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The last weekend in July is becoming renowned for a special mainstream jazz gathering in particularly picturesque surroundings. The fourth Titley Jazz Festival (tomorrow to Sunday) happens at a spot called The Rodd, just a mile south of Presteigne on the Welsh Marches – that’s only 50 miles from Birmingham.

Everything happens on one site with a concert marquee, a fine bar manned by the Hereford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, and hot and cold food available throughout the weekend.

So that’s the physical sustenance sorted; what about the musical menu?

This year there is a leaning towards tributes to great musicians of the past, all paid by some of today’s great players.

So tomorrow evening we have a tribute to Elvin Jones and Martin Drew, as well as Terry Seabrook’s Milestones band, which harks back to Miles Davis’s late ‘50s music.

On Saturday the Art Themen/Steve Waterman group plays music linked to two tenor greats, the late Dexter Gordon and the very much still with us Sonny Rollins, while guitarist Gary Potter plays music by Django Reinhardt 60 years after the gypsy maestro’s death.

Sunday’s tributes are to Gerry Mulligan in big band format, led by tenor saxophonist Robert Fowler with Karen Sharp taking the Mulligan baritone role, and to Tubby Hayes, the group naturally led by that modern Hayes advocate Simon Spillett.

Some of the players making the trip to Wales include: Alan Barnes, Don Weller, Dave Newton, Stan and Clark Tracey, John Critchinson, Alec Dankworth, Dave Green, Martin Shaw, Steve Melling, Spike Wells, Peter King, Alan Skidmore, Mark Nightingale, Chris Biscoe and Andy Cleyndert. Phew!