Teignmouth will host its first Blues Festival for six years this summer.

Teignmouth Jazz and Blues club is holding a one-day Blues Festival, headlined by the Greg Coulson Band, on Saturday August 2.

The event, at Teignmouth Rugby Club, will feature four Blues bands: two local and two from further afield.

Teignmouth Jazz and Blues Club had organised an annual weekend festival until the pandemic closed down all live music for a while. ‘The 2019 event was ambitious and costly as it was an anniversary. So, it was essential that we had to build up our resources to even think of putting on another event,’ said Teignmouth Jazz and Blues Group chair Adrien Raud. ‘The club now feels we are in a strong enough position to test the water again, but this time on a smaller scale,’ he added.

The one-day event is likely to cost at least £4000 and the club recently secured a grant of £1,200 from Teignmouth Town Council to help with the costs.

‘Our experience in the club has indicated that Blues has proved more popular over the last couple of years,’ Adrien explained.

The Greg Coulson Band is receiving wide acclaim in the live music world. Greg has a wonderful voice and he’s quite a showman on both keyboards and guitar.

The festival will kick off with Bishopsteignton band, Sugar Shakers, who have a strong local following and specialise in 70s R&B. ‘They’re guaranteed to get the day off to a flying start,’ Adrien promised.

Another local band playing is the Vince Lee Big Combo from Plymouth. Adrien described Vince as a ‘stunning blues guitarist with roots in early Blues’. Northampton’s Paul Garner Band completes the line-up. This accomplished trio of guitar, keyboards and drums are new to Devon. ‘I’m looking forward to hearing them,’ said Adrien. It should be ‘a rockin’ good day’.