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Sunday @ the Love Supreme Festival
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SUNDAY @ THE LOVE SUPREME FESTIVAL
July 3, 2016
July 3, 2016
The festival web site had promised 23 degrees of heat and lovely sunshine for the third and final day of this ground breaking event. It delivered as promised although there was an aftermath of mud from the bad weather earlier in the weekend. Now in it's fourth year right next to the Glynde Opera House deep in the Sussex Countryside, this is a fantastic advertisement for jazz and associated music without parallel in the UK.
The action on Sunday took place over four main stages catering for every taste from master composer Burt Bacharach via rock legends The Average White Band to free improvisers Binker & Moses and on to the new jazz sensation Kamasi Washington. Things got underway for me well before 11.am with a chance to catch part of an enchanting set by The Vox Choir a collection of some twenty plus young ladies from Lewes Grammer School singing great jazz harmony with only the aid of a pianist and musical director. Their version of "My Favourite Things" was outstanding as was their collaboration with guest star Clair Martin prior to her set on the main stage. Brighton bass man and composer Terry Pack is the leader and inventor of the great new contemporary big band Trees. His ethos is to write a part for any one who can play, from college students to established musicians. This forward thinking policy has led on some occasions to over forty players taking to the stage and it's surrounding areas. For the festival a population of thirty four were mostly crammed on the bandstand with trumpets and trombones making do on the grass in front. Although the leader provides most of the bands book, including an updated version of "El Pueblo Nuevo" lifted from his highly rated small group album "Palimpest" and now appearing to be the band's anthem, there are many writing contributions from other members. Lot's of things set this band aside from and above others, none more so than the superb four person wordless vocal choir that add a dynamic addition to the overall sound. This group of trees certainly do deserve a preservation order as we expectantly await their first album.
The opening set on the main stage was filled by Claire Martin and Ray Gelato, one of the few jazz acts to feature in that particular arena over the four years of the festival, it usually being the domain of the soul, rock and funk brigade. Primarily this was a look back to the golden age of The Great American Song Book with the two vocalists in perfect harmony with Ray Gelato's tough tenor sound adding to proceedings in front of a superb jazz trio with Dave Newton outstanding on piano as always. It was a bright and entertaining set of standards, along with swing and jump jive numbers reflecting covers from their recent release "We've Got The World On a String" and including such favourites such as "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big"and "C'est Si Bon". All this had gone down well with the ever growing lunch time crowd, many of which could not resist taking to their feet in impromptu dance mode. I had heard good things about Phil Meadows Engines Orchestra and was looking forward to hearing them with Femi Temowo who among other successes had spent time on guitar and background vocals with Amy Winehouse. The band itself has a fine modernistic approach with the leader outstanding on alto and a string quartet providing depth. However there was little connection between the band and guest artist from Lagos who sung and rapped at length in his own language leaving only scant opportunity for the band members to shine.
The action on Sunday took place over four main stages catering for every taste from master composer Burt Bacharach via rock legends The Average White Band to free improvisers Binker & Moses and on to the new jazz sensation Kamasi Washington. Things got underway for me well before 11.am with a chance to catch part of an enchanting set by The Vox Choir a collection of some twenty plus young ladies from Lewes Grammer School singing great jazz harmony with only the aid of a pianist and musical director. Their version of "My Favourite Things" was outstanding as was their collaboration with guest star Clair Martin prior to her set on the main stage. Brighton bass man and composer Terry Pack is the leader and inventor of the great new contemporary big band Trees. His ethos is to write a part for any one who can play, from college students to established musicians. This forward thinking policy has led on some occasions to over forty players taking to the stage and it's surrounding areas. For the festival a population of thirty four were mostly crammed on the bandstand with trumpets and trombones making do on the grass in front. Although the leader provides most of the bands book, including an updated version of "El Pueblo Nuevo" lifted from his highly rated small group album "Palimpest" and now appearing to be the band's anthem, there are many writing contributions from other members. Lot's of things set this band aside from and above others, none more so than the superb four person wordless vocal choir that add a dynamic addition to the overall sound. This group of trees certainly do deserve a preservation order as we expectantly await their first album.
