The swinging sounds of jazz came to Croydon last weekend. The Whitgift shopping centre was host to a taster for a larger festival to be held next year.

On Friday, new band Almaraya, led by guitarist Simon James, kicked off the event. This band is pioneering a blend of Spanish flamenco, jazz and classical composition, which they have christened flamenco classicale.

Saxophonist Claire Hurst and her quartet treated us to a modern jazz set reminiscent of the Miles Davis modal approach.

In closing Friday night, the Jessi Markee Band performed a very accomplished set from her own composition as well as some classic jazz standards, hits like Why Don't You Do Right and Autumn Leaves.

Jessi Markee is a young, up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Croydon who from the outset held the audience spellbound with her presence.

Saturday afternoon began with the Surrey County Youth Jazz Orchestra delighting people with some beautiful big-band versions of jazz and swing classics. Kymeara provided the backbone of the Saturday afternoon rhythm section while Shane Hill and Simon James (guitar), Michelle Drees (drums) and Dave Markee (bass) provided an accomplished and solid underpinning for the music of saxophonist Dave O'Higgins, trumpeter Dick Pearce and singer Kokoa Brown.

One of the youngest musicians, 17-year-old bassist Tom Walley, must have thought he was in heaven when at the end of the festival he was photographed sitting between Don Rendell and Dave Markee.

Such a blend of up-and-coming stars and performances and encouragement from such giants and fathers can only be a good thing for creativity and the arts in Croydon.