The seventh annual South Delta Jazz Festival has a busy lineup in store for local music fans as it features eight shows over five days next week.

"It's exciting," says co-founder and organizer Jared Burrows, noting performers will include familiar faces as well as musicians who are returning to the festival after missing a few years.

Saxophonist Len Aruliah, who is a longtime friend of Burrows, has made the trip from London to take part in the festival, which also includes a workshop for jazz students.

"It's an amazing opportunity to spend a couple days making music and being immersed in music," says Aruliah, whose quartet will play twice next week, including a Friday night show at All Saints Anglican Church in Ladner. Tickets cost $10 for that performance while the rest of the lineup is either admission by donation or free.

"We're trying to make it as accessible to the public as we can manage," Burrows says.

Students taking part in the workshop will also get a few chances to perform during the event. Aruliah, who teaches music at a college in southeast London, was a regular attendee of the festival, appearing from 2005 to 2008 before taking a break last year.

"I'm quite happy to be back," he says.

During the Olympics this year Burrows, a guitarist, visited Aruliah in London and got to play a few shows during his trip.

"We worked on some new music for the London performances and he'll be presenting some of that here," Burrows says.

The pair became friends while they were both involved with a Capilano College big band. Born in the U.K., Aruliah came to Vancouver at the age of seven and stayed for almost 20 years before returning about a decade ago. He has a music degree from UBC and has also studied at the Banff Jazz Workshop. His quartet consists of Burrows, bassist Rob Kohler and drummer Stan Taylor. Trumpet player Alan Matheson is also returning to the festival this year. He'll play a show next Friday at the Ladner Community Centre.

A Northwestern University grad, Matheson has directed the CBC Jazz Orchestra, has played at the Vancouver, Montreal and Paris jazz festivals and toured Sweden and Finland with the Helsinki City Jazz Orchestra.

The festival is a presented by the Delta Community Music School.

Visit southdeltajazzfestival.com for more information.

SOUTH DELTA JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP:

Tuesday, July 6

Noon - Faculty concert at the Ladner Community Centre

7 p.m. - Workshop students featuring the Bossa Boys at Diefenbaker Park

Wednesday, July 7

Noon - Len Aruliah Quartet at Kin House

Thursday, July 8

Noon - Rob Kohler Group at the Ladner Community Centre

7:30 p.m. - Jazz Jam Session at Petra's Koffee House

Friday, July 9

Noon - Alan Matheson Quartet at the Ladner Community Centre

7:30 p.m. - Len Aruliah Quartet at All Saints Anglican Church

Saturday, July 10

Noon to 3 p.m. - Student ensembles with faculty at Delta Hospital