DARLINGTON Jazz Festival played to sell-out crowds when it kicked off Darlington Arts Festival.

The annual festival, which provides a platform for local and regional talent, has gone from strength to strength since it started in 2012.

Performances on Joseph Pease Place captured shoppers, along with showcases in Clervaux and The Quakerhouse.

There was a surprise guest appearance from the recently crowned BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Darlington’s Alexander Bone.

The Quakerhouse hosted a late night jam session and the festival was rounded off at St. Augustine’s Parish Centre with, among others, The Simon Read Octet and Darlington Big Band.

Shaune Eland, Darlington Jazz Festival director, said: "This year’s festival has been a huge success. It’s fantastic to see the hard work of the organisers and musicians rewarded with such big audiences.

"The region can be really proud of the fantastic musicians it’s producing and we’re really happy to be able to show them off at events like this.

"We hope that the Darlington Jazz Club will continue to grow now that people have seen what we’ve got to offer throughout the year. "

Darlington Jazz Club runs fortnightly with the next one on May 10.

To keep up to date with upcoming gigs, find Darlington Jazz Club on Facebook and Twitter.