Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s Parabola programme powers-up with Zorn’s Bagatelles, Clowes/Douglas and un.procedure special commission

The evening of Friday 3 May, things kick off with pianist Sultan Stevenson and his Trio who play music from his well-received debut LP, Faithful One (Whirlwind Recordings). This is followed by a collaboration between the players of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra’s 18-piece ensemble who line up with UK pianist Nikki Yeoh on music that integrates an original poem as a central motif. Entitled 'Nucleus' (a new NYJO-commissioned piece) the music is dedicated and inspired by legendary British trumpeter Ian Carr, who was a close friend and mentor of Yeoh’s and whose legacy she celebrates here.

Saturday 4 May at PAC gets going early at 11am with a linkup between students from nearby Birmingham Conservatoire and the prestigious Siena JazzAccademia Nazionale del Jazz in Italy and Hamburg Hochschule for a showcase of emerging jazz talent.

Trumpeter Charlotte Keeffe then presents her Right Here, Right Now, Quartet whose line-up includes bassist Ashley John Long, drummer Ben Handysides, and Let Spin guitarist Moss Freed, with Keeffe playing both flugelhorn and trumpet on her mix of composed and improvised originals (PAC, 1.30pm). Fusion grooves then abound from drummer David Ola’s Lucumí Project inspired by the West Africa and Caribbean diasporas (PAC, 4pm).

Brit jazz stars Kit Downes and Norma Winstone will combine on jointly composed original material as part of a new project that will be released as an album, Outpost of Dreams, on ECM this summer, featuring their favourite compositions as well as those of John Taylor and Ralph Towner (PAC, 6pm). And there’s another festival first with US trumpeter Dave Douglas lining up with saxophonist Trish Clowes (who is signed to his Greenleaf imprint) to play music in tribute to Wayne Shorter, with 'EYES UP' specially written for this performance and backed by a full band (PAC, 8.15pm).

The Parabola’s Sunday programme gets underway with London composer Sam Eastmond’s acclaimed arrangements of John Zorn’s Bagatelles; Eastmond is the first British musician to have been entrusted with realising a selection of the US composer’s 300 Bagatelles. It is also the first large ensemble interpretation of these works, which here features a 12-piece UK band for what will be its first festival performance (PAC, 2.30pm).

Closing out the PAC Sunday sessions will be trio un.procedure plus (featuring saxophonist-composer Cassie Kinoshi, Piera Onacko on synths and Nathan England-Jones on drums and electronics); the ‘plus’ part is Dave Stanley (aka GURIBOSH) whose visuals will be a central part of this show, alongside an expanded line-up of additional strings and woodwind (PAC, 5pm).

Other timings now confirmed include Friday night at the Town Hall featuring Orchestra Baobab with Nubiyan Twist (8pm), Jazz Arena performances on Saturday from singer Allysha Joy (4pm), Steely Dan tribute band The Royal Scammers (4pm) and saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin (7.30pm). Sunday’s shows include singer Zara McFarlane who presents her 'Music of Sarah Vaughan' show (12.30pm) and US trumpeter Theo Croker (7.30pm) plus a bonus Bank Holiday Monday show from corto.alto (6.30pm). Town Hall headliners on Saturday 4 May are: Brad Mehldau Trio (2pm) and Dee Dee Bridgewater (5.30pm), and on 5 May, Fatoumata Diawara (2pm) and Courtney Pine (5.30pm). Jazzwise is festival media partner.

For the full programme and tickets visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz