Tim Hughes looks forward to a great weekend of music in Oxford - starting with soulful country-rock London ragamuffins, Treetop Flyers 

Treetop Flyers hail from London, with a sound rooted in Americana – but we in Oxford have always claimed them as one of our own.

Reid Morrison's country-rock band played some of their earliest gigs here, initially in their previous incarnation as Morrison Steam Fayre, and were a staple at the county's Truck Festival – their return demanded year after year.

Tomorrow they make another return, in a show at the Bullingdon, in Cowley Road, to promote their new album Palomino.

Reid has this to say about the band's sound: “The sunny West Coast sound was our main influence, but since then it has developed. We play music with soul and feeling."

"There’s Neil Young and Van Morrison in there but also Booker T and Fairport Convention. And lots of country. Some people still consider the word ‘country’ a bad thing, as they only think of Leann Rimes and Shania Twain. But that’s really pop; we are different.

“Everyone in the band brings something to the sound – and it’s not a Treetop Flyers’ song unless everyone has had their say. We all bring songs in, get our hands on them and what comes out is always better than what first comes in.

“And we are always changing. A band should absorb new influences – and that’s what we do.”

Support comes from local favourites The Shapes who launch their latest EP Passing Of The Years, and Les Clochards.

Tickets from tigmus.com/tree-top-flyers for £8.

* Remember Andy Jordan? The posh one from Made in Chelsea? That hardly narrows it down, I know. Well, our Andy is also a dab hand at the guitar. His debut EP, 2013's A Whole Lot of Water entered the Top 40, with follow-up Another Man’s Eyes and single Deeper also expected to dent the charts. And tomorrow he plays the O2 Academy Oxford on his fourth solo tour. Tickets from ticketweb.co.uk.

* Legendary folk singer Martin Carthy teams up with his award-winning daughter Eliza to showcase songs from their new album The Elephant. The show, at the Cornerstone, Didcot, tonight, is a rare chance to see two giants of folk sharing a stage. cornerstone-arts.org

* Oxfordshire gets a new festival next week, with the inaugural instalment of Abingdon Jazz Festival. Shows take place around town, with most of the action at the Unicorn Theatre.

Highlights include shows by guitarists Pete Oxley & Nicholas Meier, and pianist Tim Lapthorne. It runs from Tuesday-Sunday May 22.

Go to abingdonjazzfestival.org.uk


* Drumming singer Tarek Musa’s loud Manchester collective Spring King are riding a wave of media interest and cult appeal from fans. They play The Bully, tomorrow, ahead of the release of debut album Tell Me If You Like To and following the smash single Rectifier – picked by Radio presenter Annie Mac as her Hottest Record.
wegottickets.com


* The UK’s best-selling classical crossover artist Russell Watson sets out on tour with his show Songs From The Heart. And on Sunday he takes to the stage at the New Theatre Oxford.

The show follows a great year for Russell, with a sell-out UK tour, special guest performances at the BBC Proms In the Park.
atgtickets.com