The opening set on the main stage was filled by Claire Martin and Ray Gelato, one of the few jazz acts to feature in that particular arena over the four years of the festival, it usually being the domain of the soul, rock and funk brigade. Primarily this was a look back to the golden age of The Great American Song Book with the two vocalists in perfect harmony with Ray Gelato's tough tenor sound adding to proceedings in front of a superb jazz trio with Dave Newton outstanding on piano as always. It was a bright and entertaining set of standards, along with swing and jump jive numbers reflecting covers from their recent release "We've Got The World On a String" and including such favourites such as "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big"and "C'est Si Bon". All this had gone down well with the ever growing lunch time crowd, many of which could not resist taking to their feet in impromptu dance mode. I had heard good things about Phil Meadows Engines Orchestra and was looking forward to hearing them with Femi Temowo who among other successes had spent time on guitar and background vocals with Amy Winehouse. The band itself has a fine modernistic approach with the leader outstanding on alto and a string quartet providing depth. However there was little connection between the band and guest artist from Lagos who sung and rapped at length in his own language leaving only scant opportunity for the band members to shine.
There is much to entertain outside of the main areas at Love Supreme, additions this year being "Love Supremium", an enhanced chill out space along with "The Supreme Wellbeing" area and the "Lazy Bird Banqueting Kitchen". All were doing good business before my unscheduled but fortunate visit to the Binker and Moses set on The Arena Stage. Tenor saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd have only been playing together as a duo for two years and in that time have won "Mobo" awards both for their debut album "Dem Ones" plus "Best UK Jazz Act" alongside a nomination in "The Urban Music Awards". They both confess to have been highly influenced by the music of John Coltrane and drummer Rashid Ali. This is highly evident in their dynamic free form playing style of unrelenting drive and intensity which rose to greater and greater heights as the set progressed, needing little break between the sonic adventures, with no titles given or required. After over an hour of such creativity it was obvious to all that we had witnessed the cutting edge of today's music. It could not get much better, but it nearly did with the new wave trio and Blue Note recording artists Go Go Penguin who appeared as the first of the three real heavy weight bands in The Big Top. Pianist Chris Illingworth, bass man Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner have enjoyed enormous success and critical acclaim over the past few years for their exotic powerful brand of a genre named by some as "Acoustic Electronica". These are three virtuoso musicians, all highly creative who together take the classic piano based trio to places that would be unimaginable just a few years ago. Their music has influences from across the genres and adds up to anexciting, propulsive and kaleidoscopic musical journey matched by very few others. On the day the ecstatic audience were treated music from all three of the bands albums including "All Res" and the strident "Protest" from the recently released "Man Made Object".
It made little sense to vacate a hard won position against the front barrier during the set change before the long anticipated return to Glynde of the Super Star that is Melody Gardot. Little did we know that the wait would be over an hour due to amplification problems and a change of grand piano (rumour has it that the lady will only play a Steinway !). It is now eleven years or so since this artist suffered a life threatening accident which in many ways lead to a musical career of world wide magnitude embracing a position as one of the leading singer/song writers of her generation. There was a time when her output was steeped in jazz, sadly this is no longer the case, as was welldemonstrated on the day. Now aged thirty it must be said that she has an enormous charisma, control of an audience and benefits from a truly stunning appearance. Her band does have some jazz element remaining in the shape of trumpet man Gary Grant and saxophonist Irwin Hall, although the multiple keyboards and rock orientated drummer redress the balance. Playing guitar and piano herself we were treated for the most part to high tempo renderings of some songs from her latest offering "Currency Of Man" plus others difficult to identify due to the overwhelming volume of the band and possibly the under amplification of the vocal mike when she was at the piano. It would be easy to mark the set down as a disappointment but that would be wrong due to two stunning performances. The first, one of the most engaging renditions you will ever hear of the Don Raye/Gene DePaul classic "You Don't What Love Is", introduced with "well I suppose that as this is a jazz festival we better play a jazz number". This was dedicated to Chet Baker and contained a fine muted trumpet solo with the singer at her sultry best. It was not until the penultimate number of a shortened set, due to time over runs, that things regained such heights with a reprise in vocal trio form of the outstanding "Baby I'm A Fool" from the 2009 album "My One And Only Thrill". Despite all the set closed to a tumultuous ovation.
