Hot stuff for hipsters

Is it possible? May we have reached a point where the J word has become cool again? Looking at this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival line-up there’s an intriguing bevy of names not hitherto much identified with the world of jazz. It seems the likes of Elbow’s Guy Garvey, UK soul queen Beverley Knight and Radio 1 DJs Jo Whiley and Trevor Nelson are clearly unashamed to be seen hanging out with the hepcats so maybe it’s actually happened. If so credit must surely go to Cheltenham patron Jamie Cullum (whose Monday May 2 set will close the weekend) as well as the highly viral Jacob Collier aka ‘Jazz’s new Messiah’ (The Guardian) who appears on Friday April 29.

But it’s far from all mainstream entertainment and there’s plenty on offer for the seriously jazz inclined, too. Veteran vocal innovator Norma Winstone appears in the supergroup The Printmakers alongside Nikki Iles’ piano and Mark Lockheart’s sax while atmospheric Swiss trumpet/guitar/vocal trio Rom Schaerer Eberle are a rare treat. Ever exploratory saxophonist Soweto Kinch brings his powerful, Coltrane-inspired trio for a gig that will be electronically reprocessed for direct playback afterwards, and musical inventor Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (pictured) will use some of his self-designed horns to construct contemporary US jazz.

Big names are more honoured in their absence: the trio Meadow pay tribute to their pianist John Taylor who died last year, Guy Barker and the BBC Big Band celebrate Quincy Jones and Cannonball Adderley gets the treatment from Chris Gumbley’s quintet, including great Irish trumpeter Neil Yates. Pianist Darius Brubeck (above) will, of course, feature several of his father Dave’s great tunes alongside his own Township-inspired compositions.

A couple of big band collaborations may well turn out to be top treats when the irrepressible Jazz Jamaica team up with the Urban Soul Orchestra for the Marley-themed Catch a Fire and the mightily creative reed player Julian Arguelles (above) takes the Frankfurt Big Band to the Townships assisted by his brother Steve and fellow Loose Tuber Django Bates. 

Both are hotly anticipated gigs but even more so is the appearance of Mulatu Astatke, one of the greatest names in Ethio-Jazz, who brought his early Western musical education back to Addis Ababa in the 70s and brewed up the distinctive style of swooning instrumental funk showcased on the compilation The Ethiopiques. His band includes trumpeter Byron Wallen and keyboard player Alexander Hawkins who is also staging a number of pop-up jazz events during the weekend. Interestingly his gig is followed up by another Afro-fusion experiment when weirdly compelling cod-Madagascan jazz rock outfit Melt Yourself Down appear at a late nighter in the Subtone club setting.

All in all – and there’s a whole lot more to check out on the website – it’s another bumper year for one of the country’s most successful jazz festivals and their well-judged blend of the profitably popular with the genuinely cutting edge looks like doing the business once again. And, being only 40 minutes away from Bristol by car or train, it’s all practically on our doorstep.

The Cheltenham Jazz Festival runs at various central venues from Wednesday April 27 to Monday May 2.