Burt Bacharach to headline Brecon Jazz Festival

Burt Bacharach has won Oscars and Grammy Awards for a string of classic songs

Six-time Grammy Award winner Burt Bacharach will headline this summer's Brecon Jazz Festival.

The singer-songwriter tops a bill to celebrate the event's 30th anniversary.

His songs have been performed by Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick, who headlined Brecon Jazz in 2012.

Laura Mvula, Gregory Porter, Jean Toussaint and Loose Tubes will also appear, along with Warren Vache, who played at the first festival in 1984.

This summer's event will re-introduce the Captain's Walk, a venue that was used in the festival's early days.

Jazz inspiration

Bacharach's appearance at Brecon this summer follows in the footsteps of singer Dionne Warwick who headlined the 2012 event.

Warwick recorded some of Bacharach's most famous songs including Walk On By, Do You Know The Way To San Jose, and Anyone Who Had A Heart.

85-year-old Bacharach - who has also won three Oscars for music in movies - has written more than 70 top 40 hits in the UK and 52 in the USA.

He will take to the stage of the town's Market Hall to lead the audience through a catalogue of compositions that inspired jazz stars such as Miles Davis and Stan Getz.

Pablo Janczur, director of festival organisers Orchard, said: "We've been building momentum to the 30th year since we took over in 2012.

"It's exciting to be able to announce some very big international artists, a 'new' venue that was a long time festival favourite, and hopefully give Brecon's wide and diverse jazz audience a great sense of anticipation for what lies ahead in August."

This year's festival runs from 7 to 10 August.