It made little sense to vacate a hard won position against the front barrier during the set change before the long anticipated return to Glynde of the Super Star that is Melody Gardot. Little did we know that the wait would be over an hour due to amplification problems and a change of grand piano (rumour has it that the lady will only play a Steinway !). It is now eleven years or so since this artist suffered a life threatening accident which in many ways lead to a musical career of world wide magnitude embracing a position as one of the leading singer/song writers of her generation. There was a time when her output was steeped in jazz, sadly this is no longer the case, as was welldemonstrated on the day. Now aged thirty it must be said that she has an enormous charisma, control of an audience and benefits from a truly stunning appearance. Her band does have some jazz element remaining in the shape of trumpet man Gary Grant and saxophonist Irwin Hall, although the multiple keyboards and rock orientated drummer redress the balance. Playing guitar and piano herself we were treated for the most part to high tempo renderings of some songs from her latest offering "Currency Of Man" plus others difficult to identify due to the overwhelming volume of the band and possibly the under amplification of the vocal mike when she was at the piano. It would be easy to mark the set down as a disappointment but that would be wrong due to two stunning performances. The first, one of the most engaging renditions you will ever hear of the Don Raye/Gene DePaul classic "You Don't What Love Is", introduced with "well I suppose that as this is a jazz festival we better play a jazz number". This was dedicated to Chet Baker and contained a fine muted trumpet solo with the singer at her sultry best. It was not until the penultimate number of a shortened set, due to time over runs, that things regained such heights with a reprise in vocal trio form of the outstanding "Baby I'm A Fool" from the 2009 album "My One And Only Thrill". Despite all the set closed to a tumultuous ovation.
There was just enough time before the final Big Top set to sample the comfortable sofa's of The Verve Jazz Lounge (celebrating 60 years of the label), plus the delights of the "Blue In Green Bar" and to do some business with "Rough Trade Records". Kamasi Washington is for the time being, possibly the biggest act in the jazz fraternity. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to become an overnight sensation and this is certainly what has happened to this 35 year old from Los Angeles since the release of "The Epic" a triplealbum that has taken the jazz world by storm and become the album of 2015 in many respected publications. There was not room or probably cash for the vast array of strings and choirs that appear on the three hour recorded suite, instead it was the core band of seven in mid journey from Glastonbury to The Proms' that entertained. This is a group based on two drummers, trombone, bass, key boards and a vocalist supporting the sensational powerful yet hypnotic tenor of the leader. This thing roars like a lion, is hedonistic and at the same time satisfies devotees of creative music at it's best. Having said that, there were a good number of patrons in the tightly packed audience that had no idea how intense and high volume the performance would be. Many sadly drifted away even during the eighteen minute opener "Changing Of The Guard" The vast majority who did stay were treated to excerpts from "The Plan", The Glorious Tale" and "The Historic Repetition" all part of the aptly named "Epic". It was an electric atmosphere and a great way to finish the show before a jumping, rocking and exhausted audience.
Time had come to trudge wearily back to the car park, where on the way, not even the strains of "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" from Bert Bacharach on the main stage could persuade me to stay longer!
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
Time had come to trudge wearily back to the car park, where on the way, not even the strains of "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" from Bert Bacharach on the main stage could persuade me to stay longer!
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
