Glastonbury

This year’s Somerset shindig was all about sunny afternoons under the fluttering flags listening to silky funk from the likes of The Bees and the more worldly rhythms of Quantic and Combo Barbaro.

A festival for me is also about discovery as well as seeing those you already know, so it was my delight that I caught the impressive Imogen Heap. Her experimentation with voice loops and samples was spellbinding and a cameo from beatboxer Shlomo (who made his Cheltenham début this year of course) added some fun to her great set. The festival closed for me with a Jamaican flavour as the mighty Toots & The Maytals brought smiles to the sun burnt masses, before a brief surreal moment for me seeing Rodrigo y Gabriela headline the Jazz World Stage (I know it’s been renamed but I’m sticking to its proper title!). It wasn’t anything to do with the fact that this Mexican guitar duo didn’t deserve their slot but the fact that the last time I saw them was here in Cheltenham at The Daffodil restaurant playing to 120 people back in 2004. As ever they wowed crowds with their blend of Latin rhythms, Celtic lyricism and heavy metal riffs. Their meteoric rise is hopefully a sign that Cheltenham has good form in spotting rising stars.

Cornbury Festival

While I’ve been going to Glastonbury since I was a young lad, this summer I made it to Cornbury Festival in Oxfordshire for the first time. The programme is not perhaps as wide ranging as some, but this year there were plenty of treats and it was two giants of blues that had me packing my camping gear. Buddy Guy is just one of those names that has been delivering at the top for decades; his showmanship is second to none and peaks as he roams into the crowd laying down his tight solos. While Buddy Guy is the sound of Chicago, Dr John is unquestionably the soundtrack of New Orleans; his boogie woogie Louisiana style went down well with the Cornbury faithful.

I know the Cornbury team well and they had given me a tip off about a certain act I shouldn’t miss. So being committed to my job off I trekked across the fields with family in tow to the second stage to hear the Lucinda Belle Orchestra. It’s easy to compare her vocal style to that of Norah Jones but there is a lot more depth behind it. She confidently takes the harp away from its classical expectations, fusing roots, gypsy, southern gospel and jazz influences to produce an exciting new sound.

North Sea Jazz Festival

The real jazz treat came at North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam of course and a hectic three days of dashing around the complex saw me take in everything from Herbie Hancock to The Roots. As well as enjoying the vocal range of Kurt Elling I saw a special performance by Chris Potter leading a Tentet featuring talented Dutch players, which was definitely a highlight of the summer.

I also sat in a fascinating Q&A with trumpeter Christian Scott and witnessed the soulful power of Rokia Traore, who would fit beautifully in our Jazz Arena venue.

Newport Jazz Festival

The summer scouting came to the end with a real treat. My first visit to a festival steeped in history, Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island. It was like a who’s who of US Jazz Ahmad Jamal, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock were all present within the dramatic backdrop of Fort Adams and Newport Harbour.

The special event was Dave Brubeck appearing for his 90th birthday performing a number of songs with Wynton Marsalis. I never thought I would get to see such a true legend within Jazz and it was privilege to be there particularly for his number Blues for Newport.

Away from the main stage tucked beside the walls of the fort I stumbled across the fascinating clarinet playing of Anat Cohen with her tribute to Benny Goodman and I finally got to see someone who I had missed earlier in the summer at North Sea, Gretchen Parlato. She is a beautifully original vocalist with a floating and somewhat mystical charm, no wonder she has drawn praise from Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.

The magic and rich history of Newport was created by one man, George Wien, and his quote on Jamie Cullum’s BBC Radio 2 Show live from Newport really hit home with me and sits with our ethos at Cheltenham.

“as a Festival Producer you don’t have the right to chose an artist to play you just hear about them and then try and reflect what is going on in the music at the time.”

Photo credit: AFlickion via Flickr (Creative Commons)

As the printers go into overdrive and the ink begins to set on the 2010 Jazz festival brochure, the anticipation builds.

As a producer of a festival it’s the deep breath before the events go on sale and the mandatory sweepstake, in the office, for which event will sell-out first — Jamie Cullum, Elaine Paige, John Scofield and Paloma Faith must all be front runners. But of course it’s horses for courses here in Cheltenham and it could just as easily be Stewart Lee’s intimate free jazz nights that could be first past the post.

Either way Tony Dudley Evans (our Artistic Director) and I are pleased with the balance of the programme and many of the new features in place for 2010.

Jazz on the Square is our new outdoor festival site situated at the heart of the Town in Imperial Gardens just behind our main venue the Town Hall. It’s going to be jam packed with food stalls, drinks for all persuasions, a Jazz market, a secret garden, a 650 purpose built arena and right at the heart of this the Budvar Stage hosting a wide range of free music throughout the festival.

We’ve partnered with Yamaha not only to host their Yamaha Jazz Experience finals but by setting up a Have a Go workshop space in the Playhouse Theatre the idea is you can sign up in the morning of the festival for a 30 minute session with a Yamaha endorsed teacher. We’re hoping to have keyboards, drum pads and bass guitars for you all to master!

Our programme reflects a key partnership for us this year as we welcome an array of the leading Norwegian acts to the Festival. The Norwegian Jazz scene is one of the strongest in Europe and we are showcasing the variety that is on offer. Beady Belle venture from the underground of Oslo, Farmers Market cause musical mayhem and Food perform a special commission by Thomas Stronen.

