24th June

  • An Evening with Ginger Baker @ The Old Fruitmarket – Formerly of Cream, now forging ahead with his own Denver Jazz Quintet-to-Octet, Ginger Baker will regale the audience with some tales before blowing them out of the water with some tasty, tasty tunes.
  • The Bevvy Sisters @ Drygate – Everyone’s favourite Scottish bevy of sassy songstresses comes to Drygate, with the trio serving up a platter of conversation, covers and original compositions.

Sunday 25th June

  • Ryan Quigley with Strings @ The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – A delicate blend of classic tracks by artists such as Clifford Brown and Charlie Parker and a smattering of new songs penned by Quigley himself, this stringed show promises to be a real treat for aficionados of jazz both new and old.
  • Gregory Porter – Don’t Forget Your Music @ The GFT – This touching and illuminative documentary focuses on Gregory Porter’s remarkable rise to fame, and features a Q and A from producers Oonagh McDonnell and Heather Taylor.