BlueTone Festival is expanding beyond the gates of Vivary Park with the launch of BlueTone Sessions – a new series of live music events bringing the spirit of the festival to Taunton throughout the year.

Following the inaugural BlueTone Festival earlier this year, which brought jazz, blues, funk and soul to Vivary Park across four days, the team behind the festival is now beginning the next stage of its plans to develop a stronger year-round platform for live music in the town.

BlueTone Sessions will present regular performances throughout the year, combining local and emerging musicians with established artists and creating more opportunities for audiences to experience great live music between editions of the annual festival.

The programme will reflect BlueTone’s broad musical identity, encompassing jazz, blues, funk and soul alongside the many genres and influences that surround them. Sessions will range from intimate performances and stripped-back shows to full-band gigs, collaborations and special one-off events.

BlueTone Festival Director Matt Roe said:

“We want to keep live music live throughout the year in Taunton and continue building on the excellent start we made with the inaugural BlueTone Festival this year.

“BlueTone was never intended to be something that happens for one weekend and then disappears for another twelve months. We hope that people who loved the festival, and those who want to support what we’re building, will come out and support the Sessions throughout the year too.

“It’s a chance to support local music and local artists, discover some brilliant musicians and have a great night out. Most importantly, we’d love to build a real community around BlueTone and live music in Taunton – bringing together people who love music and want to be part of what we’re creating.

“The festival will always be the big celebration, but we want BlueTone to be about much more than those three days in July. The Sessions are the next step in making that happen.”

Building something beyond the festival

BlueTone was established with an ambition extending beyond producing an annual event.

Alongside bringing nationally and internationally recognised performers to Somerset, BlueTone aims to create opportunities for musicians closer to home and help develop clearer routes through which emerging and regional artists can perform, develop audiences and progress.

BlueTone Sessions will become an important part of that work, allowing the organisation to develop longer-term relationships with artists, audiences and venues while providing more opportunities for musicians to perform professionally.

The Sessions will also create a natural connection with the annual festival, providing opportunities for artists appearing throughout the year to become part of future BlueTone Festival programmes.

The Jess Hill Band launches BlueTone Sessions

The first BlueTone Session will feature The Jess Hill Band, a collective of local musicians whose music crosses soul, jazz, funk and groove.

What started as a few informal jams soon grew into a band brought together by a shared love of great music and a desire to play “not just the regular tunes.”

Their repertoire draws on soulful icons including George Benson, Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder and Incognito, alongside Brazilian MPB, contemporary artists and original material sprinkled throughout.

Fronted by Jess Hill, the band brings together accomplished musicians from across the local music scene, with an emphasis on musicianship, improvisation and the sheer enjoyment of playing together.

Audiences can expect rich vocals, infectious grooves and a set moving comfortably between familiar classics and music they might not hear performed live quite so often.

Launching the Sessions with a local band is also an important reflection of what BlueTone hopes the programme can achieve – creating a regular platform for talented musicians from the area while encouraging audiences to discover and support live music on their doorstep.

Sheppy’s Cider Farm will host the first session on Friday 18th September, doors open at 7pm with the music starting from 8pm. Tickets are available in advance priced £12, £15 on the door.

Tickets and full details for BlueTone Sessions are available at www.bluetone-festival.co.uk/sessions/

Further BlueTone Sessions, featuring more artists and venues, will be announced over the coming months.

Continuing the BlueTone story

The launch follows the first BlueTone Festival, staged in Taunton’s Vivary Park from 28th – 31st May 2026.

The four-day event brought together an ambitious programme of jazz, blues, funk and soul, headed by Ruby Turner, The Brand New Heavies, Curtis Stigers and Courtney Pine CBE, alongside a wide range of supporting and regional artists.

BlueTone will return to Vivary Park from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th July 2027, with plans already underway for its second edition.

Between now and then, BlueTone Sessions will give audiences the opportunity to continue discovering live music under the BlueTone banner and help establish BlueTone as a year-round part of Taunton’s cultural life.

BlueTone Sessions – live music doesn’t stop when the festival ends.