All these elements point towards a busy bank holiday for all involved. Very shortly that brochure will be appearing far and wide and I look forward to hearing what you think.

Bonfire night last week for us was all about celebrating our exciting partnership between Cheltenham Festivals and the Norwegian Embassy. The evening welcomed musicians, media, agents, record labels and many more in a taster of what to expect in May next year.

The Festival office is still buzzing from our Festival Launch courtesy of the Norwegian Embassy, where we were honoured to be hosted by the Norwegian Ambassador and his wife, Mr Bjarne Lindstrøm and Mrs Berit Lindstrøm, at their beautiful residence on Palace Green.

At the 2010 Jazz Festival we’ll be showcasing the best of the rising talent coming out of Norway (check out Farmers Market and Beady Belle to get you started) and working on an exciting education exchange with the Trondheim Conservatory and Birmingham Conservatoire. Cheltenham’s commitment to the new will also continue with a commissioned world-premiere from one of our Norwegian guests.

Working with the Norwegian Music community and its partners is an exciting prospect for all in the Cheltenham team. They of course have a history steeped in great names: Garberek and Arve Henriksen are most obvious of choices, but for me it is their desire for exploration that drives their thriving scene.

I was lucky enough to make it to Oslo (my thanks go to the Embassy for their support in this) in the summer for what turned out to be a double hit of music festivals. The Oslo Jazz Festival was a more traditional affair in terms of venues and style but still very intriguing. Oslo’s city centre is a beautiful setting for such a festival and it was clear that they have a strong focus on emerging talent, something we have in common at Cheltenham.

It was the second Festival visit that had a bigger impact on me, and that was at a Rock Festival. Courtesy of our friends at Musikk Profil I attended the Oya Festival where the international touring names were bands like Wilco, Arctic Monkeys and Lilly Allen, but it was the balance of the diverse programme which took my attention.

Oya is a rock festival where classical and jazz sit comfortably both in the programme and with audiences. Bands such as Atomic and Farmers Market were just as anticipated by the masses as the international rock acts. It seems to be ingrained within Norwegian music lovers that categorising does not really matter, and this is something that comes through their school system, their media and the Government’s support of their music industry as a whole.

Where in the UK, outside of Glastonbury, can you find such a festival offering classical and jazz in the same line up as modern rockers…are we, both promoters and audiences, even brave enough to try?

Ian George
Cheltenham Jazz Festival Executive Director

From Ian George
Jazz Festival Executive Director

To my mind the British Jazz scene (musically) is just as strong as most of its European allies. So if the support were to match the talent then there would be no complaints.

My first time at the EJN (European Jazz Network) in Glasgow last week helped me to understand that we (Cheltenham) are not alone in fighting the good fight for Jazz.

A fantastic gathering of festivals, venues and Jazz industry bods were in Scotland to share and inspire. Engaging audiences both through education and media were firmly on the agenda. I got the impression that this truly was an organisation with a purpose and as its membership grows so does its strength to promote Jazz as a cultural and educational force.

The evenings welcomed a host of great gigs in the historic Fruit Market Hall. Scotland’s thriving Jazz scene stuck out its chest proudly as Tommy Smith’s Youth Jazz Orchestra showed their worth. Though it was the two new wave trios that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I’d heard all about Troyka, and these boys know how to clash their sounds and mould their beats into powerful grooves. Trio VD had the challenge of conveying similar energy into the large market hall. It didn’t stop the drum beats thudding though (Chris Bussey is a mean man with sticks) and in the right venue could raise the roof.

With plenty to ponder from late night discussions with fellow festival producers, I headed across the border with a hunger to bring the young British trios to the heart of Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2010 and shout about it from the treetops.

Following on from the recent appointment of Ian George as the new Executive Director of Cheltenham Jazz Festival, he had the enviable task of heading to Holland for the North Sea Jazz Festival. Read how he got on and what inspires him for Cheltenham 2010…

All aboard…

How do you create a festival atmosphere in what from a distance looks like an aircraft hanger? Well Rotterdam’s answer is fill it with a fantastic mix of leading jazz names, indoor streets of bars, food stalls and shops, plus a programme that goes beyond jazz to welcome names such as BB King and Burt Bacharach.

Members of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival team experienced the North Sea Jazz Festival for the first time last month and it was a real treat. I often hear, as we did on this trip, that what makes Cheltenham special for artists and visitors alike is the intimate atmosphere but the feeling in Holland is somewhat different, with the biggest venue at a vast 10,000 capacity.

Where there was John Scofield in one corner, there was Jamie Cullum in another; when you’ve just discovered that Roy Hargrove’s Big Band is playing with Roberta Gambarini, you’re missing local sax hero Candy Dulfer. In my mind this is what makes a true festival, the gut wrenching decision process to pick your running order. A festival is also just as much about discovery as it is your preconceived must sees.

My discovery was at the Hilton late night/early morning jam sessions where I was wowed by the young Rotterdam jazz musicians who jammed with true conviction and showed the energy that comes from this exciting genre.

The British scene is just as exciting and Cheltenham has of course established itself as the platform for a creative hotbed of young British Jazz.

Lots of conversations are being held here at festival towers with some big names and some great ideas bouncing back and forth with our friends at BBC Radio 2… and beyond.

Bring on Cheltenham 2010…