The first BlueTone Session
Friday 18th September 2026
The Jess Hill Band
Sheppy’s Cider Farm
Doors 7pm – Music starts at 8pm
£12 Advance – £15 On the Door
We begin with The Jess Hill Band.
What started as a few informal jams between friends soon grew into a collective of local musicians brought together by a shared love of great music and a desire to play “not just the regular tunes.”
Drawing from soul, jazz, funk and groove, The Jess Hill Band takes inspiration from icons including George Benson, Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder and Incognito, alongside Brazilian MPB, contemporary artists and some carefully chosen surprises.
Original material is sprinkled throughout, giving the band a sound and personality very much of its own.
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.
Expect rich vocals, infectious grooves and a set moving comfortably between familiar classics and music you might not hear performed live quite so often.
It’s exactly what BlueTone Sessions is about: great musicians, great songs and plenty of soul.
About the BlueTone Sessions
Live music. All year round.
BlueTone doesn’t begin and end with the festival.
BlueTone Sessions is our new year-round programme of live music, bringing the spirit of BlueTone Festival into venues across Taunton and Somerset throughout the year.
The Sessions will showcase an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, soul and funk, creating more opportunities to experience brilliant live music while providing a platform for established performers, emerging artists and some of the exceptional musicians already working across our region.
From intimate evenings and stripped-back performances to full-band shows, collaborations and special one-off events, every BlueTone Session will be a little different.
Building something beyond the festival
BlueTone Festival was created with a longer-term ambition: not simply to produce one weekend of music each summer, but to help build a stronger year-round live music scene.
BlueTone Sessions is an important part of making that happen.
The programme gives us the opportunity to work with artists throughout the year, develop new audiences and create a pathway through which musicians can build relationships with BlueTone — from smaller local performances through to opportunities at the annual festival.
It also means audiences don’t have to wait until July for their next dose of BlueTone.
Be part of the Sessions
BlueTone Sessions will continue throughout the year, with new artists, venues and special events announced along the way.
Whether you joined us at BlueTone Festival or you’re discovering BlueTone for the first time, come and join us as we build the next chapter of live music in Somerset.
BlueTone Sessions. Live music doesn’t stop when the festival ends.