THE LOVE SUPREME JAZZ FESTIVAL
Glynde House Nr Lewes Sussex - 3rd/4th/5th July 2015
Sponsored by Jazz FM the third year of the jazz world's answer to Glastonbury took place over this Summer weekend adjacent to the famous Glyndbourne Opera House deep in the Sussex countryside . Those with weekend camping or even glamping tickets (five levels available) were entertained on the Friday evening In The Arena, Blue in Green Bar and Jazz Lounge. The heavyweight acts commenced over two full days from Saturday, the day I attended.
Having been to one day each year from the start I must say that the experience , unless you are still in the first phase of youth can be really hard on the body but ultimately worth it.On the day thirty six events were scheduled to take place over four stages plus two smaller venues.
Things kicked off for me, and gave campers an early morning wake up call with The Yamaha Jazz FM Replay Project a big band gathered together by James Pearson of Ronnie Scott's to bring together lapsed musicians from the Big Band world. Their short set with the highly impressive Georgina Jackson on vocals gave the day a rousing start with covers from the song books of the Ellington, Basie and Goodman orchestras.
The Big Top then opened up in the intense mid-day heat with one of the most revered bands of current times, The Bad Plus with Joshua Redman .Playing selections from their current album, of the same name, pianist Ethan Iverson proved himself to be one of today's top pianists with his thoughtful use of space and time interweaving with Redman's sometimes ethereal sounding tenor . Reid Anderson's bass was forward in the mix leading to a pulsating overall sound with the addition of David King's powerful drumming. The set was long awaited by many, but in truth never realy took off or fulfilled it's early promise prompting some to drift away well before the close.
Having been to one day each year from the start I must say that the experience , unless you are still in the first phase of youth can be really hard on the body but ultimately worth it.On the day thirty six events were scheduled to take place over four stages plus two smaller venues.
Things kicked off for me, and gave campers an early morning wake up call with The Yamaha Jazz FM Replay Project a big band gathered together by James Pearson of Ronnie Scott's to bring together lapsed musicians from the Big Band world. Their short set with the highly impressive Georgina Jackson on vocals gave the day a rousing start with covers from the song books of the Ellington, Basie and Goodman orchestras.
The Big Top then opened up in the intense mid-day heat with one of the most revered bands of current times, The Bad Plus with Joshua Redman .Playing selections from their current album, of the same name, pianist Ethan Iverson proved himself to be one of today's top pianists with his thoughtful use of space and time interweaving with Redman's sometimes ethereal sounding tenor . Reid Anderson's bass was forward in the mix leading to a pulsating overall sound with the addition of David King's powerful drumming. The set was long awaited by many, but in truth never realy took off or fulfilled it's early promise prompting some to drift away well before the close.
Julian Siegel of Partisans - Photo Credit Tabatha Fireman (Getty Images)
Two of Britain's massively talented young, forward thinking bands then took to the Arena Stage. First up being The Elliot Galvin Trio. Named as 2014 European Young Jazz Artists of the Year this exciting piano led trio is a no holds barred left field outfit who create an adventurous mix of mind blowing music supplementing the standard trio format with electronic sounds and additional instrumentation . There were tracks from their highly acclaimed first album Dreamland plus new material and a version of Mack The Knife where humour and invention were to the fore. This great trio with Tom McCready on bass and Simon Roth on drums deservidly received an almighty ovation as the set ended.
Another band from the Chaos Collective stable soon followed. Blue Eyed Hawk is a creation of UK musician of the year, the superb trumpet player Laura Jurd . This quartet features the voice of Lauren Kinsella, a multi award winning vocalist across numerous genres and highly acclaimed within the European free form movement and is completed by Alex Roth on guitar and perhaps the UK's best young drummer Corrie Dick. Ms Kinsella likes to unite her vocals within the music but on occasions during the set it was difficult to follow the words above the multi- layered background of the rythem section which on this occasion was supplemented by the leader who doubled on keyboards. As always with all of Laura Jurd's band it is her trumpet playing that rises above everything. Her clear soaring runs seem to dominate proceedings and within slower numbers her precise note placement and tone control easily sit alongside the all time greats. This was a thoroughly absorbing set of original material and left one with the feeling that alongside the previous band the future of British contemporary jazz is in very safe hands.
It was then the back the larger Big Top venue for the highly popular Partisans. This is a supercharged powerhouse quartet,lauded wherever it appears and rightly so. Part of the New Wave in jazz they already have five superb albums to their credit. Playing mostly covers from their latest offering Swamp the packed audience was wowed with a heady mixture of what I can only describe as hard bop with fusion overtones. The front line of Phil Robson, guitar and the evergreen Julian Segal on Tenor and bass clarinet weaved their own special magic well supported by Thad Kelly's bass, with the enigmatic and highly visual performance by the New Yorker and ex Radiohead drummer Gene Calderazzo. You did not want this one to end but it did after an hour of glorious sounds before a rapturous audience.
Another band from the Chaos Collective stable soon followed. Blue Eyed Hawk is a creation of UK musician of the year, the superb trumpet player Laura Jurd . This quartet features the voice of Lauren Kinsella, a multi award winning vocalist across numerous genres and highly acclaimed within the European free form movement and is completed by Alex Roth on guitar and perhaps the UK's best young drummer Corrie Dick. Ms Kinsella likes to unite her vocals within the music but on occasions during the set it was difficult to follow the words above the multi- layered background of the rythem section which on this occasion was supplemented by the leader who doubled on keyboards. As always with all of Laura Jurd's band it is her trumpet playing that rises above everything. Her clear soaring runs seem to dominate proceedings and within slower numbers her precise note placement and tone control easily sit alongside the all time greats. This was a thoroughly absorbing set of original material and left one with the feeling that alongside the previous band the future of British contemporary jazz is in very safe hands.
