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A concerted bid to turn Louth into the ‘jazz capital of eastern England’ has received a financial fillip.

For a development grant of £2,000 has been awarded to the New Orleans (Louth) Jazz Club by the Lincolnshire Community Foundation’s Ideas and Innovation Fund.

The long-standing club is at the forefront of an attempt to generate more enthusiasm for the music of New Orleans and Dixieland jazz.

Chairman Norman Dunnington said: “This grant is a fantastic boost to our campaign to revive interest in traditional jazz in Lincolnshire.

John Maddocks, regarded by many as one of the UK's best traditional jazz clarinet and saxophone players, occasionally plays at Louth Jazz Club.

"The money will be put towards staging three free jazz concerts at our Queen Street base this year.

"Dates and details of the bands to be featured will be announced shortly, with all the information appearing on our website, www.louthjazzclub.org.uk

"Hopefully, those attending the concerts will also be inspired to go along to our headline concert on Saturday, April 5, being given by Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends at Louth Town Hall, for which tickets are already on sale.”

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The Louth organisation, which was was formed back in 1963, is the second oldest jazz club in the UK. It has 250 members and is determined to raise its profile by staging a series of concerts at the town hall on Eastgate and to safeguard its future by forming a local youth jazz orchestra.

Its exciting project suffered a blow when an application for funding, submitted to the Arts Council, was rejected.

But the application has now been resubmitted and, if successful, it should ensure the appearance of further top European bands in Louth later in 2025.

The next show at Queen Street features Alligator Gumbo on Saturday, January 18.

Grant boost for club's campaign to make Louth the capital of jazz