Cheltenham Jazz Festival
28 April - 4 May 2009

Legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela

Contemporary US jazz heavyweights Dave Liebman and Dave Douglas

Sultry songstress Madeleine Peyroux

Come and see multi-instrumentalist John Surman celebrating his 65th by performing some newly commissioned pieces from pianist Nikki Yeoh with her trio Infinitum featuring the Mondesir brothers on bass and drums.

Events will take place at a range of venues bringing a Festival atmosphere to the Cotswolds. For the third year running the Budvar Marquee in Imperial Gardens will play host to a series of fantastic free events across the bank holiday weekend including a performance by the winners of the 2nd Budvar Brewed Jazz Competition. The victorious group will be rewarded with the wonderful opportunity to appear on the main stage at Pub in The Park.

BBC Radio 2 and Friday Night is Music Night with the BBC concert orchestra presenting an evening of jazz theatre based on the tragic life story of Billy Strayhorn.

Alex Wilson's Salsa Orchestra in a dance extravaganza at the Town Hall, a special performance by Jack DeJohnette with a band featuring the finest UK talent from the long running Jerwood series, Mercury Music Prize nominees Portico Quartet, BBC Jazz Award winners Get The Blessing and many more gigs still to be announced including a special appearance by Sir Michael Parkinson who looks back at his life in music.

See you in April!

‘High jinks and edgy beats’
Financial Times review, 2008

Read our 4 star reviews
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Listen...
to the HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival podcast 2008

Watch...
Jazz It Up! 2008

The best school Jazz bands performing at the 2008 Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Visit our education pages for more information about Jazz It Up! and other education projects.

Thank you

Now that the dust has settled on another terrific Jazz Festival, the team would like to thank EVERYBODY who took part.

From all our fabulous artists and agents through our production crew, volunteers, designers, venue and catering staff, to our audience members, both loyal and new, you all contributed to the huge success of the 2008 HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

From Eartha Kitt and Van Morrison to the wonderful musicians from local schools who participated in our Jazz It Up! project, the spectrum of performances this year has been breathtaking. While Maceo Parker shook the chandeliers at the Town Hall, Gwyneth Herbert sang sweet soothing songs in the Pillar Room. As the BBC Concert Orchestra delivered a warts-and-all account of the life of Billie Holiday, Jerry Dammers entertained us with his musicians from Saturn and beyond, spilling out onto the street for an impromptu alfresco performance!

While our science team experimented on a long list of willing volunteers, Tim Berne improvised his way through 75mins of free-funk fusion, and as Mr Scruff's breakbeats wound the Town Hall in to a frenzy of hip-hop jazz, gifted Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca and his band turned a quiet corner of Cheltenham into a Cuban cornucopia.

As always, the HSBC Cheltenham Jazz Festival could not go ahead without the amazing support of all its sponsors. Their invaluable contribution to the festival ensures that we can continue to bring world-class musicians to the area whilst supporting music within the local community and nurturing the British jazz legends of the future.

And now that '08 is becoming a distant memory, we are turning our heads towards '09. If you have any burning suggestions of who would you like to see at the festival next year, please email us with your ideas. And watch this space as we look forward to an exciting year ahead.

Jazz Fringe 2008

Find out about the 2008 Jazz Fringe Festival.

Jerwood Jazz Generation

As always we are delighted to welcome many of the brilliant young musicians supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation - look out for the Jerwood Jazz Generation Events - www.jerwoodjazzgeneration.org.uk.

BBC

Our ongoing relationship with BBC Radio 2 means that the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Big Band will once again be participating at the Festival. Visit the BBC Radio 2 Music Club Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2008 web pages.