It was then the back the larger Big Top venue for the highly popular Partisans. This is a supercharged powerhouse quartet,lauded wherever it appears and rightly so. Part of the New Wave in jazz they already have five superb albums to their credit. Playing mostly covers from their latest offering Swamp the packed audience was wowed with a heady mixture of what I can only describe as hard bop with fusion overtones. The front line of Phil Robson, guitar and the evergreen Julian Segal on Tenor and bass clarinet weaved their own special magic well supported by Thad Kelly's bass, with the enigmatic and highly visual performance by the New Yorker and ex Radiohead drummer Gene Calderazzo. You did not want this one to end but it did after an hour of glorious sounds before a rapturous audience.
Dianne Reeves - Photo Credit Tabatha Fireman
(Getty Images)
The afternoon sessions were drawing to a close and it was time to have a look at some other offering,s around the site. A very important contributor to the UK scene is The National Jazz Archive. Based in Loughton Essex this organisation set up by founder and life long patron Digby Fairweather holds a vast collection of recordings ,literature and memorabilia and is open to the public on certain days. At the festival they were showing relics from Billie Holliday's visits to the UK along with artworks and photographs from bygone eras. The Bandstand this year was hosted by the forward thinking Brighton Jazz School alongside The Verdict Jazz Club which after three years of operation is one of the most successful jazz clubs outside of London. Music was provided over the weekend by fourteen bands all associated with the club or school. A new and highly popular facility was The Jazz Lounge. Hosted by Jazz FM, Blue Note Records and Universal this was a most comfortable chill out area with sofas, regular great music on the sound system along with regular live interviews on stage and even a facility to have your photograph superimposed on album covers of the stars.
Back to the music and a huge crowd in the Big Top for The Bill Laurance Project. This clean cut highly engaging keyboard, electronics exponent and composer first came to fame as a member of the Brooklyn based Snarky Puppy almost twenty years ago. His current band's first album Flint in 2014 rose to No 1 in the I tunes play chart. We were entertained with excerpts from their new offering Swift . The standard trio format was augmented by the addition of french horn alongside the violin,viola and cello of The Westside String Trio. This all led to an hypnotic mix of orchestral like voicings underpinning the formidable excursions of the keyboards and bass along with thunderous drumming from Richard Spaven. A thoroughly entertaining set for all that were there.
Long awaited and bringing with him a huge reputation next up was world renowned Blue Note trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire. Blessed with a full burnished tone and technique to spare the crowd were almost silent in awe as the first trumpet solo built from unaccompanied beginnings before the all young American sidemen joined the fray. What the tightly packed audience did not realise was that the leader had segued together three themes from his latest album forming an opening number of twenty two minutes in length and including six trumpet solos. It is sad to say that many had left before the beginning of the second number and the and many more followed as the set progressed. Those who did stay were treated to trumpet playing of the highest order backed by excellent musicianship from the band but very little audience repour.
As dusk began to settle around the Big Top it was time for one of the great divas of jazz Dianne Reeves to make her entrance. This lady exudes star quality and epitomises the word artist in every way. Her quartet which included Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra bassist Reginald Veale warmed up with two numbers before she made her dramatic entrance through the curtain to an absolute ovation from the crowd. The theme of the set was Love, her audience connection was superb, she danced all over the stage. She is a vocal improviser without parallel and employed an outstanding wordless vocal technique for much of the show and was at her very best when dueting with the bass or Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. Highlight for me was her own arrangement of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's One For My Baby, much loved by Frank Sinatra. which came just before her closing rendition, a song in tribute to her own band and very aptly to Love Supreme.
That was all for me, time to go and reflect on a great day's jazz even if I did not see any of the Soul and Crossover acts on the main stage.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
Back to the music and a huge crowd in the Big Top for The Bill Laurance Project. This clean cut highly engaging keyboard, electronics exponent and composer first came to fame as a member of the Brooklyn based Snarky Puppy almost twenty years ago. His current band's first album Flint in 2014 rose to No 1 in the I tunes play chart. We were entertained with excerpts from their new offering Swift . The standard trio format was augmented by the addition of french horn alongside the violin,viola and cello of The Westside String Trio. This all led to an hypnotic mix of orchestral like voicings underpinning the formidable excursions of the keyboards and bass along with thunderous drumming from Richard Spaven. A thoroughly entertaining set for all that were there.
Long awaited and bringing with him a huge reputation next up was world renowned Blue Note trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire. Blessed with a full burnished tone and technique to spare the crowd were almost silent in awe as the first trumpet solo built from unaccompanied beginnings before the all young American sidemen joined the fray. What the tightly packed audience did not realise was that the leader had segued together three themes from his latest album forming an opening number of twenty two minutes in length and including six trumpet solos. It is sad to say that many had left before the beginning of the second number and the and many more followed as the set progressed. Those who did stay were treated to trumpet playing of the highest order backed by excellent musicianship from the band but very little audience repour.
As dusk began to settle around the Big Top it was time for one of the great divas of jazz Dianne Reeves to make her entrance. This lady exudes star quality and epitomises the word artist in every way. Her quartet which included Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra bassist Reginald Veale warmed up with two numbers before she made her dramatic entrance through the curtain to an absolute ovation from the crowd. The theme of the set was Love, her audience connection was superb, she danced all over the stage. She is a vocal improviser without parallel and employed an outstanding wordless vocal technique for much of the show and was at her very best when dueting with the bass or Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. Highlight for me was her own arrangement of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's One For My Baby, much loved by Frank Sinatra. which came just before her closing rendition, a song in tribute to her own band and very aptly to Love Supreme.
That was all for me, time to go and reflect on a great day's jazz even if I did not see any of the Soul and Crossover acts on the main stage.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
