THE legendary Mick Ralphs, of Mott The Hoople and Bad Company, will be heading the bill at this year’s Henley Jazz & Blues Week.

Guitarist and songwriter Ralphs is bringing his blues band to The Crooked Billet restaurant at Stoke Row next month where he will be part of an all-star line-up with Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody and his band.

This year’s big hit at the Henley Festival, jazz pianist George Montague, and Chris Jagger, younger brother of Mick, of The Rolling Stones fame, complete the line-up.

Paul Clerehugh, the restaurant’s chef and proprietor, said: “Quite simply we are thrilled and proud to be hosting this year’s Henley Jazz & Blues Week! Having Mick Ralphs down here will be a treat for everyone. He’s an outstanding blues guitar player and anyone who’s heard those albums from the 1960s and 1970s will be itching to see him. We certainly are.”

Last year, the event saw gigs staged in and around Henley, but this year The Crooked Billet is hosting its entire programme comprising of four concerts between November 11 and 26. It has also attracted the blues singer and broadcaster Paul Jones as patron.

“It’s fantastic for us because that’s absolutely where our heart lies,” Clerehugh said of the developments. One of the event’s organisers, Richard Cuthbertson, said: “The Crooked Billet has an enviable reputation for featuring high-profile musicians in a high-quality environment, exactly what the Henley Jazz & Blues Week is all about. We’ve doubled the number of top-line acts from last year.”

Ralphs played on the Mott The Hoople singles and was one of the defining contributors to the Bad Company sound with singer Paul Rogers. Songs from the 1970s such as Feel Like Making Love and Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love are still familiar numbers today.

Moody will be familiar from last year’s Henley Jazz & Blues Week when he opened proceedings with Papa George to a sell-out audience. Moody made his name with the rock blues band Whitesnake with hits such as Here I Go Again. George was due to appear again this year, but has been forced to pull out after suffering a mild heart attack.

Montague was booked after impressing in his performance at the Henley Festival next to Clerehugh’s pop-up restaurant, and Jagger is well-established in blues and roots music, having made a name for himself independently of his more famous brother.

The concert dates are: Micky Moody & Band, Tuesday, November 11; George Montague & Band, Wednesday, November 12; Mick Ralphs & Band, Monday, November 17, and Chris Jagger and special guests, Wednesday, November 26.

More details are available from The Crooked Billet website: www.thecrookedbillet.co.uk/whats-on/music-nights or call 01491 681048. The event’s website is: henleyjazzandbluesweek.co.uk