The 31st annual Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival has made an appropriately laid-back entrance, with a brief email announcing the appearance of its 2009 programme.  This short, independent festival, running this year from Friday 31 July to Sunday 9 August, attracts a high quality line-up across the broad range of the musical style - and makes a highly civilized introduction to the Festival season before the madness of the Fringe begins.

Courtesy Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Making good use of its pre-Fringe timing, the Jazz and Blues Festival takes temporary possession of some of the city's best venues, including the International Festival's Hub and the much-loved Queen's Hall.  The blues part of the programme is hosted at the Jam House, Jools Holland's live music venue in the former BBC Broadcasting House in Edinburgh's New Town.  Sadly, in a blow to both the Jazz Festival and the Fringe, the antique Famous Spiegeltent isn't coming to Edinburgh this year - but the equally venerable Bosco Theatre will continue the tradition of hosting music in George Square.

Browsing and booking

The full 2009 programme is now available to browse on the Festival's website.  Handily, you can see all the events together on one at-a-glance page. 

Booking opened today, and is run through the International Festival's Hub box office.  We'd suggest you use the excellent online system, which features detailed plans of all the venues and allows you to choose your specific seats; start at the Jazz and Blues Festival home page and follow the links from there.  You can also call the Hub on 0131 473 2000.  Booking for Jools Holland's Playhouse bash works differently, but again the website will send you in the right direction.

Don't wait too long before getting your bookings in - this is a popular festival and the big-name concerts will sell well.  It's worth planning ahead, because there are also some decent deals for early booking - you'll get 10% off tickets for 5 different shows rising to 20% off if you book 15, but only if you book by phone and seal the deal by 24th July.