Manchester Jazz Festival...

The Manchester Jazz Festival has been in full swing all week. Events have been on in venues all over the city but the Festival Hub has been in Albert Square. It lasts for nine days and will close on Sunday. That will be sad. It's one of the highlights of Manchester's year in a city that's quite good at highlights.

It's been blessed with warm sunny weather and it's been good to wander from venue to venue, listen to the jazz and eat street food and drink cold beer in the sun between. And some of the concerts are free.

One of the best venues has been beautiful St. Ann's Church which has been hosting lunchtime concerts. I wondered who would go to them on a work day but they have been packed to the rafters.

This jazz band, Unfurl, did jazz but threw the rhythms, styles and instruments of the Middle East, Peru and Africa into the mix. It was a hour well spent. It's almost over now but am already looking forward to next year...