A hand-picked 21-plus piece orchestra will perform with the son of Mel ‘The Velvet Frog’ Tormé as the centrepiece of this year’s Highgate Jazz With Soul Festival, held over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Some of the country’s finest musicians have been brought together for the fourth annual event by saxophonist/arranger and festival director Brandon Allen, who has also created new arrangements of works by Count Basie, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Billy Holiday and Mel Tormé for the orchestra’s performance on the Monday, which will also include Highgate vocalist Abigail Boyd.

Brandon says: “An orchestra on this scale, is not something you can see every day. It will incorporate the flavour of the festival, which also has a leaning towards soul alongside more traditional jazz.”

The festival has an even greater international feel this year. Corina Piatti, originally from Argentina, will sing in Spanish, English and Portuguese, along with her trio at The Old Crown on the Saturday at 8pm. And leading US tenor saxophonist, Jean Toussaint, now living in the UK, will perform at Lauderdale House on the Sunday.

The music of jazz legend, Charles Mingus will be performed by Arnie Somagyi at The Highgate Uniformed Church on the Saturday and over at the Highgate United Reformed Church, Alex Garnett’s London Supersax Project, will perform orchestrated arrangements of Charlie Parker’s improvised solos.

On Monday at The Gatehouse fans of saxophonist and arranger Gerry Mulligan, who worked with the likes of Miles Davis, can enjoy the Andy Panayi/Mark Nightingale quartet, or listen to The Sarah Gillespie Band.

The festival will end on Monday with an informal jam into the early hours at The Caiprinia in Archway Road.

Various venues, August 23, 24 and 25. Details: brandonallen.co.uk