Numbers were slightly up on the 18th annual festival, and it was a seriously swinging three day event at the Dubbo RSL.

Greg Barker, who plays with the New Blues Jazz Trio, says it's the music and the people he enjoys the most.

"You see everybody once a year, and you're all equals, there's none of this, 'I'm better than you' here," he said.

Dubbo Jazz Club secretary Ross Tighe said initial figures showed a rise in numbers, with jazz fans coming from all over the country.

"Townsville, Adelaide, Victoria and Gold Coast Jazz Clubs, Newcastle, Illawarra, Wagga Wagga Jazz Clubs - they come from all over," Mr Tighe said.

Over in the Jacaranda Room, the Jugalug String Band is entertaining the crowd. They use a variety of instruments to create their sound of swing jazz - from the tuba to the ukulele, percussion, banjo, washboard, a saw, jug, and steel guitar.

Other big name acts at the festival included US pianist Bob Malone - who was narrowly defeated by local Di Pascoe in the now famous piano competition.

Freddie Mac is an 82-year-old keyboardist and vocalist who fronts Freddie's Famous Few. For him, the Dubbo Jazz Festival is the best run festival in NSW.

"Where else do you get five rooms of jazz in one building?" he said. "At other festivals, have to go elsewhere and pack up all your instruments - but this is a smooth, well run festival."

Steve Csuba came from Mudgee for his first Dubbo Jazz Festival experience. He described it like being a "kid in a lolly shop".

"It's hard to know which room to go to next," he said.

He and a group of others have been studying jazz.

"I've been studying jazz classics in a class at Mudgee, and six or seven of us from the class are here.

"A highlight so far would be the Eric Holyrod Band - but now I'm trying to pick which one to see next, and I just don't know."

Other highlights at the festival included the gospel service with Nyn Hamilton and the Dubbo Jazz Band at St Brigids, and the different groups playing in areas around the city - you could find jazz in the Shoyoen Gardens, the Western Plains Cultural Centre, and at Lazy River Estate.

lynton.grace@ruralpress .com