AFTER a year long hiatus, Dorset's much-loved Swanage Jazz festival will be back this weekend, (July 13-15)

The family-friendly event has an established event on the jazz calendar for the last 28 years.

But in 2017, the committee announced that due to various personal reasons, it was to disband and that the festival had come to a close.

Touring jazz musician Nigel Price, unable to stand by and watch another UK jazz festival fold, stepped in.

Through a series of innovative fundraising initiatives and sponsorship agreements, he managed to raise enough capital to keep the prospect of a future for the festival alive and has booked an exciting roster of artists to appear in 2018.

A new interactive website is now live and final preparations for the three day programme showcasing the best in UK jazz are underway.

Nigel has been careful to observe sensitivity to the needs of the long established audience and has booked old friends of the festival alongside new and contemporary music, ensuring that this year, there is something for everyone to enjoy – traditional, modern and contemporary with a bit of gypsy jazz and lindy hop thrown in for good measure!

It now remains for festivalgoers, jazz fans and the wider musical community to match Nigel’s tireless enthusiasm to ensure that his efforts are rewarded with a successful sell-out festival.

Nigel said: “I’ve never attempted anything like this before. If I can pull it off it’ll be a triumph and no mistake.

"I won’t lie, it’s been more work than I ever imagined it would or could be and I’ve had to learn a lot very quickly. I suppose I’ve applied the ‘build it and they will come’ school of thought. Well, I’ve built it."

For full details, see swanagejazzfestival.co.uk