Jazz breaking news: Cheltenham Jazz Festival Draws The Crowds With Eclectic Mix

More and more so as the programming evolves the fest is becoming a coalition of different interests and the net result is that Cheltenham is becoming a big draw to all sorts of different people. The opening days with Cleo Laine and the Friday Night is Music Night programme were certainly aimed at the older, more mainstream fans while the late night Townhall programme (with Lamb, and Roots Manuva) brought in younger fans just dipping a toe in the waters. Hugh Laurie last night (every festival needs a crowd pleasing gimmick), was sold out from the moment he was confirmed, but for every quirk there was credible left field jazz and a whole raft of free Budvar stage local bands and a big fringe.

Of the Saturday and Sunday main programme one talking point was Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones joining Spin Marvel for an unusual set in the Arena. While it felt as if he wasn’t quite at ease with the washey Nordic sounds of Nils Petter Molvaer and co it was good to see him there and Led Zepp fans were suitably entranced by his presence. Pharoah Sanders, with a British band backing him, was the big draw later in the Town Hall, topping and tailing each tune as his band filled in the gaps. Coltrane-flavoured for the most part Sanders wasn’t at his most impressive it must be said but then again he hasn’t been a force in jazz since the 1990s at least. Django Bates and the TDEs (named for Tony Dudley Evans the festival director) was the highlight for me of the Saturday with Bates surrounding himself with a great band of young hot shots including Shabaka Hutchings, Troyka and Jay Phelps. Playing grippingly dense material washed down with some vigorous soloing, let’s hope the band gets together again soon.

On the Sunday Neil Cowley got a great reception in the Arena with a big crowd warming to his new tastefully mobile bassist Rex Horan and the string section Cowley brought along. The pianist has a great way with the audience and his increasingly familiar sounding compositions have a zest and urgency that keeps you wanting more. More ascetic and sombre by contrast the Tord Gustavsen Ensemble later in the Town Hall delivered a special festival commission and delivered a typically cultured set flavoured by the increasingly impressive saxophonist Tore Brunborg. Larry Grenadier filled in for an absent Dave Holland in the Overtone Quartet later on and what a band it is. Chris Potter’s strong Breckerish soloing and Jason’s Moran’s carefully weighted Rhodes playing were a joy to listen to while Eric Harland was my pick of drummer of the festival. But the hardest working jazzer of the day had to be Jamie Cullum with his two-hour solo set over at the Arena, a special show that was also simulcast live to cinemas around Europe. As ever he charmed Cheltenham with a certain amount of banter but the set was notable for the airing of new and infrequently performed songs plus standards Jamie doesn’t often sing like ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most’. With dozens more concerts this year, lots of jam sessions at the festival hotel and the new BBC Introducing strand as well as Stewart Lee’s Freehouse concerts Cheltenham certainly punched above its weight this year.

– Stephen Graham