WORCESTER'S Huntingdon Hall offers some great live music to help banish those New Year blues this week.

On Friday, The Ric Sanders Trio performs a set that spans music from traditional folk through to jazz and includes numbers from George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Miles Davies.

Featuring guitarist Vo Fletcher and percussionist Mike Gregory the band are described as "an improvisational jazz group with folk crossover."

Tickets are priced £9 (concessions £8).

Then on Tuesday highly respected band Colosseum (pictured) play at the Worcester venue.

Formed originally in 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, the band have toured all over Europe and described as "one of the most exciting and original acts on the circuit."

Various band members have changed over the years and they now include powerful vocalist and former R 'n' B chart-topper Chris Farlowe. Their double album Colosseum - Live has proved their biggest seller to date.

Joining Farlowe and Hiseman for the line-up will be Dave Greenslade on keyboards, Dave 'Clem' Clempson (guitar/vocals), Mark Clarke (bass/vocals) and Dick Heckstall-Smith on Saxophone.

Tickets are priced £12.50 (concessions £11.50) for the gig.

Singer-songwriter Boo Hewardine makes an appearance on Friday, January 23 (tickets £8.50). Apart from making his own records Boo has, for the last seven years, played live with Clive Gregson and worked with former Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader. He wrote "Patience of Angels" the hit from the Brit award-winning 'Eddi Reader' album for which he also received an Ivor nomination.

And as a songwriter he has had songs covered by many others including KD Lang, Alison Brown and Paul Young together with numerous pop hits.

All three events begin at 8pm and tickets are available from 01905 611427.