The countdown to South Africa’s oldest and longest-running jazz festival has begun. Music lovers from across the continent will be taking their annual journey to the Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Grahamstown, which takes place from 29 June to 8 July.

The Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Grahamstown incorporates the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Standard Bank’s sponsorship of this iconic jazz festival.

The programme presents some of South Africa’s top jazz and jazz-inspired musicians alongside international colleagues from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, France, Israel, the US, Australia and Brazil.

With more than 100 world-class musicians from 12 countries so picking highlights on this year’s bill is no easy feat. . However, as Grahamstown becomes Jazztown, these are some of the treats Festival revellers can expect:

• Judith Sephuma
• Shane Cooper Collaboration
• Andy Narrell
• James Morrison Quartet
• Marcus Wyatt’s Bombshelter Beast
• Zenzi Makeba Lee and Afrika Mkhize
• Afro-Caribbean Vibes
• Africa Plus
• Amanda Sedgwick
• Amanda Tiffin and Deborah Tanguy
• Keenan Ahrends
• Linda Sikhakhane
• Standards

Standard Bank Jazz and Blues Café

This is a chilled-out space where musicians go to chill out and jam. A great atmosphere with good food and drink, along with jazz musicians sharing rare and never-to-be-repeated collaborations that can only ever happen in Jazztown.

• The Standard Bank Jazz and Blues Café can be found at Saints Bistro in High Street during the Festival. Music from 10.30pm every night

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