Music / cheltenham jazz festival
All what jazz?
Since the pandemic things have been a bit challenging across the festival scene. Bucking that trend, however, Cheltenham Jazz Festival is actually expanding for 2026 with a 900-capacity standing ‘arena’ sponsored by successful local brewery DEYA. It’s the festival’s 30th anniversary this year and director Ian George felt it was time it had a venue suitable for what he calls ‘sweaty jazz’ – “everything from Afrobeat to jazz electronica, where people expect to be standing and maybe even dancing.” He’s celebrating the new space with upbeat acts including Tinawiren, Roberto Fonseca’s big Afro-Cuban band La Gran Diversion, Gentleman’s Dub Club, DJ Yoda and US Uber-drummer Makaya McCraven.
Festival regulars know that Cheltenham Jazz always offers a string of crowd- (and budget-) pleasing big names: this year has Van Morrison, Joss Stone, 10cc and Jack Savoretti among others. But of course there’s always top quality mainstream jazz names to balance that and this year’s programme includes US master saxophonist Joshua Redman as well as fellow Americans guitarist Bill Frisell with viola player Eyvindur Kang.
That longstanding legendary duo is also now in its thirtieth year, while UK saxophone tyro Courtney Pine celebrates forty years since the release of his groundbreaking debut Journey To The Urge Within. Festival regular Guy Barker always brings something special and this time it’s Symphonic Kind of Blue, an impressive nod to what would have been fellow trumpeter Miles Davis’ 100th birthday. It’s a bold reconstruction of what is still the biggest selling jazz album of all time and it combines trumpeter Guy’s Big Band with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Vocalist Corinne Bailey Rae surprised and impressed with her 2023 album Black Rainbows, an in-your-face blast of hardcore R’n’B, spacey electronics and bona fide post punk quite unlike her previous pop-orientated material. She is now Cheltenham’s guest curator and, as well as appearing herself, she has added her choice of great names to the bill, including trumpeter/composer Emma-Jean Thackray, the ‘Grace Jones of Jazz’ aka diva Lady Blackbird, desert blues guitar heroes Tinawiren and cinematic electro-acoustic trio Gotts Street Park.
And then there’s ‘the PAC’ aka Parabola Arts Centre, a smaller theatre venue where curator Alex Carr showcases a cross section of contemporary jazz including established names like tuba monster Theon Cross, saxophone stars Emma Rawicz, Camilla George and Matt Carmichael and a specially commissioned piece from trumpeter Yazz Ahmed. The PAC programme also introduces lyrical French trombonist Robinson Khoury and the bracingly original jazz-metal fusion of Black Sabbath Mode – a nod to Alex’ past involvement in the Birmingham scene. If she allows herself the luxury of a fangirl moment, however, it might be for radical vocal improviser Elaine Mitchener’s all-star quartet: “I love her! You don’t know what she’s going to do next. You’re always travelling at the speed of sound with her – I find her so enthralling.”
Unlike most jazz festivals, Cheltenham has a proper outdoor site with marquees, bars and food stalls and you can catch some quality acts at the Free Stage including Bristol faves The Scribes and The Good Stuff. It all adds up to a promising line-up for the thirtieth year of a festival that can still throw up a few surprises.
Cheltenham Jazz Festival runs in various venues from April 29-May 4. Check the website for full line-up and other details.
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