The Kursaal was swept back to the days of big band sounds as Southend Jazz Festival got into full swing.

The Norman Britton Swing Band, performing as part of the Southend Jazz Festival, sent visitors back in time with their instrumentals of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald hits.

Duty manager, Jason O'Doherty, said: "You hear about what it used to be like at the Kursaal when the big bands used to play here and it's great to see it for yourself.

"You can drift back in time when you're watching them.

"It's smashing to see this type of music back at Kursaal, it's what it stands for."

The Norman Britton Swing Band performs every second and last Wednesday of the month at the Southend seafront venue.

Meanwhile one of Britain's greatest saxophonists played to a packed Southend audience. Tommy Smith was accompanied by classical pianist Jason Rebello when he played at the Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, last night.

The jazz festival gets into full swing at the weekend.

A jazz concert listed in our features section on Wednesday for the Westcliff Hotel included Vic Wood, who unfortunately died from cancer last week. We apologise to the venue and his fans for any distress our error may have caused.

Slidin' in - a trombonist gets into the swing of things

(Right) Sax appeal - Tommy Smith blows up a storm

Pictures: STEVE O'CONNELL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.