Jazz-funk favourites Incognito fill the Saturday headline slot in Taunton’s Vivary Park for the second BlueTone Festival on Saturday 10th July 2027. Led by Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick, Incognito have spent more than four decades bringing soulful vocals, vibrant horns and dancefloor grooves to audiences around the world.
With favourites including Always There, Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing and Still a Friend of Mine, they bring a rich catalogue and an energetic live show to the Saturday programme.
In 2021, the band released a celebratory 106-track career retrospective, Always There: 1981–2021 (40 Years & Still Groovin’), marking the 40th anniversary of their debut album, Jazz Funk. The following year, the band became the first group to be honoured as part of Universal Music’s “Black Story” series, which honours Black British artists as part of the UK’s Black History Month.
Sunday 11th July brings soul and swing to the main stage, with performances from Roachford and Tommy Blaize.
The original Roachford band had a string of successes throughout the 1990s, becoming Columbia’s biggest-selling UK act for ten years.
Andrew Roachford released his first solo studio album, Heart of the Matter, in 2003. His next studio album, Word of Mouth, was released in June 2005 under the band name Roachford. In 2010, Roachford joined Mike + The Mechanics, and more recently collaborated with Beverley Knight on his studio album Twice in a Lifetime, which was released in September 2020. It charted at number 31 on the UK Albums Chart.
From Cuddly Toy to Only to Be with You and Family Man, Andrew Roachford’s songs combine heartfelt feeling with hooks that stay with you. Alongside his own celebrated career, he has recorded and toured worldwide with Mike + The Mechanics.
The voice of Tommy Blaize is well known for bringing Saturday nights to life on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
A lead singer on the programme for over two decades, Tommy has also performed with legends including Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. At BlueTone, he brings The Golden Age of Swing to the Sunday line-up, celebrating classic swing, timeless jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. Accompanied by his live band, Tommy will draw on the music of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Dean Martin, bringing warmth, personality and a wonderful voice to these much-loved songs. He has also worked with Diana Ross, Queen, The Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse, Joe Cocker, Tina Turner and Robbie Williams, and has released his own solo material.
With Corinne Bailey Rae previously confirmed as the Friday headliner, BlueTone will announce more acts, including DJ sets, in the coming weeks. The festival is produced locally with the aim of reinvesting surplus back into developing the arts and culture scene in Taunton.
Day and weekend tickets are available from www.bluetone-festival.co.uk.
