Wells is gearing up for a music marathon as the very first Wells Jazz & Blues Festival gets ready to take over the city from September 26–28.

The free three-day bash will see four venues – The White Hart, The Swan Hotel, Blossom's at Wells and The Rose and Crown – crammed with live music, with 24 bands already on the bill.

It's the passion project of local resident Niamh McGrogan, who has pulled together a line-up packed with Somerset and Bristol favourites. Expect everything from the big-band swing of Shepton Mallet Big Band to the funk-driven blues of Mojo Workin' and the Latin jazz stylings of Milly Riquelme and La Cubana.

Other acts include Groove Soul Academy, Kevin Brown, Vintage Twist, Ruby Jazz, The Dirty Swindlers, Julie Dunn and the Tom Toomey Band. Between them they'll cover a spectrum from smooth jazz and soul to gospel-soaked rock 'n' roll.

The festival has been given a boost from the Wellspring Fund, set up in lockdown by local saxophonist Paul Cannon to help live music recover from the pandemic. "The fund has done what it was set up for," said Paul. "Putting what's left of it into the jazz and blues festival is a fitting finale to its five-year run."

But organisers say they still need more help to cover costs and are crowdfunding to make sure the weekend hits all the right notes. Donations can be made here.