Cheltenham Jazz Festival is about to return this spring with a broad programme that includes over 50 live shows from an eclectic mixture of established stars and pioneering rising expertise. Running throughout six days from Wednesday 26 April – Monday 1 May 2023, the Festival will as soon as once more current a sensible steadiness of basic and up to date jazz, blues, soul and pop with an array of world premieres, model new commissions, unique collaborations, one-off exhibits and free performances happening at venues throughout the picturesque English west nation spa city.
Among the artists confirmed to carry out this yr are the Ivor Novello Award-winning vocalist Laura Mvula, who returns to the Festival following a sold-out present in 2014, Van Morrison, who will draw on his huge again catalogue alongside performing tracks from soon-to-be-released new album Moving on Skiffle, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, who will be a part of forces with Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley to carry out new preparations of standout tracks from throughout his profession; Damian Lewis, who groups up with seven-piece jazz outfit Kansas Smitty’s to carry out tracks from his much-anticipated forthcoming debut album, acclaimed US singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, Grammy-winning Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, 10 million-selling pop troubadour MIKA, much-loved British singer Will Young, chart-topping blues-rock singer and guitarist Jake Bugg, acclaimed UK singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe, and British pop royalty Squeeze, who will carry out a hit-laden set from throughout their near-50-year profession.
Once once more returning because the Festival’s Artistic Curator is Gregory Porter who, alongside handpicking a number of artists for this yr’s programme, will carry out his personal headline present that includes an array of star particular friends together with Lizz Wright and extra. Porter may also carry out as a part of Soul Jazz Summit, a brand-new annual present for the Festival which can characteristic the BBC Concert Orchestra and Guy Barker’s Big Band celebrating the explosion of jazz and soul that reverberated across the globe within the late fifties. The Soul Jazz Summit live performance may also characteristic visitor appearances from Madeline Bell, Mica Millar, Ashton Jones, Vanessa Haynes and Georgia Cécile.
A robust contingent of the thriving UK scene can be represented on this yr’s line-up with performances from the likes of boundary-pushing trumpeter Laura Jurd, pioneering London jazz collective Ezra Collective, Mercury-nominated pianist Fergus McCreadie, multi-award-winning Scottish singer Georgia Cécile, quick rising soul singer Mica Millar, Pat Thomas and Orphy Robinson’s duo Blacktop that includes BBC Young Jazz Musician Of The Year winner Xhosa Cole, and acclaimed vocal trio SKYLLA, led by bassist Ruth Goller and that includes Lauren Kinsella and Alice Grant.
The main lights of the worldwide scene will characteristic within the type of star of Buena Vista Social Club, Eliades Ochoa, the legendary four-time Grammy-winning bassist Stanley Clarke, US American jazz-soul vocalist Lizz Wright, wildly acclaimed Blue Note guitarist Julian Lage, and experimental Norwegian guitarist Stian Westerhus who groups up with Mark Sanders and Chris Mapp for CollapseUncollapse.
Additional live shows embrace Dutch gypsy swing guitarist Mozes Rosenberg with Giacomo Smith Quartet, Deadeye, that includes Berlin-based musicians Kit Downes, Reinier Baas and Jonas Burgwinkel, Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love’s Circus, Espen Eriksen Trio with Andy Sheppard and Angusori, which brings collectively the Norwegian Stavanger Kitchen Orchestra and a number of musicians from Roma.
The Festival’s expertise growth strand gives alternatives for younger, up-and-coming jazz artists. The sought-after double invoice pairing within the Jazz Arena for rising stars will characteristic Tamzene and Immy. Kansas Smitty’s late-night takeover periods in The Daffodil will introduce particular friends from throughout the Festival programme and there’s a world collaboration between the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and college students from Siena Jazz Accademia. On the Free Stage, native faculty jazz bands will entertain the crowds within the fashionable Jazz It Up morning periods whereas an array of family-themed occasions will embrace Family Sing – with Black Voices, Arun Ghosh – Indo-Jazz Adventures, and Fabulous Flamenco. This yr’s Jerwood Jazz Encounters fee is Waves II, Andrew Woodhead’s bellringing venture which explores the connection between music and physics.
Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2023 is hosted in a tented Festival village in Montpellier Gardens, that includes the Big Top stage, Jazz Arena, Free Stage, a programme of household actions and occasions and a meals, drink and market space. The Festival reaches past the Festival village into Cheltenham, bringing jazz to venues all through the day till late into the night time. These embrace Cheltenham Town Hall, Parabola Arts Centre, Hotel du Vin, and The Daffodil, in addition to a free “…around town” programme in affiliation with Cheltenham BID.
Tickets for the Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2023 go on basic sale on Wednesday 1 March. Tickets obtainable from the occasion’s official web site.