With a festival offering so many events, one needs to dig out the lesser known bands in search of an unexpected gem rather than gather round the main acts who are expected to turn out the polished performances for which they are already renowned. Fringe Magnetic have been around long enough for a murmur of approval to precede them and, with a line-up that includes both cello, violin, bass clarinet and two vocalists alongside more conventional jazz instrumentation including Jasper Høiby (pictured) and Ivo Neame, there was an expectation of something different. Led by trumpeter, Rory Simmons, the performance in the Assembly Room of the Town Hall was both idiosyncratic and uplifting. Using trumpet and clarinet as the main solo voices over syncopated and counterpoint lines from the band, Simmons at once set up a base from which he could explore a delightfully wide musical landscape. With the violin and cello staying within a more conventional mode, there were sudden changes of rhythm and texture and complete recolourings of the sound akin to small-scale classical orchestration. Apart from the articulate lead of Simmons on trumpet, one of the high points was the vocals of Norwegian Elisabeth Nygaard, whose magically loose and intense delivery brought in yet another angle. Fringe Magnetic’s ability to throw the roots of jazz in the air and let the pieces fall over a wider musical terrain was imaginative and hugely enjoyable, and made possible by some very individual musical talents. The following evening, Tom Hewson’s Treehouse, playing in the basement of Modern Art Oxford, presented a very different approach to the overlap of jazz and classical. As an organ scholar at Oxford Hewson is a virtuoso piano player. Add to this, Lewis Wright on vibes and Tim Farmer on bass, both from Empirical, and you have the ingredients of a new supergroup. Hewson’s writing is immaculately crafted and full of clever surprises, but although his playing was undeniably superb it was only Wright’s vibes playing that injected some moments of emotional intensity. This was beautiful music that suffered as jazz from its very brilliance. All shine and not quite enough heart.