ONE of the biggest names in jazz - Ornette Coleman - is coming to Cheltenham for an extra special anniversary.

The Cheltenham Jazz Festival is ten years old this year and is boasting an impressive line-up aimed at appealing to jazz fans right across the board.

Sax player Ornette is playing at the Town Hall on May 1. He is described as 'arguably the single most controversial figure in jazz history'.

He is famous for his revolutionary development of 'free jazz' and his rare appearance in Europe will also be marking his 75th birthday.

Also on the impressive line-up list is modern day jazz, fusion and R&B legend Herbie Hancock, a former Miles Davis quintet member and eight times Grammy winner who will be on the Town Hall stage the following night.

The festival opens on Wednesday, April 27, with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames at the Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse, which also marks the last meeting of the National Hunt season.

It continues until May 2, when stars will include Clare Teal, Enrico Rava, Markus Stockhausen and Gwyneth Herbert. Artists in residence are Ken Vandermark and Bobby Previte and there are a total of 52 concerts lined up all over town.

There is also a continuation of the On The Slide education programme which last year signed up about 40 youngsters aged 11 to 14, many of whom had never played an instrument before. Now a solid band, they will be sharing the stage with Dennis Rollins and friends to perform the world premiere of a specially-commissioned piece.

The Jerwood Rising Stars series will present the best of young jazz musicians and new this year at the Everyman Theatre's Other Space is an ImproEyes film series looking at improvisation captured on film.

And to give people a helping hand if they're choosing what to see and new to the festival or to jazz, organisers have come up with an Explore The Festival ticket discount idea.

Tony Dudley-Evans, the festival's artistic director, said: "I'm proud of what the festival has achieved in the past nine years and I'm particularly thrilled by this exciting tenth anniversary programme, which I hope has something for everyone."

For information and tickets, contact the box office on 01242 227979.