Tim Hughes talks to guitarist Pete Oxley as he gets set to bring a musical flourish to the first Abingdon Jazz Festival

PETE Oxley knows a thing or two about live music.

The Oxford guitar virtuoso played 65 gigs last year, the width of Europe, alongside Swiss master musician Nicolas Meier.

But the pair's next show, while far from the biggest, has both guitarists excited. Next Saturday they effectively headline the first Abingdon Jazz Festival.

Pete and Nic, regarded as two of Europe’s finest guitarists, will be joined for the show, at the town's Unicorn Theatre, by a rhythm section - Rath Mizraki on bass and Paul Cavaciuti on drums. It promises to be a stunning show, at what jazz fans hope is the first of many festivals in the town.

"It's great!" says Pete, speaking from his home in East Oxford. "Anyone that takes the plunge to open a new festival deserves praise. This will open up jazz to a new audience - which is good for music as a whole."

The six-day festival runs from Tuesday to next Sunday with performances taking place at the Unicorn, Abbey Buildings, Abingdon Museum, and The Nag’s Head, Brewery Tap and Crown and Thistle pubs.

Other highlights include sets by Mim Gray, Tim Dawes and the Tim Lapthorn Ensemble – who play a free concert at the Nag’s Head on the closing night; big band jazz by SwingTime, directed by renowned artist George Haslam and guest starring trumpeter Steve Waterman, at the Unicorn next Friday; and a show by South Oxfordshire’s Fleur Stevenson and her trio at the museum next Saturday.

The same day, the museum houses an intimate Jazz on the Roof event, with the Jez Cook Trio performing to just 22 people.

"Jazz is an incredibly exciting art form," says Pete, who helped to set up The Spin jazz club, in the Wheatsheaf pub off Oxford High Street, named best jazz venue in the country.

"But there is more than 100 years of history there, so it can be hard for people to get into it. They may have heard free jazz or trad, and think they don't like it. But these days it is like world music and incorporates influences from al,l over the place. It has a really broad appeal, and having this new festival in Abingdon will help it grow by spreading it to more people."

He goes on: "Oxfordshire has a great scene with some fantastic players."

Oxley and Meier are typical of the new world music-influenced jazz. Their light, fast and captivating style incorporate Latin American and Middle Eastern influences. The pair seem to share a telepathic link, the two men complimenting each other in a lightening display of virtuosity.

“There’s something we have,” says Pete, who lives in East Oxford. “When you find the right person, that’s when the magic happens.”

“Our music is different. It’s more world music than straight jazz – but, more than anything, it’s guitar music. We have a mix of influences and will be performing music from South America to Turkey.”

Pete began playing in Paris in the mid-80s, before returning to the UK and settling in Oxford, opening The Spin in 1999 with Mizraki, who joins him in Abingdon, and fellow artist Mark Doffman.

Holding a Parliamentary Jazz Award for The Best Jazz Venue in the UK, it attracts top flight musicians to its Thursday night sessions, including two visits by superstar classical violinist Nigel Kennedy.

As well as running the club, Pete regularly performs, providing guitar support to the likes of Chris Garrick, Gilad Atzmon, Tim Whitehead, Dave O’Higgins, Bobby Wellins, John Etheridge and his own band Curious Paradise. He has released 14 albums of his own compositions.

Nic has toured with his own Meier Group, played with Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau, and, incongruously, with guitar legend Jeff Beck. he also has his own heavy metal group, Seven7.

"When we are not playing, he loves getting dressed up in black leather and shredding!” laughs Pete.

The pair met after Nic sent a demo recording to the Spin, 10 years ago. “It was incredible,” says Pete. “I asked him instantly when he could come, and booked him straight away.”

He signed him up to his jazz quartet Eclectica!

“Nic was perfect,” says Pete. “And I called him up at exactly the right moment, as he was looking for another project.”

They jammed together and clicked. “We locked in straight away,” he says. “It was the most enjoyable session of playing I’d ever had.”

After performing a gig as a duo, the pair set out to record a live album, and travelled to the South West and picked the best live recordings for a new album. The result, Travels To The West, was released in 2012. It was followed by last year's Chasing Tales, which has been critically acclaimed by the national, international and music press.

The pair regularly appear with 10 guitars.

"We use a real combination of guitars, which keeps things fresh,” Pete says. “It’s really varied and is attracting people who like guitar music – even if they are not into jazz."

And he is keen to take to the stage with a rhythm section - ahead of going into the studio next month.

"We did 65 gigs last year but only four or five with the rhythm section, so this is very exciting. It will be high-octane music with an even greater range of sonic possibility than with the duo."

Abingdon Jazz Festival runs from May 17-22. Details from abingdonjazzfestival.org.uk