Joshua Redman Photo: © Jay Blakesberg

Peter Bacon reports:

The line-up for this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival (1-6 May 2019), one of the biggest outside London, has been announced, and although the move from serious jazz to its pop relations continues to leaven the offering, there is still enough to keep all but the most curmudgeonly happy.

Leading the jazz vanguard this year are pianist Fred Hersch and Joshua Redman, and Abdullah Ibrahim with Ekaya, Scandinavian piano trio Rymden, The Bad Plus and John Surman, John Warren and the Brass Project Live. Then there are Dan Weiss’s Starebaby, Nikki Yeoh and Zoe Rahman, Partisans, Rachel Musson, Michael Formanek’s Elusion Quartet, David Sanborn’s Acoustic Band, the Hanna Paulsberg Concept and Hermia Ceccaldi Darrifourcq.

As usual, many of these performances will be held in the terrific but not huge Parabola Arts Centre, part of Cheltenham Ladies’ College, so early booking is advised. Opening the Paraboloa sessions is a particularly intriguing trio of Soweto Kinch, Andreas Schaerer and Kalle Kalima.

Charenee Wade Publicity picture

Now named as Associate Curator, Jamie Cullum will be appearing, as will his successor in the Artistic Curator role, Gregory Porter. According to the festival’s press release, Porter’s choices in the line-up include Charenee Wade, Alina Engibaryan and Kandace Springs.

DJ Gilles Peterson is presenting a fine selection from the youthful UK scene including Nubya Garcia, Vula Viel, Alfa Mist, Vels Trio and Cherise Adams Burnett.

Moving towards the pop end of the programme, big names include Sergio Mendes, Swing Out Sister and Katy Melua, while the older demographic will be happy with Georgie Fame, especially as he has the Guy Barker Big Band for company, and Curtis Stigers with the Ronnie Scott’s Big Band.

Other notable gigs include: Incognito, Madeleine Peyroux, Omar Sosa & Yllian Cañizares, and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

Tickets go on sale to Members at 10am on Wednesday 27 February 2019 and on general sale from 10am on Wednesday 6 March 2019.

LINK: Cheltenham Jazz Festival website