A carnival of colour at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

A TASTE of New Orleans will be brought to the capital this weekend as the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival gets underway.

The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival tends to get lost in the shuffle due to the massive amount going on across the capital in the summer, which is a real shame, as it is a world renowned festival in its own right. This time, in its 34th year, the festival has more than 80 artists playing across 14 venues.

The festival kicks off this weekend with a free Mardi Gras event at the Grassmarket and a carnival parade around Princes Street. The Jazz Festival carnival parade was brought in to replace the Edinburgh Festival Cavalcade, which was cancelled in 2011, and looks to have real global flavour with artists from New Orleans to Italy involved.

The international line up of the Carnival parade reflects that of the Festival proper. World famous names include Jools Holland and his Rythmn and Blues Orchestra, Curtis Stigers and Dr. John.

Jools Holland closes the show at Edinburgh Playhouse on 29 July. As famous for discovering talent on his long-running “Later... with” show as he is at banging out the boogie-woogie, Jools has played with some of the all-time greats. But has cut out a fine and distinguished career, and is deservedly know as one of Britain’s most accomplished performers.

Local talent compliments the big names in the Scottish Jazz expo. The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh’s year round centre for Jazz plays a role in the festival, hosting three nights of young Scottish Jazz on 26-28 July.

• For ticket information visit the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival website