ONE of Britain’s most successful female jazz musicians is to headline this year’s Chipping Sodbury Jazz Festival.

Award-winning vocalist Clare Teal is to play the town hall on Saturday, June 1. Her involvement in the three-day festival, which marks its third year in 2013, is being seen as a real coup for Chipping Sodbury.

Organiser and chairman of Sodbury Chamber of Commerce, Mark Lloyd, said: “As the festival grows our aim is to continue to bring top class musicians to the town.”

“We’re very excited that Clare Teal, now known to many through her shows on BBC Radio 2, will be performing for us.”

Clare, who lives in Bath, came to promimence after standing in for Stacey Kent at a weekend festival in Llandrindod Wells.

After much self-promotion, she eventually landed a three-album contract with the jazz-specialist label Candid Records. Her popularity soared, with appearances on radio and television, and Clare was signed by Sony in what was the biggest recording deal by any British jazz singer.

Since then her noteriety has rocketed, with her version of The Mamas and the Papas' California Dreaming remaining an ever popular track on radio playlists. Her 2004 album Don't Talk reached number one in the UK Jazz Chart and number 20 in the mainstream UK Albums Chart. In 2005 she won the award of British jazz vocalist of the year, and in 2006 the award of BBC jazz vocalist of the year.

Clare now presents the BBC Radio 2 show Big Band Special on Monday nights and regularly appears as a presenter on Friday Night is Music Night.

As well as Clare Teal, the jazz festival will welcome the Cotton Club on Friday, May 31 also at the town hall. The action-packed show, Swinging at the Cotton Club, takes audiences back to the music, dance, and songs of the 1920s and 1930s in a tribute to Harlem’s hottest nightclub. The evening’s line-up will feature music by the bands of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Lena Horne and Fats Waller.

The three-day festival will also feature professional jazz perfomances in many of the town’s pubs and cafes. A full programme will be announced at the end of March.

Tickets for the headline acts are available from Rounceval House Hotel or by calling 01454 334410 or emailing info@visitchippingsodbury.com