What began as a flippant idea in a car on the way home from a gig has evolved into something much more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead. 15th to 17th May 2026 saw the first Oke Jazz Fest. First for Cottles Club, first for Okehampton, our very own jazz festival. Across three packed days we were treated to extraordinary musicianship, warmth, laughter, learning, improvisation, friendship and a huge amount of joy. Quite honestly, we could not have hoped for a better first festival.
Friday night opened in spectacular fashion with Craig Milverton’s Tribute to Oscar Peterson. Craig, alongside Mike Outram on guitar and John Donnelly on double bass, held a packed hall completely spellbound. The musicianship was breathtaking, the repertoire beautifully chosen, and the whole evening carried that magical combination of virtuosity, humour and sheer musical chemistry. The hall was packed and everyone was totally focussed on the band.
One audience member described it as:
“Utterly brilliant. ‘Someone to Watch Over You’ was stunningly eloquent.”
Saturday ticked all the boxes again as the phenomenal Louise Parker delivered two electrifying sets full of energy, emotion and dazzling vocal artistry. Backed superbly by Marcus Vergette, Will Butterworth and our very own Eddie Kingdom on drums, the atmosphere in the hall was absolutely electric. Another packed audience, another unforgettable evening.
Sunday brought a different flavour to the festival, with a wonderfully entertaining and slightly unconventional lunchtime jam/workshop session in St James Chapel. Three saxes, a trumpet, piano, two ukuleles, mouth organ, and tuning forks as percussion may not be the standard jazz line-up… but it was enormous fun and exactly the kind of welcoming, creative spirit we hoped Oke Jazz Fest would encourage. Huge thanks to Jo Baker-Teixeira and Sam Cooper for helping aspiring musicians join in.
The vocal workshops with the incredible Trudy Kerr were completely oversubscribed and proved to be one of the highlights of the entire weekend. Participants learnt, experimented, performed and grew in confidence throughout the day, culminating in a superb public session featuring all twelve singers performing “Almost Like Being In Love” with individual improvised solos. It was inspiring, uplifting and tremendous fun to witness.
And we’ll be back next year.
Bigger, better, brighter, and longer - 4 days!.
The first act is already booked, so reserve the dates in your diary now, so you don’t miss out:
Thurs 13th to Sunday 16th May 2027