Imelda May, Leo Green and Ian Shaw added to full Cheltenham Jazz Festival Line-Up
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
The full programme for this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival, its 20th edition which runs from 27 April to 2 May, has been confirmed.
A strong line-up deftly mixes international jazz names with soul, blues and rock headliners, which now includes saxophonist Leo Green’s Sounds of the ’50s with guest vocalist Imelda May and a big band opening the six-day event at the Big Top on 27 April. The diverse line-up also includes revered blues guitarist Taj Mahal, Mercury Prize-nominated singer Beverley Knight and jazz-funk kingpins Brand New Heavies. It’s apt that the Jazz Jamaica All Stars, who headline the Big Top on Saturday 30 April with their Bob Marley-inspired Catch A Fire! show, bring things full circle having played at the very first festival back in 1996. Last minute additions include leading UK jazz singer (and recent Jazzwise cover artist) Ian Shaw and soul-jazz vocalist Tony Momrelle, who join Liv Warfield and Madeline Bell for Friday Night Is Music Night with the Guy Barker Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra on 29 April, also in the Big Top. Festival guest director, jazz singer and pianist Jamie Cullum closes the festival on Monday 2 May with a retrospective concert with his main touring band, who will be performing music from Cullum’s seven albums to date.
Next month Jazzwise, who are festival media partners, will list the full fringe programme, along with family friendly events, workshops and talks. The full concert listings are as follows:
Wednesday 27 April: Leo Green Presents Sounds of the ’50s with Imelda May (The Big Top, tbc) Hugh Coltman Sings Nat King Cole (The Jazz Cellar, 7.30pm).
Thursday 28 April: Tribute to Cannonball Adderley, Chris Gumbley Quintet (The Jazz Cellar, 7.30pm); Joanne Shaw Taylor (Jazz Arena, 7pm); Lianne La Havas (The Big Top, 8.30pm).
Friday 29 April: Jacob Collier (Jazz Arena, 6.30pm); Soweto Kinch Trio: Recomposed (Parabola Arts Centre, 8pm); Friday Night Is Music Night Celebrates Quincy Jones with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Guy Barker Big Band featuring Liv Warfield and Madeline Bell (The Big Top, 8pm); Ian Shaw (The Jazz Cellar, 7pm); Penguin Cafe (Town Hall, 8pm); Late Night Jazz Club: Mads Mathias (The Jazz Cellar, 11pm).
Saturday 30 April: Dinner Games (Parabola Arts Centre Foyer 11.30am-9pm); Trondheim Jazz Exchange (Parabola Arts Centre, 12noon); Alexander Hawkins: Environment Music (Montpellier Gardens, 1.45pm); Courtney Pine & Zoe Rahman (Town Hall, 1.45pm); Zoë Gilby (The Jazz Cellar, 1pm); José James (Jazz Arena, 12.15pm); Catch A Fire: Jazz Jamaica All-stars, Urban Soul Orchestra & Brinsley Forde – A Tribute To Bob Marley And The Wailers (The Big Top, 2pm); Mike Fletcher (Parabola Arts Centre, 3pm); Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life (Jazz Arena, 4pm); Guy Garvey (The Big Top, 5.30pm); Tim Berne’s Snakeoil (Parabola Arts Centre, 6pm); Omar Sosa Quarteto AfroCubano (Jazz Arena, 7.30pm); Lizz Wright & Frankfurt Radio Big Band (Town Hall, 7pm); Georgia Mancio (The Jazz Cellar, 7pm); The Printmakers (Parabola Arts Centre, 9pm); Beverley Knight (The Big Top, 9pm); Hiatus Kaiyote (Town Hall, 11pm).
Sunday 1 May: Dinner Games (Parabola Arts Centre Foyer, 11.30am-9pm); Shiver (Parabola Arts Centre, 12noon); Julian Argüelles: Let It Be Told with Frankfurt Radio Big Band, Django Bates & Steve Argüelles (Town Hall, 1pm); Becca Stevens (Jazz Arena, 1pm); Double Bill: Rita Satch & Tony Momrelle (The Big Top, 2.30pm); Meadow: A Tribute To John Taylor (Parabola Arts Centre, 3pm); Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah presents Stretch Music (Jazz Arena, 4.30pm); David Sanborn Electric Band (The Big Top, 6pm); Rom Schaerer Eberle (Parabola Arts Centre, 6pm); The Taj Mahal Trio (Town Hall, 6pm); Mulatu Astatke (Jazz Arena, 7.45pm); Corinne Bailey Rae (The Big Top, 9pm); Giovanni Guidi Trio (Parabola Arts Centre, 9pm); The Brand New Heavies (Town Hall, 9.30pm); Melt Yourself Down (Subtone, 11pm).
Monday 2 May: Ibibio Sound Machine (The Big Top, 1pm); Fringe Showcase: The Remi Harris Project & Ben Cipolla (Jazz Arena, 2.30pm); Elkie Brooks (The Big Top, 4.30pm); The Darius Brubeck Quartet (Jazz Arena, 6.30pm); and Jamie Callum (The Big Top, 8.30pm).
– Mike Flynn
More info and tickets at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz